Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4)

by Jamie Salisbury

  “And do what?”

  “Hell if I know. You look like you could use a drink though, bro.”

  “Yeah, I’m going to need one before I have to face her again.”

  “Come on. I keep a bottle stashed on the boat.”

  “What about the others?”

  “I’ll get their attention.”

  We got the kids settled, giving rules and putting Britt and Court in charge of the younger ones.

  Then, the four of us sat in the cockpit of Amadeus’s sailboat, Tudor Queen. I hated to admit it, but this was one fine boat. I’d been out with him on several occasions, and the lady could fly across the water. Though I’d never divulge my envy to him. That wasn’t as important as it once was. Not right now.

  “What did you say to light her up, Dame?” Angus asked as A brought the Jack Daniels up from its hiding spot.

  “Before you answer that, take a shot.”

  I lifted the bottle to my lips and took a long pull.

  I heard Peter mumble in the background. “It must have been good, judging by that swallow.”

  “To new beginnings,” I announced. “Alana and I are officially through.”

  “No shit?” Angus blurted out.

  “Yeah. Amadeus heard enough. He knows.”

  “Care to share?” Peter inquired.

  I looked at my youngest brother, who was sitting there with a huge grin on his face. “I’ll say this, and then I don’t want to hear any more about it today. If a woman’s going to cheat before she gets married, what’s to stop her after she has the ring on her finger?”

  “Dude, really?” Angus asked.

  “Yes, really.”

  “Then Daniel was right. Alana uses people to get where she wants to go then dumps them.” Peter was shaking his head. “That’s sad, because she tried it with Daniel.”

  “He warned me.”

  “So, you still going to produce her, manage her?” Amadeus asked.

  “I doubt it. Somehow, I think she has someone in mind already.”

  “And I’m afraid you’d be right, Dame,” Peter replied, taking a drink off the bottle.

  “How’s that?”

  “We’ll save that for another day. Let’s drink to Damien.”

  We sat for I don’t know how long on that boat. Talking and swapping stories. I needed the break with the guys.

  Finally, Courtney came and forced reality on us all. “Granny Grace said dinner’s ready and to get your sorry butts inside.”

  “Granny Grace, is it?” Peter snickered.

  “Court, what did I tell you about that?”

  “I like it, Dame. Sort of fits her when she’s here.” Amadeus chuckled.

  “Tell Granny Grace I said we’re on our way,” Peter remarked, laughing.

  “She said ya’ll better not be drunk, either.”

  “Oh, we’re not.” Angus snorted. “Not in the least.”

  “Uh, Dad?”

  “Yeah, what sweetheart?”

  “Alana left. Stomped through the house, and then took your car. Zara was going to go after her, but Granny Grace said to let her go.”

  “I bet she said a lot more than that.” Peter snickered.

  “You know it.” Courtney looked at me. “I just wanted you to know before you went to the house.”

  “Thank you, Court. It’s over. For the best.”

  “Good riddance, I say. No offense to Uncle Daniel.” Courtney walked off, then turned around. “He was right—she’s just a user. You’re too good for her, Daddy.”

  I watched my daughter in utter amazement. How did I get so lucky?

  “Gentlemen,” Peter began, “the ladies await us. Shall we?”

  We all got off the boat, carefully navigating the pier. Not wanting the ladies to know we were feeling more than a little good. I felt like a huge load had been lifted off my shoulders.

  I couldn’t help but notice how utterly quiet the women were. The kids were all outside gathered around two picnic tables. One for the smaller ones, another for the more grown-up kids.

  “I’m fine, ladies. Really, I am. In case Courtney didn’t announce it, it’s over. I’m not going to be marrying Alana.”

  “Thank God.” I heard Zara mutter as she sat down next to A.

  “If it was going to happen, I’m grateful it happened before you married her,” Mother added.

  “The only thing further I’m going to say on the matter tonight is that Daniel was right all along. I was blind, too much in what I mistook for love to see it. Alana only uses people to get herself ahead. She tried using him and his celebrity, but he knew what she was up to.”

  “For a violinist, he’s a pretty smart dude,” Angus quipped.

  “Yes, please don’t rush next time,” Mother said.

  “If there ever is,” I muttered.

  “To a new beginning then.” Zara raised her beer in a mock toast. “Dame, you’re welcome to spend the night if you want,” she added softly.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll catch a ride back with the girls. I really need to make sure Alana didn’t do anything rash like trash the place or take off in my car.”

  “I understand, but the offer’s there.”

  “Ashley and I could go check your place out if you’d rather stay,” Angus added.

  “Thanks, man, but I’ll sleep better if I see it for myself.”

  “Someone needs to tell Daniel,” my mother whispered. “Before Alana gets to him and tells him all sorts of lies.”

  I glanced at the clock on the wall. It would be nine in the evening in New York. Daniel would be awake. “I’ll do it. He needs to hear it from me.”

  Taking my cell out of my pocket, I left the room. I locked myself in the bathroom. About the best place if you want any privacy from the Tudor clan. I noticed no texts or calls from Alana. Not that I was expecting any. Finding my brother-in-law’s number, I called him.

  “Damien, hello. To what do I owe the pleasure of this late night call?”

  “Sorry, Daniel. I need to tell you something before you hear it from anyone or anywhere else.”

  “Alana?”

  “Yeah. Did she call?”

  “Nope, haven’t heard a word. What’d she do?”

  “You want the truth or the scrubbed version?”

  “I’m a big boy, Dame. I don’t think my sister can do anything to surprise me anymore.”

  “I broke it off. There won’t be a wedding. Ever.” I hesitated for a second. I know if this were one of my brothers, they’d want to hear the truth. “She cheated on me, Daniel.”

  I heard him suck in a deep breath. “You did the right thing, Damien. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  “I know I did.”

  “I hope to hell you didn’t catch her.”

  “No, nothing quite so dramatic. Ever hear of some dude named Tony? Can’t recall his last name off the top of my head.”

  “Yeah. Sounds vaguely familiar. Like I’ve seen pictures of her somewhere with some dude named Tony. That’s who you suspect her cheating on you with?”

  “I don’t suspect, Daniel. I know for a fact. Trust me. Alana got all in my face about staying home and having a crab dinner. You know Seattle. We’re famous for crab. Anyway, she left, went to dinner and some club on the eastside. She came home drunk, tried to seduce me. Didn’t take too much to figure out she’d been with someone.”

  “Geez, man. I’m sorry, but I’ll sleep better knowing she doesn’t have her claws in you. She’s got some serious problems, dude. Did she meet your family?”

  “Oh yeah, acting all put out about having to be here. I tried to show her some affection. She told me to get my hands off her, and it escalated from there. Whole thing took a minute. She hauled ass to the house, got her stuff, took my car, and left.”

  “Good riddance. Dame, if you’ve got her on anything, get her off now.”

  “Thanks for the warning. I had better sense than to let her have access to my money. Not the way she was spending it. If any bills c
ome in, as I figure some will, I’ll refuse to pay. Tell them she didn’t have my permission. Which, by the way, she didn’t.”

  “She have access to your place when she got back?”

  “Nope. I realized I have the key to the condo in my pocket. Alana would have to sweet-talk the security desk, and I shut that down the second I heard she’d left in my ride.”

  We talked for a few minutes. By the end of the conversation, I felt better. Daniel was no fool. He called it the way he saw it, and he was right on the money.

  “What are you going to do now? I know you aren’t going to want to work with her.”

  “No way. I think she already had someone in mind. As for me, there are lots of other, more appreciative artists out there. Until then, I’m going to enjoy the summer, take my boat out, and spread the word that I’m looking.”

  “If I hear of anyone, I’ll send them your way.”

  “How’s Mary?”

  “Bigger, if that’s at all possible. I’m going to call your mom tomorrow. She might want to think about getting back here. The doctor doesn’t think she’s going to make it to her due date.”

  “I’ll have her call you. I guess I better go. If we’re going to head back to Seattle, we need to get going. The ferries won’t be running much longer.”

  “Okay. Thanks for calling, Damien. Don’t ever feel sorry for dumping my sister. You did the right thing. You’re too good for her. You’ll find the right woman again soon. Just keep your head up.”

  I said goodbye and sat on the edge of the tub for a minute, trying to get my emotions in check. I wasn’t hurt, I was mad. Mad at myself for letting yet another woman con me.

  A few minutes later, Amadeus knocked gently on the door. I opened it and tried to put on a happy face.

  “Looks like you’re stuck here man. Bad storm coming in. Ferry’s have shut down for the night.”

  “Wonderful. Have you got another bottle hidden in your studio?”

  “I’ve got a fully stocked bar out there, bro. Let’s get Angus and Peter and let the women have their hen party. I think you need some man time.”

  The four of us ran through the driving rain to Amadeus’s studio. At one time, it had been a guest house. My brother’s use of the space made much more sense. We were all musicians, after all.

  After we all settled in with our drinks, talk came right around to projects everyone was working on. Every single one of them had something going on. Even Angus.

  “You could hook up with one of those oldies tours, Dame. Or even a cruise. I bet you’d have no problem getting on. Your stuff is legendary.”

  “I don’t know if I’d go as far as to call it legendary, Angus,” I replied. “No, I don’t want to tour. Truth is, I have no idea what I want to do now. All I know is my track record with women sucks. This makes twice.” I shook my head and took a hit off the bottle on the table beside me.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Damien. You’ll meet the right one when the time is right. Maybe you’re supposed to be doing something else right now,” Peter remarked, sitting across from me.

  “You know, Peter’s right,” Angus quipped. “You’ve got three songs on the charts. Write some more. Maybe you should go to some of the clubs in town. Check out the local talent. If nothing grabs your attention, put feelers out.”

  “We’ll see,” I replied. “Right now, I just need some time for me.”

  “Take the summer like you were talking about, Dame. Take your boat out, sail the islands,” Amadeus said. “You know as well as me, it’s a great way to clear your head.”

  “And that’s exactly what I’ll probably do. Say, what do you guys think of that Jake character my daughter’s hanging with?”

  “Are they serious?” Angus asked.

  “Who knows? They’re kids. He’s wants to go to vet school. Personally, I don’t see it lasting. Courtney’s not ready to settle down. There’s too much she wants to do. Then again, what do I know? I’m just her dad.”

  “He said he’d been accepted to Auburn University,” Amadeus added.

  “I definitely do not see my daughter moving to southern Alabama.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Peter interjected, smiling. “She told Granny Grace she’s not interested in a serious relationship right now.”

  “Thank God. I certainly don’t want to think about giving one of my daughters over to some dude.”

  “Speaking of Court,” Amadeus said. “Have you heard her sing lately, Dame?”

  “No, have you?”

  “Yeah, I have.” He walked over to the control panel, looking for something. He pressed a few buttons. “Listen to this.”

  Over the speakers came my daughter’s voice. I was amazed, but then, I’m her father. Courtney had never showed any interest in singing apart from family stuff.

  “How did you get this, A?”

  “She asked me if she could record something for Jake’s birthday, which is the end of the month. I said sure, and we came in here. She had the song picked out. She did the piano and vocals. I was blown away.”

  “Damn, she’s amazing.”

  “Maybe your talent is before your very eyes, Dame.” Peter chuckled.

  “I’ll most definitely keep this in the back of my head.”

  It didn’t take long before we were all jamming on old favorites. The weather might be wild outside, but inside we were smokin’.

  Chapter Five

  The storm may have passed during the night, but it was still cloudy and drizzly. Typical weather for the area. Somehow, I’d managed to fall asleep on the sofa in the studio. I stood up, stretched, and, seeing Angus asleep in a chair, mouth wide open, I had to do something. The situation was begging for it. Yes, little brother, payback’s hell.

  Finding a cigarette butt, I quietly dropped it in his gaping mouth and ran like hell. The last thing I heard as I shut the door was him cussing and his threats about getting me back.

  I went in through the kitchen and found Zara sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. I glanced at the clock. Five-thirty? No wonder no one else was up.

  “Would you like a cup? I just made it.”

  “Thanks. I can get it,” I replied. “What are you doing up so early?” I found a mug and poured, sitting down across from her.

  “Woke up, kids asleep. And you?”

  “Woke up, pulled a prank on Angus, and fled.”

  “Oh my.” She quietly giggled.

  About that time, Angus came wandering into the house. I dared not say a word. Not the way he was glaring at me. “By the way, very funny, Dame.”

  “As you would say—thank you, thank you very much.”

  He glanced at the clock. Shaking his head, he turned and walked out of the room. “I’m gonna find a corner to crash in. It’s too damn early.”

  Hearing Wolfgang, Zara went to get him. When she returned, he was wrapped around her legs. He wasn’t an early morning kid.

  “Do you know where Wolfie’s father is?” she asked as she poured milk into a sippy cup.

  “Last I saw of him, he was asleep on the floor of the studio.”

  “Do me a favor? If you go back over there, and he’s still out? Pour cold water on him.”

  “Ouch. You’re cold, girl.”

  “Yeah, well, he always finds a way to get out of early morning dad duty. It’s the least I can do to repay him.” She bent down and handed the child the milk. When she stood back up, she had this look on her face. “Would you mind watching him for a minute or two? I think I’ll wake Dad up myself.”

  “Of course. Go tend to your wayward husband.”

  She pulled a bottle out of the refrigerator. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.” Zara picked up Wolfgang and put him in my lap, kissed him, and walked out the kitchen door, armed with her water. Surprisingly, Wolfie never cried. He just sat on my lap, drinking his milk.

  ****

  After dropping Jake off at his place, the girls and I headed home. Alana had indeed attempt
ed to gain entrance to the condo, but had no luck. She had not been a happy lady when she’d left, empty handed. One reason to be thankful I lived in a secure building. Still, Alana hadn’t bothered to even text me. She had my SUV.

  When we got inside the house, I told the girls what I was trying to do. I sent Alana a text, demanding to know where my vehicle was.

  I want my fucking stuff, Dame.

  Yeah, I just bet you do, sweetheart. As soon as I get my SUV back, you can have it.

  It didn’t take her but a second to reply.

  You’re so pathetic. How do you want to do this?

  I told her to drive the SUV to my building and park it. Then, go to security and give them the key. When they verified it wasn’t trashed, they would give her the two suitcases.

  Fine. Be there in thirty minutes.

  I couldn’t resist. I had to have one last zinger.

  Need a ride to the airport, or is Tony following you?

  A text that was filled with swear words followed. I smiled at the girls and called down to the security desk.

  A few minutes later, Britt and Court brought out Alana’s stuff. By the look on their faces, I knew I shouldn’t ask what they’d done.

  “Britt and I will take this down for you. We’re going to go across the street and get a coffee. Want to come watch the fireworks?”

  “Sure, why not? I could use a good laugh.”

  The three of us went across to the coffee shop. Sure enough, Tony parked in front while Alana went in through the garage. A few minutes later, she came through the front door carrying two pieces of luggage. Tony didn’t even get out of his rental car to help her. Instead, he just popped the trunk and let her fend for herself. Good for you, dude.

  “Slut,” Court blurted out.

  “Good riddance,” Britt added.

  “I’m not even going to ask what you two did to her stuff. I’m sure the bitch will be burning up the text line.”

  “We didn’t do a thing, Daddy,” Court innocently replied.

  “How is she even related to Uncle Daniel?” Britt added. “They are nothing alike. He’s so cool, and giving. She’s a complete bitch and user.”

  “Maybe she got switched at birth.” Courtney snickered. “Her parents got an alien baby, and the real Alana is somewhere out there.”