The Clarke Brothers (Complete Series)

by Lilian Monroe

  A pang goes through my chest and the words are on the tip of my tongue. I want to tell him about his wife. I want to tell him about what she did, and why she took our business, but I don’t know how. Tim sighs and shakes his head.

  “I’ll get to the bottom of this.” He looks up at me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Dominic, don’t tell anyone about this conversation. Can you do that?”

  I nod my chin down once. “I won’t. If there’s anything you need… I mean, if Mara is in trouble…”

  Tim’s lips curl up into a sad smile. “I wish it was you she was running away with. I’ve wanted to bury the hatchet between our two families ever since that business with the trucking company happened. I want you to know –”

  “Tim, stop,” I interrupt. “It’s okay. There are no hard feelings. Not anymore. Mara…” I take a deep breath. “Mara showed me what kind of person she is. If you have one tenth of the heart that she does, then there’s no need for us to be fighting.”

  I see Tim swallow and nod his head. His eyes look bright when he looks away. He clears his throat and takes a deep breath before grabbing the office door handle and opening the door.

  “Right. Well. Let’s get this thing figured out.”

  We nod at each other and I walk out of the hotel. It’s not until I’m in my truck and driving back toward my house that I let out a huge sigh.

  I knew something was wrong. I don’t know what it is yet, or how to fix it, but I do know one thing: Mara didn’t want to leave with Vincent.

  That thought carries me all the way home. She didn’t want to leave with Vincent. She wanted to stay with me. Whatever it was that was pushing her to leave, I’m going to figure it out.

  Something inside me wakes up. It’s the familiar anger that carried me through the past ten years. It’s the anger that led me to light the new hotel on fire and burn it to the ground. It’s the anger that Mara started to mend. I don’t want to be an angry person, but right now I can use that anger for good. I can get Mara back.

  36

  Mara

  Everything reminds me of Dominic. As we drive through the forest, I remember how he used to hold my hand as we walked through the trees. I remember the way he always smelled like fresh pine and sawdust after a day of work. When we board the plane, I think about how big he would have looked in the tiny airplane seats. When Vincent grabs my hand with his cold, clammy fingers, I think of the way Dominic was always warm and gentle with me.

  When I look at Vincent, all I feel is disgust. He doesn’t see me as a person. He sees me as a ticket to expanding his empire. What happens when he doesn’t need me anymore, I wonder? What happens when the contracts are signed and the new hotels are built? What happens when he’s made all the money he can make from our union?

  He’ll toss me aside like a piece of trash and move on to his next victim. I know he will. Did my mother think of that? Did she think of anything except herself and her bank account?

  We drive up to the luxurious estate that I used to call home. The tall, wrought-iron gates open and our black sedan glides through. The estate feels more like a prison than a home. We make our way up the winding drive toward the big driveway loop in front of the house and I see the huge gaudy fountain in the center of the circle. I take a deep breath and try to contain my disgust. Everything about this house – everything I used to love and be in awe of – it’s so ugly now.

  I miss Lang Creek. I miss the fresh air and the wind in my hair. I miss the calming presence of the mountains around me and the smell of pine trees and fresh air.

  I miss Dominic.

  Every time I think of him, a hot dagger passes through my heart. The black sedan stops in front of the steps and I open the door, stretching my body as I stand up and look at my new prison. Vincent circles around the car and hops up the steps.

  “Will is coming out to help you with your bags. I’ll be in my office. Don’t bother me with anything,” he says without looking at me. He disappears through the tall wood-paneled front door and suddenly I’m alone again. I turn away from the house and can see glimpses of the tall black fence that surrounds the property.

  How did this place never feel like a prison before?

  “Hi, Miss McCoy,” the concierge calls out. I turn to see him and smile at the familiar face. “I wasn’t expecting to see you back here.”

  I chuckle. “I wasn’t expecting to be back, Will. Thanks,” I say as he starts unloading my bags. “How are the kids?”

  “They’re great! Melissa just started kindergarten and I can’t believe it. They’re growing up so fast.”

  A pang passes through my heart when I see his eyes shining. I know that’s something I’ll never have now. His happiness when he talks about his wife and kids is so obvious. I hate how jealous I am.

  The rest of the day is a blur. The house, the staff, the neighbors – they’re all familiar, but somehow, I feel like a stranger. I feel like I’ve changed. Maybe I can finally see it for what it is: empty and fake.

  I eat dinner alone and then watch TV alone. I go on my phone and scroll through social media and then boredom starts to creep in.

  As I toss my phone aside with a sigh, it dings. I look at the screen and my heart starts thumping. Dominic’s name flashes across it. I look around the room to make sure I’m alone.

  “You okay?”

  There’s that question again.

  I stare at the two words on the screen for a minute before taking a deep breath. Somehow it seems more real when it’s coming from Dominic.

  You okay?

  I read it and re-read it over and over and over. What am I supposed to answer? No, I’m not okay. I’m far from okay. I miss you. I love you.

  Or maybe I can lie. I’m fine.

  I could tell him not to contact me. I could ignore him.

  My fingers hover over my phone as I read those two little words over and over. I hear a door open and close down the hall and my head snaps around. I’m still alone. I look back at my phone and feel my heart drop.

  I know what I have to do. I can’t talk to him or maintain any kind of relationship with him. My heart breaks all over again when I start typing a response. My fingers are trembling and my eyes blur as the tears start to fill them.

  “Please don’t contact me again. Good luck with the furniture, I wish you the best.”

  My fingers are shaking so much I can’t press send right away. I put my phone down and let the tears flow down my cheeks. I jump when my phone buzzes again. It’s a picture from Dominic.

  “Made you this:”

  I start laughing through my tears when I see the little cup full of pens, carved out of a piece of wood. I think of that day in my room, when he knocked over all my pens and pencils. It was the first time I saw that glimmer of humor in his eye. It was the first time I saw the real him. I stare at the picture and a warmth passes through my heart. It starts beating again and it feels like I’m alive for the first time since Vincent appeared in Lang Creek.

  I erase my message and type a new one.

  “I love it.”

  I press send and hold my phone to my chest. I close my eyes and let the tears flow down my cheeks. I know I shouldn’t talk to him. I should delete his number. But when I look back at the photo of the wooden cup full of pens, I feel more love from Dominic than I’ve ever felt from Vincent.

  Dominic sends me another message.

  “Post office is closed. You’ll have to come get it yourself.”

  My chest squeezes and my hands start trembling all over again. I glance over my shoulder one more time and type out a quick response.

  “I wish I could.”

  I exit out of the text and delete it in a couple taps. I scroll through my phone and find Dominic’s number, deleting it from my contacts. My heart is thumping and I know I shouldn’t be talking to him. I shouldn’t be encouraging him.

  But my God, it feels good.

  37

  Dominic

  “I wish I could.”
>
  I read the words over and over as I lie back in bed. That means that she’s there against her will. It means they’re holding something over her. It means her father is right.

  I jump out of bed and pull on my pants and jacket. I don’t bother tying my shoes – I just pull them on and rush out the door. My truck rumbles to life, and I peel out of the driveway and turn off toward the mountains. I drive faster than I should down the highway toward my brother’s house. When I make it to the big house, nestled on the side of the mountain, the porch light comes on and Aiden opens the door to greet me.

  “Dominic! What are you doing here so late?”

  “I need your help.”

  My brother stares at me as I walk toward him. His eyes search my face and I can imagine what he sees. I’m sure my clothes are disheveled and my hair is all over the place. I can imagine the look in my eyes. He looks at me for a few moments and nods his head.

  “Come in.” We walk to the kitchen in silence. “Coffee?”

  “Sure,” I answer.

  I slump down onto a chair as he makes a pot of coffee. He places a mug in front of me, and then takes one for himself before sitting down across from me.

  “What’s going on?”

  I take a deep breath.

  “Mara’s gone.”

  Aiden frowns. “Gone?”

  I nod. “Gone. She left with her ex this morning.”

  “Fuck…”

  I shake my head. “No, it’s not like that. Something’s wrong. Look,” I pull out my phone and show him the messages. He reads through them and frowns.

  “Dominic,” he starts. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up. This isn’t…”

  “No,” I interrupt. “You should have seen her when she was leaving. It was like someone died. Tim McCoy pulled me aside and said he thought something was going on. And now she’s saying she wishes she could leave? Something is wrong. Something is really wrong.”

  Aiden takes a deep breath and reads the messages again. He takes a sip of coffee and places the mug back down. Finally, he lifts his eyes to mine and shrugs.

  “What do you want to do? What can you do? What can I do?”

  “Give me the letters,” I say.

  Aiden’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. “No.”

  “Aiden! It’s the only way. I’ll bring them to Tim. He’ll see his wife for who she is and then we can confront her. We can figure this thing out!”

  “You want us to drag Dad’s memory through the dirt? You want the whole town to know he was having an affair with a married woman? I can’t do that to him!”

  “He did it, Aiden! He did it to himself!”

  Aiden stares at me and shakes his head. “I can’t do it. It would start this feud all over again.”

  “Aiden,” I start. I can feel my throat closing and my eyes watering. I’m begging my brother with my eyes as I put my palms flat on the table. I swallow and take a deep breath. “Aiden, I love her,” I finally say.

  Aiden says nothing, he just looks at me.

  “I love her, and she’s been taken away from me. Dad… Dad would understand.”

  Aiden’s face scrunches and he looks at the floor. I can see the turmoil inside him as he shakes his head. He looks up at me and the depth of his pain is visible in his eyes. His voice comes out as a whisper.

  “I can’t, Dominic. I can’t put his dirty laundry on display like that. What would people think of him? What would people think of us?”

  “Give him the letters,” says a voice behind me. The two of us jump and turn to see Aiden’s wife, Madeline, in the doorway. She’s holding her robe closed and has sleep in her eyes. She’s staring at Aiden and they exchange a wordless glance.

  “Give him the letters, Aiden,” she says again, more softly this time. “Your father has been gone for ten years, and you have a chance to do something good. You have a chance to fix this silly feud once and for all. Isn’t that worth it? Isn’t that what he would have wanted?”

  Aiden’s eyebrows are drawn together and it looks like he’s about to start sobbing. He’s wringing his hands and taking deep breaths. Madeline takes a few steps toward him and puts her hands on his shoulders. When she touches him, he crumples. A huge sob rakes through his body and Maddy wraps her arms around him, whispering in his ear. He lifts his hand to hers and takes deep breaths as she calms him down.

  I watch them and my heart breaks.

  I want that.

  I want a woman who knows me inside and out. I want a woman who can point me in the right direction and help me make difficult decisions.

  I want Mara.

  Aiden finally lifts his eyes to mine and dips his chin down.

  “Okay,” he relents. “I’ll give you the letters.”

  My chest squeezes and I nod to my brother. “Thank you,” I answer.

  When he hands me the stack of letters, he puts his hand on my shoulder and looks me straight in the eye. “I hope this works,” he says.

  I snort and shake my head. “So do I, Aiden. So do I.”

  He nods his head and steps aside as Maddy wraps her arms around me.

  “Thank you,” I whisper in her ear as she gives me a hug. She pulls away and smiles at me.

  “Get her back, Dominic. She’s worth it.”

  My throat tightens and I look at the stack of papers in my hand. This is the key. I know it is. This will convince Tim to look at his wife differently. This will convince him that Mara is in real trouble, and she’s doing something against her will.

  I don’t know why. I don’t know what they’re holding over her, but I’ll die before I let her be taken away from me.

  38

  Mara

  The guest bedroom in Vincent’s house is bigger than our biggest suite at the hotel back home. I wake up in the plush, comfortable bed and all I can think is that I’d rather be in Dominic’s tiny cabin. I roll over and look out the window, seeing the bright California sunshine already streaming through the windows.

  With a groan, I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. My stomach growls and I take a deep breath, getting up and tiptoeing down the stairs toward the kitchen. Vincent’s office door is ajar, and as I’m walking up to it, I overhear a snippet of his conversation.

  “… no, no, that’s fine. Just take him off the list of approved suppliers for the other hotels. We’ll let him finish out this contract. Yep, with an ‘e’. C-L-A-R-K-E. Thanks.”

  My blood runs cold and I strain my ears to hear more, taking another step closer to the door. I jump when it swings open.

  “Oh! Vincent! Hi! Good morning!” I stutter, taking a step backward and trying to regain my composure. He’s already dressed in a full suit with his hair slicked back, and he looks me up and down before glancing at his watch. My cheeks start to burn as I think of my nightgown and unwashed hair. I’m not used to being dressed to the nines all the time.

  “There’s coffee in the kitchen,” he says before glancing at me. “You got any plans today?”

  I stifle a scoff, and then try to shrug casually. “Might go see the girls,” I answer vaguely. He nods and closes his office door before heading off toward the front of the house.

  “I’ll see you tonight. Don’t wait for me for dinner.” He walks away without looking back and I try to ignore the sting in my chest. I hear the front door open and close, and I duck into the front room to see him driving away. Once he’s out of view, I walk back toward the office and glance up and down the hallway. I put my hand on the doorknob as my heart starts thumping against my ribcage. My mouth has gone dry and I close my eyes for an instant before turning the knob.

  Locked.

  “Shit,” I say under my breath.

  “Looking for something?” I jump at the sound of Will’s voice and turn to see him in the hallway. My hand flies to my chest and I laugh nervously.

  “Will! You scared me,” I say as the flush creeps into my cheeks. I pat my hair and tuck it behind my ears before glancing at the door again. “I was just, u
h… Vincent asked me to sign some papers for the engagement. He said they were in his office, so I assumed it would be unlocked.”

  I’m so bad at lying, I’m sure Will is going to call me out right away. Instead, he nods his head and pulls out a set of keys.

  “The boss has started locking it lately, I’m not sure why. I think he’s forgotten I still have the key,” he says, sliding the key into the lock and turning it smoothly. “Just let me know when you’re done. I’ll lock it back up.”

  I nod and slip into the office, closing the door behind me. I take a moment to lean against the door with my eyes closed, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves.

  That was close.

  What happens if Will tells Vincent? What will I say? I shake my head and focus on the huge oak desk that looms in front of me. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

  I walk behind the desk and flip open the laptop. It’s password protected, obviously. I hover my hands over the keyboard and sigh. I’d have no idea what his password is. Instead, I flip open a manila folder that’s laying to the side of the computer. I frown when I see the papers inside.

  “This is my application,” I whisper to myself. I flip through the pages and see my application to the Parks, and the signed page that recognizes my parent’s hotel as official accommodation. I frown, staring at the approval. I didn’t know this had come through!

  I look at the date and my eyebrows shoot up. It’s dated a week before Vincent appeared in Lang Creek. He moves fast.

  I flip through the papers and see a duplicate of my application. My heart starts thumping when I look at the proposal. Vincent wants to build half a dozen more hotels, and he wants to use my family’s name. I turn the pages over until one page catches my eye. It’s got a red pen mark through one line.