“That day you described him in my car, I suspected. I didn’t want it to be true, Brie. I tried to find a hundred explanations for someone using my name, someone who looked so familiar. I needed another answer. Any answer but that one.”
It was someone he loved.
Gabriella thought back to conversations she’d had with the pretend Hudson. There were times she would have sworn he was angry and he would laugh it off, using his charm to divert her attention. Something in particular once set him off more than any other.
It involved her sister.
Brie stopped at the grocery store after her shift at the winery and he pulled in beside her. He always rented an expensive car when he came to visit but that never mattered to her.
She was just happy to see him.
The man she knew as Hudson smirked at her car. “When are you going to buy something nice, Brie? That car is a clunker.”
It was odd for those to be the first words out of his mouth when she got out and walked to him. “I’ve had this car for years. I don’t know what I want yet, what I’ll need when I eventually move out on my own. I might not need a car at all.” She shrugged. “I figure this one still runs so I’ll drive it until I have a firm plan.”
“Your sister drives an Audi.”
“Izzy loves her car. I’m just not that into material things, I guess.”
“Your parents should step in and help you once in a while. You’re the youngest. You work a lot harder than she does. Everything is easier for her.” For just a moment, actual animosity seemed to bleed into his voice and she didn’t understand it.
He didn’t know her family. He always found an excuse not to meet them.
Her smile was careful. “Hudson, I chose the winery. I have no interest in the fashion portion of my family business. That was perfect for Izzy. Our parents do lots of things for us.”
She put her hand on his cheek.
“We both work hard for our paychecks…it’s all part of Mom and Dad’s plan to have us ready for the world. She spends most of her earnings and I save most of mine, but it doesn’t change that we have to earn what we make. My sister is awesome and she spends a lot of her money on me.”
Looking at the conversation now, Brie recalled how her “boyfriend” had pulled on a mask after his outburst. He made an excuse about his behavior. An excuse that casually mentioned an older brother he didn’t like very much.
“It was your brother. He pretended to be you.”
Hudson closed his eyes and said, “Yes. His name is Scott.”
So many things suddenly made sense.
“You found out for sure the day of my surgery. That’s why you lied to me. Why you were both so stiff and uncomfortable.” She swallowed hard. “Why you couldn’t visit or call.”
The pain written on both their faces made her heart hurt.
“We messed up, Brie,” Natalia said beside her.
She didn’t look at her. Nothing would have made her take her eyes off Hudson. Something was pushing at her mind, wiggling around and making her head swim.
In a whisper, she said, “You confronted him.” It wasn’t a question but he nodded. “You told him about me. That I was still here in New York.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “He figured I would have gone back to my family.”
“You’re the only one who ended up in New York. The others were robbed before it ever reached that point. I don’t know why you were different.”
Opening her eyes, she stared at the hard set of Hudson’s jaw.
“He never thought I’d stay here. There is no way he figured that you would help me. That…that we’d get involved. His plan hinged on you doubting my story and me being weak, naïve, and ashamed. I messed things up for him.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m the only one of his marks who filed criminal charges.”
Hudson nodded again.
“I ruined his game by getting you involved. I ruined it for him and your girlfriend.” She laughed softly and shook her head. “They had a sweet setup and I fucked it up. I spent a fortune on a private investigator and had no idea I’d already gotten him caught.”
“I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Brie.”
“He was furious. He blamed you for everything that he didn’t have and he blamed me for messing up his con. The man I hired called me two weeks after my surgery to say he was tracing a strong lead. There was no way your brother could touch you and he would have known that.”
She stared him down and dared him to lie. “He tried to kill me. Didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
The truth was what she expected but it still hit her hard. It destroyed her emotionally. She lifted the arm without leads, the one that was casted from her thumb to mid-forearm, and pressed her eyes in the bend of her elbow.
“What is wrong with people?” She let herself cry even though the tears made her angry. “I’m so tired, damn it. I hate being stuck in this fucking bed.”
After a long time, she lowered her arm and allowed Natalia to wipe her face. The woman she’d allowed herself to care about was crying for her. Hudson looked fierce.
Her thoughts raced and for once, she wanted them to be quiet.
“This man flew thousands of miles several times a year. He lied to me and pretended to love me…all while planning to screw me worse than the mediocre sex I was getting.”
The laughter that bubbled up in her chest was cold. “That certainly must have put a damper on things. Knowing your lying, thieving brother fucked me first.”
Hudson was suddenly over her, his hand firm on the side of her face. “Nothing has put a damper on a goddamn thing since the day you dressed me down without giving a single fuck about who I was or how much money I had. It made me hard and I have stayed hard since.”
His eyes flicked to her lips and back. “You may have had sex with my brother before me, Brie…but I can assure you, I was the first man to ever fuck you.”
“I’m so furious with you, Hudson.”
“I will make it right.”
“You can’t make it right. You can’t undo everything.”
“No, I can’t take away your accident. I can’t take away the pain you’re going through. I can’t change the fact that I thought I was protecting you by keeping the truth hidden.”
His fingers slid along the curve of her skull gently. “I can take care of you now. I can protect you. I can help you through all of this to the other side.” He gave her a small smile. “I do love you, Gabriella. Less than half a dozen people in my entire life have made me feel it. You are the only one I didn’t see coming.”
She reminded herself that the way Hudson and Natalia loved her and the way they loved each other was quite different. As she opened her mouth to respond, he kissed her lips.
Lifting his face, his black eyes stared into hers with more intensity than she’d ever seen.
“Take time to think.” He gave her a half smile. “I know you’re angry and confused. You have a long road ahead of you. I’m giving you time to consider what you know but understand that I will not quit. I will run you to ground and earn the love and trust you give so easily. I need you in top fighting form…so you feel like you have a chance.”
“Arrogant.”
“Always.”
She frowned. “What if he tries again?”
“Impossible.”
“Why is it impossible?”
“Because Scott is sitting in an apartment he is unable to leave. There are armed men stationed with him as well as outside the door and in the lobby. Much like a safe house. Only, in this instance, the person being kept safe…is you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“You deserve the right to confront him. Without police, without lawyers. He took your pride, he stole from you, and he tried to kill you. Every day you are unable to leave this bed, he will be unable to leave that apartment. Consider it tit for tat.”
“It could be months.”
Hudson shrugged. “The
apartment lacks for nothing and it is far better housing than he’d receive if I turned him over to the police. I gave him the option. He chose wisely.”
“What about…your mother? Your sister?”
“They have permission to visit him. So far, they’ve chosen not to.” His fingers raked soothingly through her hair. “My mother…Brie, I didn’t want you to dislike her because of me. She’s exactly the person she seems. Gentle, kind, and a little fragile. Not like me at all. She liked you so much from the first and I didn’t want to ruin that for either of you.”
“How poorly you see yourself, Hudson.”
“I never lie to myself. I know what kind of man I am.”
“You don’t know the man I see.”
His smile was warm. “Only the women in my life have ever seen it.”
Brie grinned. “Then it’s good you surround yourself with women.”
Strong arms slid carefully beneath her. Through the bandages around her torso and the hospital gown, she felt the warmth of his skin. He pressed his cheek to hers.
“I need to hug you. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You aren’t. You feel wonderful.” Natalia kissed her other cheek and she was swept back to the afternoon they held her between them. “I’ve missed you both.” Her voice trailed off and she began to drift away from the combination of stress and drugs.
“Tell me, Brie.”
“I’ve connected the two of you, like a bridge, and served my purpose. We’ll still be friends.”
“No, Brie,” Natalia breathed at her ear.
“Remind me never to give you too much time to think. Your mind gets you into trouble.” Hudson’s words didn’t sound convincing to any of them.
“So does my heart, more often than not.”
“We’ll be careful with it.”
They stayed like that, hugging her and talking to her, for a long time. Gabriella didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until she opened her eyes and the room was filled with sunlight.
This time, she knew she hadn’t dreamed them.
Hudson and Natalia stayed with Brie until the shift change. She fell asleep in their arms and they agreed time would heal the wounds they’d unintentionally inflicted.
It would also heal the wounds sustained because of his brother.
Chapter Twenty
The days passed slowly for Brie and she found herself missing a mish-mash of things. Her little statue, the café where she liked to sketch, and laughing unreservedly with Riya and Tawny.
Only when she was pronounced out of danger at the start of her third month did her parents believe it might be safe to leave her side. The argument raged quietly in her hospital room until Gabriella wanted nothing more than to sleep.
Izzy finally convinced them.
“She is going to be in worse pain during rehabilitation than she is now. You know she will spend time trying to hide the pain for your sakes’ so you don’t worry. I’ve set up a satellite office at her apartment and I can continue my work here. New York is a fresh infusion of fashion on a daily basis so this might move our design arm to the next level.”
“You will stay here with your sister?” Their mother was anxious, worried, and being pulled back to Washington by their various business interests. “Until she is better, yes?”
“I will not leave New York until Brie is released from medical care.”
“You will call me every day. More if there is a problem.” Izzy nodded. “I trust you to know if we need to come Isabella.”
“I know, Mama.”
The older woman released a heavy sigh and both her daughters could see the exhaustion weighing on her. Her parents built their empire hands-on and as a result, it required a strong dose of involvement from the founders.
“Mama?” Tallila moved to Brie’s side. “I’m alright now. All that’s left is the exhausting and painful road back to normal.”
Slender hands that were surprisingly strong gripped her face. “It is when you almost lose something you love more than you love yourself that you see the mistakes you have made like road signs behind you.”
“You’re a wonderful mother. I love you very much.”
“When you are better, when you are back to the cheerful, happy girl I know, I hope you will consider moving back to Washington.” Brie opened her mouth to object.
“Wait. Not our little town. I know you’ve grown out of it. I thought…perhaps Tacoma or Seattle. Far enough to make you feel independent but closer, Gabriella. There is no pressure. Just something to think about.”
For a long moment, she considered the implications of moving back to the West Coast. Despite their repeated assurances to the contrary, she was under no misconceptions about her place in Hudson and Natalia’s lives.
“I promise to consider it carefully, Mama. Let me fully recover first.”
Tallila’s eyes lit up. “That’s all I ask.”
She was gathered in a careful hug that warmed her from the inside out and there were tears on her mother’s cheeks when she pulled back.
“I will make sure you and Izzy have everything you could possibly need before we take a flight back at the end of the week.”
“Thank you for being here this long. I know the schedule your businesses demand. I’m so glad you were here when I woke up.”
Her father stepped up and kissed her cheeks. Cabral stared down at her for a long time before tracing his finger over her temple. “The bruising is finally disappearing. This pleases me, Gabriella.” He leaned closer and rested on the rail of the bed.
“I will tell you this: you are not to endanger my little mouse again. If anything happens to you or your sister, everything we have is worth nothing. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“A car will drive you securely from now on. There will be no arguments about this.”
She stretched her inner independence and thought she could handle the leash her parents needed for a little while. “Alright, Papa.”
Izzy’s eyes widened behind Cabral’s shoulder. Then she grinned and mouthed, “Pick your battles.”
Three days later, Brie’s parents returned to Washington.
The long and highly emotional farewell took everything she had and she crashed for more than eight hours. Her room was bright when she opened her eyes. She stared out the window, lost in thought.
A sound on the other side of the room made her turn her head. “Hudson. Where’s Natalia?”
For a long moment, he stared at her without speaking. “She’s hosting a birthday party at the club. There were last minute preparations.”
It was the first time Hudson had visited her without Natalia and she knew why he was here. Since their first conversation when she regained consciousness, she’d been waiting for one of them to tell her what she already understood.
Did it hurt? Oh yeah.
Was she happy for them? Definitely.
“Hudson, sit here and talk with me. I wanted to tell you something.” He walked stiffly to the chair beside her bed and perched on the edge. “First, I wanted to tell you my parents returned home today. I don’t want them here when I start physical therapy.”
“How are you feeling?”
“That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. Would you mind calling the same service and having Lydia help me when they release me from the hospital?” She grinned. “My phone was trashed and I have zero phone numbers memorized. The joys of modern life.”
“Your phone…shit, I never considered…I’ll get you another one.”
He gripped the bed rail and she patted his hand. “No, that wasn’t what I meant. I used to back up the contacts but…I forget all the passwords.” She tapped her temple. “The doctor figures the gaps will fill in with repetition. I don’t even remember the name of the company.”
“Consider it done.”
“Second, I would like you to tell…Scott to write me a check for the money he took from me. You took care of all the others but after wha
t he did to me, I want my money from him, Hudson. Not you. If he won’t do it, I’ll have little mercy when I see him.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“His personal account, Hudson.”
He gave her a half smile. “I give you my word that your money will be returned from my brother’s personal money. What else?”
“I’d like you to take half of it and invest it for me.” His eyes went wide. “Don’t you invest for other people?”
“Yes but…half?”
Brie couldn’t help but laugh. “Hudson, you accidentally make money by simply opening your eyes in the morning. Often on projects no one else will touch. I know the market is chaotic and there is risk involved.” She shrugged. “I trust you far more than anyone else.”
A small frown appeared between his eyes. He said slowly, “Alright.”
“Izzy is going to be staying with me for a while. I might send her to the business center at the building to work in one of the A/V rooms when she has to hold virtual meetings. Do you think that will be a problem?”
“There are several empty offices in my corporate building. I’m happy to give her space to work there. I’ll have Lola talk to her.”
“That would be great. I know she worries about the offices in Chicago and she’s taking on a lot of my remote work for the winery.”
“You still work for the winery?”
She tilted her head. “Of course. You didn’t think my parents would let me completely leave the family business, do you?”
“I had no idea you worked two jobs.”
“I’ll always have commitments to the umbrella corp. I like to stay busy.” Hudson rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head. “What’s wrong?”
“You constantly surprise me. I feel like all I’ve done from day one is underestimate you.”
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t know me. You still don’t, Hudson.” His eyes came up to lock with hers. “I care deeply for you and Natalia. You know that much, don’t you?” He nodded. “Since the first time I realized your relationship, I could see how strong it was.” Smiling softly, she added, “I knew far better than you.”
“Brie…”
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