All It Takes

by Proby, Kristen

  “That Dad and Uncle Patrick had the proof all along that Bruce House doesn’t actually own the park, and that they were bribing him to make the proof of that go away?”

  She stares at both men, her jaw dropped, and shakes her head.

  “Louis, tell me this isn’t true.”

  Dad just shakes his head and Uncle Patrick sits on the couch, his head in his hands.

  “They’ve both committed real estate fraud, they’ve cost the city a lot of money, and we could throw bribery into the mix, which is all illegal and could put them away for a while.”

  “We wouldn’t go to prison,” Uncle Patrick says, but I shake my head.

  “We don’t know that.” I turn to Mom, who’s also gone pale, and take her hand in mine.

  “You really didn’t know?”

  “How could you ask me that?” Her voice is hollow.

  “I didn’t think they could do something like this either.”

  I’m shaking. I want to hit them both, to rage at them and demand to know what in the hell they were thinking.

  But I will never forget the tone of their voices just a few minutes ago when they thought they were about to get away with it. They were not the men I know and love.

  “You need to turn yourselves in, before I do.”

  “Sienna Marie Hendricks,” Dad says in shock. “You would not do that to your family.”

  “Oh, you clearly underestimate me.” I shake my head and then laugh humorlessly. “Actually, that’s exactly what you did. You didn’t think that I’d win this case.”

  “We knew you wouldn’t because we had the final proof that you’d never find,” Uncle Patrick says, his voice as flat as a stranger’s.

  “I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Mom says.

  “Me neither,” I reply, suddenly needing to get away. I leave the room, to the kitchen where my phone is sitting on the countertop, then hurry back to the living room. No one has moved.

  “You have two hours to do the right thing,” I say. “I’ll be telling my boss exactly what’s happened, and I’ll petition the court to dismiss the case.”

  “Don’t do this,” Dad says. “Sienna, we’ll give you a cut of the money.”

  Uncle Patrick’s head whips up in surprise, staring at Dad as if he just offered to sacrifice a virgin.

  “You just tried to bribe the city attorney?”

  “I’m pleading with my daughter to not do something that you’ll regret.”

  I shake my head, watching both of them in horror. “Who are you? Both of you? How could you do this?”

  “I would hate for you to lose your job over your canoodling with Quinn,” Patrick says in a pathetic attempt to scare me, and I immediately see red all over again.

  “We’re done here. You’re not going to bribe me or threaten me into dropping this. Two hours.”

  And with that, I hurry out to my car and drive away, glancing at my phone.

  Quinn knew.

  Quinn knew.

  And he didn’t tell me.

  That might be the biggest betrayal of all.

  God, I feel like such a fool. My family was lying to me, and Quinn was lying to me.

  I can’t go back to Quinn’s office, or his condo. I’m too angry. I’m too hurt.

  First, I have to handle my case. That’s the most important thing.

  I drive directly to my office and hurry inside to Dave’s office.

  “Long time no see,” he says when he looks up from his desk, an unlit cigar in his mouth. He frowns. “What’s going on?”

  I calmly explain everything that I heard at my parents’ house, and when I’m done, the cigar is gone and he’s shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “Jesus, Si.” He sighs deeply. “I’m sorry.”

  I clear my throat, unwilling to start crying now. “I’m going to petition the court to drop the case.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’ll write it up now. And I recommend that the city press charges.”

  “Are you sure?” He stands, walks around his desk, and leans against it, his arms crossed over his chest. “This is your family.”

  “I’m sure. They broke the law, and they wasted hours and hours of the city’s time. At the least they should have to pay for that.”

  “I’ll get that going,” he says. His face is grim. “Sienna.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “No, Dave, don’t get mushy on me. I need to see this through and then I need a week off.”

  “Done.” He gestures for me to leave his office. “Do what you need to do, but I’m here if you need anything.”

  I nod and hurry to my desk, and send my petition. Then, I take my things and drive home.

  My home.

  I feel numb now. The anger is still there, simmering just below the surface, but it’s as if the past few hours have happened to someone else and I’m watching it from the outside.

  Damn, how I wish that were true.

  I pull into my driveway, scowling when I see Quinn in his car out front.

  And just like that, the anger bubbles back to the surface.

  He emerges out of his car at the same moment I do, and I ignore him. If I start talking, I’ll rage at him, I’ll hit him.

  I’ll say things that I can’t ever take back.

  “Sienna, I need to talk to you. I’ve been blowing up your phone, but you’re not responding.”

  And I don’t respond now as I unlock the door and walk into my house, Quinn right behind me.

  “Baby, did you hear me?”

  I set my bag in its place, then turn to him and prop my hands on my hips.

  “How long?” I ask.

  “How long what?”

  “How long have you known that my father and uncle were the ones who got this whole fucking thing rolling?”

  “Wait. Your father?” He looks honestly confused, and I wait for his answer. “Bruce told me it was Patrick who originally sent him the letter.”

  “When?”

  His jaw clenches and the muscle in it tics in that way it does when he’s irritated. “A while ago.”

  I nod, not believing my ears. “Get out of my house.”

  “Sienna—”

  “No.” I turn around and stomp into the kitchen, needing to put some space between us. “You knew, Quinn, that my family was not just wasting my time but making a goddamn fool of me.”

  “No, I didn’t,” he replies. “I had no idea that your father was involved, and I didn’t know until after you left my office today that Patrick has the final proof you need.”

  “But you knew that Patrick was involved.”

  He shoves his hands in his pockets.

  “I couldn’t tell you.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “No, it’s not bullshit. I couldn’t tell you. It was attorney-client privilege, Sienna. You know as well as I do that if I’d said anything it would have been illegal.”

  “We were working as a team!” I yell.

  “Bruce told me as a client. It’s a fine fucking line, Sienna.”

  I shake my head and pull the pins out of my hair, needing to scratch my scalp, hoping to relieve the pounding headache I have.

  “I need you to go,” I say. “I’m done, and I need you to go.”

  He’s still for a moment. “I never lied to you.”

  “You withheld important information.”

  “I tried to tell you that I didn’t trust Patrick.”

  “That’s weak, Quinn. I could tell you that I don’t trust Carter, and what does that do, exactly? Does it make you love him less? No, you’d roll your eyes and pat me on the head and say there’s no reason not to trust Carter.”

  “I would ask you why you don’t trust him.”

  “And if I’d done that, you still would have lied.”

  He shakes his head in frustration. “As soon as Bruce gave me the go-ahead I tried to tell you. I’ve been trying to reach you since you left today.”

  “How noble of you.
”

  God, I feel sick to my stomach. I’m going to throw up. I’m going to cry for days. I need him to go away.

  “I told you yesterday that there are three men in my life that I trust. Every one of them disappointed me today.”

  “Sienna—”

  “Go.” I shake my head and lean on the island. “I’m done, and I want you to go.”

  He walks to the door, but before he leaves, he turns back to me.

  “This isn’t done. We aren’t done. But I’ll go for now.”

  Just as the door closes behind him, my phone rings. It’s Louise.

  “Hello?” Tears are already forming in my eyes as I hear Quinn’s car fire up outside and he speeds away.

  “I just got off the phone with Mom. Sienna, what’s going on?”

  “I need you.” It’s a whisper. “I need you at my house.”

  “I’m already on the way. With wine, and a shitload of questions.”

  “Hurry.” I hang up and collapse onto the island, my cheek on the cold quartz and hot tears streaming from my eyes.

  Oh, my God, what just happened?

  My whole world just fell apart in the span of two hours.

  I thought I’d be punching something. Screaming and railing.

  But I’m just lying on the cool countertop and silently crying because my brain just can’t do anything else.

  I’m still here ten minutes later when Louise comes rushing through the door, two bottles tucked under her arms and her face also streaked with tears.

  “Talk to me,” she says softly as she hurries to me and softly drags her fingers through my hair. “Mom’s a mess and couldn’t tell me much. Is it true?”

  I nod and wipe my nose with the back of my hand.

  “Dad and Patrick tried to screw the city out of the park. Uncle Patrick found the original letter, and the final letter that showed the loan had been paid in full, in a journal when he was going through Grandpa’s things after he died, but before the will reading. I guess, given that Uncle Patrick drew up Grandpa’s will, he knew that he and Dad wouldn’t be splitting the whole estate, and they felt that they were being ripped off.”

  “Fuck,” she whispers and sniffs.

  “They tried to get a million dollars out of House to make the proof go away.”

  “Jesus, Si.”

  I pull myself up and stare at my older sister, who looks so much like me, and yet is so different from me.

  “They lied to us.”

  We hold hands and make our way to my couch.

  “Want to know the worst part?” I ask her.

  “Jesus, it gets worse? Let me pour some wine first.”

  She passes me a box of tissues, takes some for herself, and quickly opens a bottle of wine, bringing it with two glasses back to the couch.

  “Okay.” She pours us each a glass and passes me mine. “Take a sip first, then go ahead.”

  I oblige and lick my lips. “Quinn knew.”

  Her eyes bulge, and her mouth forms an O shape. “What? He knew?”

  “He didn’t know all of it until today, but he knew that Patrick was the one to initiate it all.”

  “And he didn’t tell you.”

  I shake my head and take another sip. “Nope. Because House told him, and it was attorney-client privilege.”

  She’s blinking rapidly as she takes a huge gulp of her wine.

  “Wow,” she says at last. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  “What’s going to happen now?”

  “Well, Dad and Patrick will be charged with real estate fraud and bribery. I don’t know if they’ll go to jail, or just be fined. They’ll probably be fined.”

  “Jesus,” she mutters.

  “I’m worried about Mom.” The tears start again, and I take another sip of wine. “She didn’t know what they were doing.”

  “We’re strong like her,” Louise says. “But it’s going to be rough for her. Maybe I should stay with her for a little while.”

  I nod and lean my head on Lou’s shoulder. “I want to deck them both.”

  “Mom slapped Dad across the face,” she says, and I lift my head in surprise.

  “She did?”

  “Hard. Left a handprint.”

  “Good for her.” I sigh and lean against her again. “How could they do it?”

  “Greed is a bitch,” she says.

  “I never pegged them for being greedy,” I reply. “They said they were pissed that you and I got the money, and all they got was the house.”

  “Maybe Grandpa promised them more?” Lou suggests.

  “Patrick gave House the letter before the reading of the will,” I reply. “No, they were pissed and being greedy, and it makes me wonder how I didn’t see it. I mean, these men raised us.”

  “Hey, there are men in the freaking mob who raise their kids and love them.”

  “Are you suggesting they’re part of the mob?” I ask incredulously.

  “No, I’m saying that sometimes people do bad things, but it doesn’t make them bad people.”

  “I can’t separate the two,” I admit. “Not today.”

  “No, today is for being hurt. What are you going to do about Quinn?”

  “I’m still hurt there too. So for now, I’m going to take some time to figure myself out and take it from there.”

  “Good idea,” she says and goes back to playing with my hair, which has always calmed me. “I bet it wasn’t easy for him to not tell you.”

  “He should have told me,” I argue softly. “I know it’s stupid, and I know better, but he should have told me. This was more than just a case.”

  “For you,” she says.

  “No, for both of us. I wasn’t falling in love alone.”

  “Good point.” Louise fills my glass with more wine. “We should probably move this party to Mom’s. I don’t want her to be alone.”

  “We’d better go before we’re too buzzed to drive.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~Quinn~

  I know this road like the back of my hand. It’s where I go when I’m upset, driving too fast through the thick trees.

  Sunlight filters through the leaves onto the road as I speed away from the city, smoothly shifting through gears.

  I’m pissed, and if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m hurt.

  So I shift into fourth and rev the Porsche around a sharp turn, and right past a cop car.

  “Fuck,” I grumble as lights flash behind me and I pull over.

  I don’t have time for this. I need to drive, to burn off this anger and aggression.

  I roll down my window, my license and insurance already in my hand.

  “Did you know you were speeding?”

  I glance up and want to smile. This is the same guy who pulled me over years ago when I was driving the same road, after Dad died.

  “Yes, sir,” I reply honestly.

  “Not just speeding, but going over a hundred in a fifty-five.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Have you been drinking?”

  “No.” I shake my head. “Just heartbroken like the last time you pulled me over. It’s been a few years, you probably don’t remember.”

  The cop shakes his head.

  “Want me to get out and do the sobriety test?”

  His eyes narrow now, but he steps away from the car. “Yes, please.”

  “Sure thing.” I get out and immediately start walking the line.

  “Something must have you upset,” the cop says.

  “Yeah, I’m pissed,” I reply. “She says I lied to her, but I didn’t lie. I couldn’t tell her what I knew because it’s attorney-client privilege. She’s a damn attorney. She knows that.”

  I move into touching the tip of my nose with my finger.

  “She found out today, before I could get to her and fill her in. My client finally gave me the green light, but she didn’t have her phone on her, and I couldn’t get to her first. She
walked into a fucking shit show, in her own parents’ house.”

  “That must have been tough,” he says. I stand on one leg and touch my nose again.

  “I can’t even imagine,” I agree. “Jesus, I wish I’d gotten to her first, or that I’d been with her.”

  “Would it have made a difference?” he asks. I turn, surprised to find him leaning against my car with his arms folded over his chest. He’s an older man, probably in his late fifties. He looks like he’s seen more than his fair share of shit.

  “I don’t know. And that’s what guts me the most. The way she looked at me, with hollow eyes, and told me that she’s done. We are not done. I refuse to let her shut me out of her life completely.”

  “Then why are you driving away from the city, rather than to her, to make her understand and hear you out?”

  “I tried that already today,” I admit with a sigh. “She was too upset to be reasonable. Hell, I’m too upset to be reasonable.”

  “And too upset to be driving on my road as fast as you were. I told you before, you could kill someone or yourself.”

  My eyes shift to his in surprise.

  “Oh yeah, I remember you. You looked haunted then, like something was chasing you. Now you look defeated, and something tells me that you don’t feel that way often.”

  “No.” I shove my hands in my pockets and lean on the car next to him. “Are you going to give me a ticket?”

  “No. But I’m going to give you some advice.”

  I give him a quizzical look, but stay quiet, curious to hear what he has to say.

  “Now, I don’t know all the facts, but I’ve been married for thirty-five years, and I’ve learned a thing or two about women and relationships. First of all, trust is a big thing.”

  “And I fucked that up,” I murmur.

  “Listening is important too,” he says dryly, and I clamp my mouth shut. “But the most important thing I’ve learned is to give her a minute to catch her breath. She’s emotional right now, she’s overthinking everything. And don’t tell me she’s not because most of us do.”

  I can only nod at that. Hell, I’m standing on a highway fifty miles outside of the city doing exactly that.

  “We all need to feel safe. That the love, the trust, and the heart we put into each other is safe in our partner. Sounds to me like she’s not feeling exactly safe in much right now.”

  “No. She’s not.”