His words were still so vivid in her mind. “You’re right,” he’d said, “you should go.” She remembered how he’d walked her to the door but instead of opening it, grabbed her again, pulled her in, took her face in his hands and kissed her. Involuntarily raising her hand, her finger grazed over her bottom lip, remembering his taste, his feel, tender and warm. He’d apologized for kissing her. She squeezed her eyes tight for a moment. She hadn’t been sorry. In fact, she probably would have let him drag her back up the stairs and have his way with her on the big bed that overlooked the window above the rocks with the waves bashing them.
“Addison.” Addie blinked hearing Siana’s calm voice bringing her back to the present. Reality sucked. “I’d like to introduce you to my son, Cael.” Addie’s knees buckled at the idea of being introduced to her lover, her soul mate as if they’d just met for the very first time and thank God, Aiden caught her around the waist from behind as Cael’s hand covered her own. When their eyes met, she wanted so much to tell him she loved him and that he loved her, that they had a past, a history she wanted so much to somehow help him remember.
Cael smiled that sexy grin of his. He really had no idea who she was. “I’ve been away, but, I uh, trust Breena will bring me up to date quickly about how you and she came to be friends.”
Addie tried to smile but feared it didn’t come across very well.
“This is Maia.” Siana drew his attention away, gesturing her hand toward Maia and Addie’s heart ached with the desire to be in his arms, drinking in their strength. “Addison’s aunt.”
“Pleasure to meet you both.” He looked back at Addie and then his eyes drifted up to Aiden’s and Addie wanted to die all over again. “Hey, man,” Cael said, stretching out his hand to the guy.
“I’m Aiden.”
“Aiden, great to meet you,” Cael said, then turned toward his mother. “Well, we should get going. You ready, Uncle Bart?”
Siana nodded. “Yes, you should … and hurry.”
“Like a lightning bolt.” Cael winked, then placed his hand on Bart’s shoulder. “Come on, Uncle Bart, before my mother has a coronary.”
As soon as Cael and Bart left the room, Addie collapsed into the chair, afraid her legs would give out. “He doesn’t remember me at all,” she whispered and looked at Siana. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
“I’m sorry, Addison. He’s lost five years of his memory.”
“Five years?”
“You knew that was a possibility, Addie,” Maia said as she placed her arm around Addie’s shoulder.
“Yes, but … but I hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Why didn’t you tell him about me?”
“Sweetheart, he just found out two weeks ago that he lost his best friends and learned about your father’s death today. I didn’t think it was the right time.”
Addie nodded. “You’re right, of course.”
“I don’t think it is a good idea to tell him at all,” Siana added.
“What? Why not?”
“Listen to me carefully. He fell in love with you before all on his own. I believe he needs to do that again.”
“But …”
“And I believe he will,” Siana continued, interrupting Addie’s objection. “But honey, simply telling him that he loved you isn’t going to make him fall in love with you. The last thing you want is for him to feel obligated to be with you just because that is the way it was before he lost his memory.”
“I agree, Addie,” Maia added. “I still believe you and Cael are fated to be together. Let him fall in love again without the pressure of what used to be.”
She wanted to believe they were right, but somewhere deep down Addie considered it might be better if she told Cael about their love. But what if he did resent it? Resented her? She didn’t think she could live with herself knowing he was with her only because someone told him he was supposed to be. “Okay. I suppose I can live with just knowing he’s alive and safe for now.”
“Maia. You’ll need to call Gerry and let him know what’s going on so he’s ready for them when they bring Finn to him,” Siana said.
“Right.” Maia reached into her purse for her cell phone, walking away as she began talking.
“Here, love. How about a drink?” Aiden handed her a glass of champagne. “Your boyfriend is alive. That should be something to celebrate.”
“Addison, Aiden’s right. This is good news.” Siana smiled.
Addie appreciated Siana’s happiness that her son was alive and of course, she was grateful for that too, but she didn’t even want to think about what lay beneath Aiden’s real feelings about Cael’s return.
Chapter 7
Cael and Bart materialized back in Cael’s temporary bedroom in the little cottage in Bora Bora. Cael glanced at Bart and put his finger to his lips, not sure if Finn was still sleeping or not, but relaxed as he approached the doorway and smiled when he heard the obnoxious snoring from the other room. Finn, wearing nothing more than thin cotton shorts, lay sprawled out on the sofa exactly the way Cael had left him. He shook his head, leaned close to Bart’s ear and whispered, “I still can’t believe he murdered anyone. He seems like a nice guy. Guess I’m losing my touch for sizing people up.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it, son. Don’t forget the guy lost five years of his memory just like you did.” Cael nodded. Bart was right. That was why Cael hadn’t sensed any bad or peculiar vibes from Finn and why his aura was so calm. As far as Finn knew, he hadn’t done anything to feel guilty about.
“You’re right. Okay, so Mom contacted this Gerry guy and he’s expecting us, so let’s get this over with.” Cael stepped into the room where Finn slept, stopped, turned back to Bart and held up his hand. “Maybe we shouldn’t wake him. Let’s just get him there and then rouse him.”
“Good idea. Get us to the cliff side by the bar and grill—it’s the one the old couple used to own, you remember? I’ll show you where Gerry’s office is when we get there. That way no one will see us.”
Cael nodded, and holding Bart’s arm, he looped his hand around Finn’s and they all disappeared, reappearing outside at the back of what Cael guessed was now the Cliff Hanger Bar and Grill. He noticed the newer construction on the building, realizing it had been remodeled since he’d been there and remembered the old couple who used to own the place. He and his uncle had gone there several times over the years, sneaking off for an afternoon beer without his aunt knowing. Finn woke up when he realized his body wasn’t on a comfortable sofa anymore, but instead outside in a very cold place. He shivered. Cael admitted it must have been quite a shock, since the temperature in Oregon felt to be around forty degrees.
“Whoa! Hey!” Finn uttered in a groggy stupor as he came to, flanked by Cael on one arm and Bart on the other. He glanced around at the woodsy area behind the wood-planked building and the steep cliff they stood next to that overlooked the ocean. He blinked and looked a little pale. He tugged his arm free from Bart’s grasp, leaned over a bush, and threw up, and by the sound of it, got rid of everything he’d had to eat that day. When he finished, Cael helped him to straighten. Finn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked from Bart to Cael with watery eyes. “Cael, what the fuck?” he uttered with a shaky voice. “Where are we and why is it so cold? And who the hell is this?” He pointed his finger at Bart. “I’ll explain later. Which way, Bart?”
“Right on the other side of this wall,” he said, pointing at the building.
“Wait a min …”
Finn’s words were cut off as his molecules floated along with Cael’s and Bart’s. They materialized inside an unfamiliar office just as a muscularly built, dark haired man walked in, shutting the door behind him. He wore a black T-shirt—the sleeves almost too tight for his arms—tucked into well-worn jeans. Rubber-soled black shoes typical of someone who stood on their feet most of the day covered his feet.
“Gerry?” Finn said. “What the fuck are you doing in Bora Bora?”
“We�
��re not in Bora Bora anymore,” Cael said, and looked at the man who’d just entered the room. “I guess we’re in the right spot, if you’re Gerry.”
“Yep.” The guy, Gerry, briefly glanced at Cael and swung his right fist into Finn’s left eye, sending him stumbling backwards to the floor.
“You’ve always been good with the sucker punches, Ger,” Finn said, touching his finger to his eye. “I don’t understand. Why’d you hit me and how did we get here?”
“Was that necessary?” Ignoring Finn’s questions, Cael grabbed Finn’s arm and helped him to stand.
Gerry rubbed his knuckles and calmly stared at Finn. “Probably not. But this one is.” This time he aimed lower, driving his fist into Finn’s gut. “That’s for Careen.”
Finn doubled over, clutching his stomach, coughing. “What the fuck is all this about?”
Gerry’s eyes turned thick with rage as he planted another one into Finn’s jaw. “And that’s for shooting me and framing my wife for Careen’s murder, you lying sack of shit.”
“Okay.” Cael nodded. “Now I understand.”
“Would someone care to enlightenment me?” Finn asked, coughing some more and rubbing his chin and temple, the red mark from Gerry’s fist around his eye already starting to turn blue. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Careen is dead? You have a wife?”
Gerry turned his back on Finn and walked across the room, setting up a couple of the folded chairs that had been propped against the wall.
“Ah hmm.” Bart cleared his throat. “Let me see if I can sort this out for you. You killed Careen Faraday three weeks ago.”
“What?”
“You confessed at Gerry’s wedding, but before that, you tried framing Maia, Gerry’s bride, for Careen’s murder. Cael here tried to apprehend you, while Gerry attempted to strip you of some of your memory so you’d stop struggling. But you shot him, causing his aim and power to go a bit haywire and Cael got caught in the crossfire. So Gerry not only wiped out your memory, but Cael’s too.”
“I think that about sums it up, Bart.” Gerry turned back to face them. “I am truly sorry, Cael.”
Cael nodded, mostly out of politeness. He still wasn’t completely sure how to handle what had happened, or even if he should accept the apology. He’d read about people with Gerry’s ability, or something similar, but he’d never met anyone capable of erasing bits and pieces of someone’s memories before.
“You can’t be serious. Are you all off your rockers?” Finn asked. “I’m outta here.” He’d taken a couple of steps toward the door when Cael grabbed him, pulling both his arms behind him.
“Here,” Gerry said, walking over and securing a zip tie around Finn’s wrists. “Let’s get this over with before Chief Thompson gets here, which should be any minute now. Have a seat, Finn, let’s have a little chat.” Gerry motioned to the two chairs and Cael walked Finn over, turning him so his back faced the metal chair, and shoved him down.
“Finn, look at me,” Gerry commanded and they locked eyes for several minutes. Cael could only guess Gerry was planting some sort of memory back into Finn’s mind. Nobody had cleared all that up for him, yet. So many question still swam in his head, too many details unanswered … Christ, there was just too much. If this Gerry character took his memory away by accident, did he have the ability to give it back? Nobody mentioned that, but it would fix everything and … shit, his mother would have said something about it if it were possible. Considering how cautious she and Bart were being about telling him things, he truly doubted there was an easy solution.
As Gerry performed his magic on Finn, Cael took a seat in one of the other empty chairs along the wall and placed his head in his hands. He wanted to lie down. His head hurt. Everything was so convoluted and his heart still ached with the loss of so many people he loved. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. God, please don’t let anyone else tell me someone I love has died over the past five years. I don’t think I could take it.
He glanced up with the tender touch of Bart’s hand on his shoulder. His uncle nodded knowingly.
Gerry stood just as the knock came at the door. Bart opened it and two men in uniforms walked in. Cael guessed the older one with the mustache was the chief of police. He had no clue who the other guy was, until he made out the name on the badge pinned on his chest; “Whealen” with “Lieutenant” etched underneath.
“So, you managed to find him and bring him back. Good work, Detective,” the chief said to Cael.
Detective? I’m a detective. A private investigator. His mother mentioned he was a PI. Guess they are the same thing. He did remember now, that had always been his goal and working for the police department was merely a stepping-stone, mostly for on-the-job training. Ristéard had given him most of his instruction, but there were certain things that only experience could offer.
“Yeah, Chief. Cael did a great job,” Gerry said and turned to the other man. “He’s all yours, Lieutenant.”
“Good job, Cael,” the lieutenant called over his shoulder as he walked Finn out of the office.
“Thanks for your help in bringing him back, Cael. I’ll be in touch.” The chief tipped his hat as he followed the lieutenant and Finn out and through the bar to their car.
Gerry shut the door to his office and turned to face Cael. “You okay?”
“No. You can put it back, right?” Cael asked.
“No. I’m sorry. I could give you some memories, things I know, things I’ve witnessed you doing, but they wouldn’t be accurate. I can’t give you back memories I don’t know. Maybe over time you might start remembering some things, I don’t know for sure. I have no idea how strong the current was that entered your mind. I’d been shot and the intensity of my ability magnified with my sudden pain.”
“So what did you just give Finn?”
“I made some things up. I gave him some visions of the way Careen had been killed, the scene at the wedding that took place, some of his time here in Whisper Cape with the band. Not much really.”
“The band?”
“Um, Gerry,” Bart interrupted. “I think Cael needs time to adjust. There’s a lot to take in. Too much at once might not be good.”
“No, Uncle Bart. I want to know. But …” Cael wiped his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. He was tired. Too damn tired. “Maybe you’re right. A lot has happened and not all of it is good. I need some sleep and then maybe I can begin to pull my fucked up life back together.”
“I don’t suppose you remember where you live,” Bart said.
“Nope. Last time I remember having a place was back in New York, a block from the police station. Since I haven’t worked there for four years, I’m sure I don’t live there anymore. I don’t suppose you know where I live now.”
Bart shook his head. “Can’t say.”
It wasn’t unusual for Bart to answer that way, but Cael wondered if he meant that literally or not. It seemed that there were a whole lot of things people couldn’t say, or wouldn’t say. They were protecting him for some reason, which only made him dread learning anything more about his forgotten past.
“Maybe you should stay with me for a while. At least until you get your feet back on the ground, so to speak.”
Cael smiled at Bart’s little joke. “I don’t know. I don’t want to impose, and I think I should try to figure out where I hang my hat. Who knows, I could have a dog or something.”
“Nah, you’re not the dog type.”
“Now that’s not true, I love dogs. I’m just never home enough to give one the attention it would need.”
“Well, there you go. Pretty certain there’s no dog.”
“Are you and mom keeping something from me? I can’t believe you don’t know where I live.”
“Cael, you’ve moved around so much over the past few years, I lost track. Besides, I never visited you. You always came to see me. Remember, free ride and all?”
“Yeah. Okay. I wouldn’t mind hanging with you for a while.�
�� He’d gotten kind of used to having someone around. Finn had been somewhat of an enjoyable companion over the past couple of weeks, telling stories of himself with his Scottish accent, had even had Cael laughing uncontrollably one night. Finn had been good company, even if he’d turned out to be a murderer. “I need to pop back to Bora Bora to check out of the room and gather the clothes I had there. You still have that spare bedroom I used to stay in when I was a teenager?”
“Yep. I even put clean sheets on the bed day before yesterday. I had an inkling that you might show up. Thought I’d better get the room ready, just in case.”
“What about Aunt Jewel. She won’t mind?”
Bart hung his head, scratched the top of it, before shaking it slowly. “Your Aunt Jewel passed away a little over three years ago. Nothing anybody could do, not even Ristéard. She died instantly in an automobile accident. Drunk driver came rocketing down the middle of the highway, hit her car head on.”
“God, Uncle Bart, I’m so, so sorry.” Cael swiped his hand over this face catching the moisture from his eyes. Another loved one who’d passed away during the years that Cael lost. He wished he could remember the details. He’d loved Aunt Jewel, Bart’s Jewel. He smiled at the memory of her sweet, kind smile.
Bart nodded. “Me too, son. Me too.” He wrapped his arm around Cael’s shoulder. “You can stay as long as you like. It’s quiet there. Should do you some good to hang out here in Whisper Cape.”
“Thanks. You sure you’re not developing some psychic ability?”
“Nothing would surprise me.” Gerry laughed, patting Bart on the shoulder. “This old guy knows more about things than anyone I know.”
“I’m not old.”
“Then why’s everybody call you ‘Old’ Bart?” Gerry asked.
A Secret Fate Page 7