TENACITY

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

He chuckled slowly. "But he and Trey were worse. Do you remember what you named them?"

"No," she murmured, her hands squeezing her dress even tighter.

Mitch smacked his forehead like he had forgotten something. "Right. You always were forgetful but George never loved you less. It's sad he's unfit now."

She sighed, and though it sounded like a relieved one, she spoke next, making herself sound sad. "I miss him dearly." She paused and lifted her head. "What names did I give them?"

"Tom and Jerry—after the animated cat and mouse," Mitch replied, moving to a spot next to her.

"Oh, I remember now," she said, giving them a shaky smile.

Mitch and the other three shared looks because she obviously thought she had fooled them and would be able to get away with it. Trey tilted his head to the side, and with an arrogant look, he asked, "Do you?"

Mitch crossed his arms over his chest, standing over her with a strange smile. Her eyes widened a fraction as if it had finally dawned on her what they'd been doing. "You... You —"

Trey stood as well, gulping down the rest of his water. "Maya's husband died about a year and a half before I got married," he said. "But he was an amazing man, the only one who could save us from getting beat by her."

Jason leaned further in his seat. "She does have a daughter, but she was much younger than us and we saw her as a little sister. She also died while us three were in high school. That is why any girlfriends of ours were like Maya's daughters."

"Which is why," Mitch chimed in, "I couldn't understand why you forgot Sam. I introduced her not very long ago, and the real Maya isn't a forgetful person."

"And," Trey added, coming to a stop behind her chair, "it was Mitch and Jace who earned the names Tom and Jerry. I never fought stupidly because my father raised me to hide my true feelings."

"I think you realize now that we've got you," Trey continued. "Actually, I've been suspicious for a long time. Maya doesn't call me boss but you did everytime. She isn't afraid to make me clean floors dirtied by me but you smiled and did it yourself like it was okay.

"It's safe to conclude you aren't Maya. In fact, it has been confirmed by an outside source that you are someone else playing Maya." Trey squatted in front of her. "Who are you?"

She chuckled, then before they knew it she was full on laughing. She laughed so hard that it began grating on Trey's nerves. She clearly didn't know what predicament she was in.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked when she calmed down. "No matter what you do now, you're already too late. She's gone to him and you didn't even know —"

"Actually," Billy cut in, "we did."

'Maya' rounded on him with a glare. "He did not," she said, tipping her chin towards Trey. "He made a mess while trying to find her."

"It was an act," Trey said, straightening to his full height. Then he smirked as he backed away into his seat.

"That's ridiculous," she spat, scoffing.

"He was actually angry, yes, but it was because I let her go. So he thought it would be a good idea to play clueless while venting his anger," Billy explained with a shrug.

She sank back in her seat. Then after a moment, she looked up and smirked. "Regardless of your reasoning or plan, she's as good as dead. Ethan has got her, and the only thing keeping him away from hurting her is the man behind the scenes.

"Ethan doesn't know it yet, but the one steering the whole thing wants her alive. If Ethan finds out the man never intended to let him have keep and slowly torture her, he'll finish her off." She eyed Trey. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"