Revenge

by Lexi Blake

  How to wait for the perfect time.

  “So Steven Castalano’s heart attack and Patricia’s overdose?”

  His mother put a hand on Noah’s hair, smoothing it back. God, the kid’s therapy bills were going to make Bran’s look like nothing. “All me and Jase. I arranged the meeting between Jase and Noah after he left the academy. I knew he still might be useful. I wanted to keep him close, and when I found out about your will, I knew what I had to do. I meant to allow this to play out a bit longer, but Jase has turned on me. I’ll destroy him in the end, but for now he’s got all the cards and he wants his money soon. I’m afraid I’m going to have to move up my timetable. I thought tonight would be perfect since the rest of the clan is off celebrating. The police know how worried I am about my son. Someone’s been trying to hurt him.”

  His will. Fuck. He’d left everything to his siblings without actually using their names because he’d been desperate to keep their connections secret. They hadn’t been. His mother had known. She’d probably known them all, been watching them all. “I suppose you think Noah’s portion will come to you after you kill him.”

  “I’m not going to kill him, darling boy. Noah’s not going to die. You’re going to shoot him and then he’ll save himself heroically. I already have a doctor on standby ready to report that being nearly murdered by his brother has left him in a medically induced coma. I can’t actually have him die. Not yet. I won’t let another will keep me from what I deserve. I’ll hold a press conference from the hospital and talk about all the magnificent things we’ll do with your fortune. All the people we’ll help. As his mother, I’ll be the one to manage his estate. Eventually, of course, he’ll lose his fight. That was his choice. I was willing to have him by my side, but I can’t trust him now.” She nodded his way.

  Not his way. She’d nodded to her partner.

  Drew felt him move behind, one hand still on his shoulder, the other swinging up and aiming the gun at Noah. Drew planted his feet and pulled his elbow up and drove it back as hard as he could.

  The shot roared through the air, and he could feel the heat from the muzzle of the gun roast his side, but he had to move, and now. Adrenaline pulsed through his system, heightening his senses. Somewhere in the background he heard a door crashing open. As he turned he saw blood bloom across Noah’s chest.

  He tamped down the fear and hauled himself around, his fist coming up. He braced himself for a fight, but the man’s eyes went vacant, his body rigid for a moment before he fell to his knees.

  That was when he realized Hatch was standing there with the Colt Drew kept in a gun safe in his hand.

  “Don’t you even try it, Iris,” Hatch said. “Put the gun down. Do it now or I will shoot.”

  Noah slumped to the side, but Drew could see he was breathing. Drew had forced the shot to go wide when he’d thrown off his attacker, but his brother was going to need serious medical help.

  “Let me take Noah and you can leave here, Iris,” Drew said, trying to stay calm. “Go on and get out of here. Your plan is blown. Hatch never left and he’s called the police. Your best bet is to run and do it now.”

  “She’ll have to get through me,” Hatch said. “I won’t have her out there. I won’t let her hurt my kids again.”

  “Your kids? These are Ben’s children. He was a great man. You’re a pathetic old drunk, Bill. And so easy to manipulate. Poor Hatch. Your hand’s shaking and you always were slow. If I’m going down, I won’t go alone. They’re my children, and I decide when I’m done with them.” Iris wasn’t slow. She turned her gun toward Drew and fired.

  Drew felt something slam against him. Someone. Hatch threw his body over Drew’s, and they both hit the wall with a thud.

  Drew reached for the dead man’s gun. It was right there. Hatch felt like dead weight on top of him, but he had to move. His mother would be on them in a second, and she wouldn’t hesitate.

  “Poor Drew. You’re just like your father. So very smart and yet incapable of doing what’s truly needed.” Her face loomed over him.

  So much to say and yet it didn’t matter. He realized that now. He’d wanted vengeance, plotted and planned and knew that when he had it, there would be such satisfaction in the experience.

  There was none. Drew picked up the gun, hauled it around, and shot his mother neatly in the head.

  There was a crashing sound in the distance and a low moan from the man who was still on top of him. Hatch. Hatch had taken a bullet for him. God, Hatch needed help. Noah needed help.

  “Damn it,” a deep voice said. “Case, we’re going to need more than one bus. Drew, are you hit?”

  “No.”

  Hatch was lying on top of him and suddenly he rolled off. Blood. There was so much blood. Hatch was bleeding. Drew got to his knees, staring down at his mentor. “Ian, you have to help Noah. He’s been shot.”

  “He’s got a bullet in his chest, but it didn’t hit his lung. He’s in pain but he’ll live.” Ian dropped to his knees, too. “I don’t know about this one. We need to stop the bleeding.”

  Hatch’s hand came up, weakly pushing at Taggart’s. “No. Stop.” He looked at Drew. “Love you, boy. Might not have been as good as your dad, but you were the best thing that ever happened to me. You tell the rest. You tell them I love them.”

  “Tell them yourself.” Fuck, this couldn’t be happening.

  Hatch’s lips turned up. “I did one good thing. She was wrong. You are mine. Might not be blood, but you’re my boy.” He coughed and bright blood bubbled up. “Best revenge I had. Loving you and Bran and Riley and Mia.”

  The world seemed to blur and he could feel something wet on his face.

  “Don’t go.”

  He could hear a siren in the distance. He gripped Hatch’s hand and prayed.

  Chapter Twenty

  He hadn’t looked at her all night. Shelby stared across the hospital waiting room and wondered if Iris Lawless wasn’t going to have her revenge after all. The woman was dead and she was still coming between her and Drew.

  Everyone was there. Case and Mia, the Taggarts, Ellie and Riley, and Bran and Carly. They’d taken over the waiting room, desperate for any news of Noah and Hatch.

  They all sat together, surrounding each other, huddled for comfort.

  All except one. Drew paced on the outer edge of the room. He’d paced for an hour, not talking to any of them.

  After the cops had seen the video, they’d allowed Drew to go to the hospital. He still had plenty of questions to answer in the morning, but it was clear the police were treating him as the victim and not the criminal.

  “This is what he does, Shelby.” Riley looked over at his brother, a grim look on his face. “I hoped it would be different, but Drew shuts down when there’s a tragedy. I’m worried he’s going to push you away. You can’t think it’s anything but his way of protecting himself. He even does it with us. I don’t know how bad it’s going to get if Hatch dies. I don’t know if we can bring him back from that.”

  Had this finally broken him? Had it finally done what years and years of turmoil and the fight to survive hadn’t been able to do?

  “I should go talk to him.” She’d tried earlier, and he’d merely thanked her for being here and asked if he could get her anything. When she’d asked if they could talk alone, he’d declined.

  She wasn’t sure why she thought it would work a second time.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Riley said. “I think you should stay with us for a few days. Drew probably needs to be alone. I don’t like the idea of him taking his pain out on you.”

  She looked over at him. He was so beautiful and so remote. So far from her. They were close, but there was so much more than physical distance between them.

  “I don’t like the idea of leaving him alone.” She couldn’t stand the thought of him going to bed tonight all b
y himself.

  He wouldn’t sleep at all. He would sit. He would drink. He would blame everything on himself.

  They were through one hurdle. Noah was out of surgery. The bullet had lodged right beneath his shoulder blade. He would be in pain for a while, but his recovery would be fairly quick.

  Drew had gone into the house knowing he could die, knowing he likely wouldn’t come out.

  “I want you to get used to the idea that he’s going to push you away.” Riley sat back, his eyes weary. “He can’t help himself. I think he learned it at a young age.”

  She would sleep somewhere else tonight if he didn’t want her around, but she wasn’t leaving Austin. She wasn’t leaving him.

  She would have to try again. He’d been forced to kill his own mother. He’d had to watch as his father figure nearly died, still could. He didn’t handle his emotions well.

  She had to give him some space. “I’ll let him be, but I want him to know I’m there for him.”

  Riley nodded. “All right, but know that if he’s cruel, it’s not really him. It’s a reaction that has nothing to do with you.”

  “I can handle Drew.” She prayed that was true.

  Riley stood and Shelby followed his line of sight. A doctor was walking into the waiting room, his scrubs wrinkled.

  They were the only family left in here. Shelby’s heart pounded in her chest. She rushed across the room to Drew’s side, but he was simply staring at the doctor. Drew’s face was a stony mask as he waited for the doctor to speak.

  “Mr. Lawless, it was close, but your friend is a stubborn guy. The bullet missed his heart, but we had to remove a part of his lung. He’s got a long road ahead of him, but I think he’s going to be fine.”

  A collective breath was released through the room, and the family started to hug each other.

  Drew merely held a hand out and shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you. When can we see him?”

  “He’s in ICU the rest of the night. No visitors until tomorrow. Go home and get some rest,” the doctor ordered. He turned and walked away.

  “I’ve got a call in to hospital security about the press that’s going to show up as soon as the story gets out.” Case had taken off his jacket. He looked ready to settle in. “Ian and I will stay here and take care of things.”

  Drew nodded their way. “Thank you.”

  She’d expected him to argue. He could be so controlling. He would want to stay behind and send everyone else home.

  He held a hand out to her. “Shelby, would you come with me? I’d like to talk to you in private.”

  The words were cold, unemotional. God, he was going to do it. He was going to get her alone and tell her he didn’t want her, and she wasn’t sure how she would handle that. Deep down she’d thought she could make him believe. They were meant to be together. After everything Drew had been through, he deserved some peace. She was the person who could give that to him, but what would she do if he wouldn’t accept it?

  How would she walk away from the love of her life?

  “Shelby?” Drew was staring at her.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Then I’ll drive us home.” He glanced around, but no expression slid across his face. “Mia, do you need a ride? Charlotte, are you staying?”

  Bran and Carly had ridden in with Ellie and Riley. Mia had come in a car with the Taggarts.

  “Charlie’s heading home,” Ian said. “We delayed our flight, but if someone could drop her off, my brother is waiting for her at the airport in Dallas. She can’t be away from Seth for too long.” He kissed his wife. “Love you, baby. I’ll settle things here and be home in the morning.”

  Riley held up a hand. “We’ll take her. Good night. And think before you speak, brother.”

  Drew frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  But Riley was already walking away.

  Mia and Carly hugged Charlotte, and then Shelby found herself walking out to the parking lot. Mia was chatting away, talking about how they would bring Noah home and what they could do to make up for the lost reception. Bran was saying something about how happy he was that his wedding hadn’t been interrupted.

  They were all so relieved. As though a huge weight had been taken off their collective shoulders.

  All of them except Drew. Drew alone sat silent as he looked out the limo window.

  Shelby had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that he was going to close the door on her.

  She wanted to reach out, to hold his hand, but he seemed so far away. The last thing she wanted was to start this conversation in front of his family.

  All too soon the car rolled to a stop. Drew got out first and turned, reaching to help her out. The feel of his hand in hers warmed her, but it was far too brief. When she was up on her feet, he switched his hold to her elbow and began escorting her inside.

  Up ahead she could see the lights were on. There were still police milling around the pool house, and they would be there until morning. She was sure reporters would show up, too. How would Drew handle that?

  Would she be here to help him with it?

  She was getting emotional. She needed to stop and take a deep breath, but the horrors of the night were threatening to crash in on her. She’d looked down at that screen, and the first thing she saw was Iris holding a gun on Drew, and Noah slumped over. Mia had the presence of mind to start the tape, but Shelby had screamed, knowing Drew was one bullet away from joining his brother.

  She’d lost it. She’d done what she’d promised Taggart she wouldn’t do. She’d run to join him because there was no way she was allowing him to die alone.

  Tears pooled in her eyes, but she wasn’t going to shed them.

  He led her through the door. Her bodyguard was there as promised. Remy Guidry was sitting in the living room, beer in hand, as though he’d been waiting for them to get home before finding his bed. The big gorgeous Cajun stood, giving her a wide smile.

  “Hey there, chère. Heard you had a rough night. Let’s see about getting you settled in,” he said in that delicious accent of his.

  Drew stared at him for a moment, and for the first time his blank expression disappeared. “You’ve been living with him? Taggart assigned this guy to watch over you? I ask him to find someone serious and he picks a fucking male model?”

  Remy winked. “Now, that was strictly for fun. It was only a few covers. I assure you I’ve been taking good care of that girl.”

  Bran stepped in between them. “I’ll make sure he gets back to Dallas, as his assignment has come to an end. You two go on to bed. Carly and I will handle everything. Police, press, everything. You’ve done your job, brother. Rest.”

  Drew’s jaw was tight as he started for the master suite. She followed him, her own tension making her move quickly, wanting to get this over with. Was he going to try to put her on that plane with Remy?

  He strode through the door.

  The minute she was inside, he closed it. She heard a click as he locked the door behind him.

  She walked to the middle of the room and turned. She had to make him see reason. “Drew, I think we should . . .”

  She stopped because he was moving toward her, his face flushed. He walked to her and dropped to his knees, his arms winding around her waist.

  “Don’t leave me.” He whispered the words. “Please don’t ever leave me.”

  She didn’t try to stop the tears now. She let them flow. She held him tight and realized what had happened. He’d held it all in because he thought he had to be strong around his siblings. Because this softness, his fear and doubt and pain, they were hers. Because she was his safe place, the one person he would let go with.

  She smoothed back his hair. “Never, Drew. Not ever. I love you. I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you.”

  “I had to go. I mad
e a promise to Noah.” He lifted his head to look up at her. “It’s over. I thought I would be thrilled. I thought I would be happy I was the one to take her out. I’m not. I just feel empty about it.”

  “Baby, she was your mother. It’s okay to mourn her. You’re not mourning the real Iris. You’re mourning the boy she left behind. It’s okay. I’ll mourn with you. I’ll get you through this.”

  She held on as Drew Lawless finally broke in the best of all ways. He cried and mourned and let her comfort him.

  Sometime in the early morning hours, after they’d gotten naked and warm in bed, their arms wrapped around each other, Drew began to talk. He talked about his father, his mother, the life they’d had. He talked about how hard it had been to keep everything together. He held her close and talked.

  Shelby listened, understanding she was hearing a story no one else ever would. She was hearing it because his story was going to be hers. Because his past was going to be laid to rest in honor of their future.

  And when she finally slept, she knew she was home.

  • • •

  Drew watched the screen, a smile coming over his face as the twenty-eight-year-old douche bag was carted out of his Chicago home by the police. It was a pretty sight.

  “Holy shit.” Noah sat up in the chair he occupied beside Hatch’s hospital bed. “Is that who I think it is?”

  It had been eight days since that terrible night, and Hatch and Noah were both on the mend. Hatch was flirting with every nurse who came in and complaining bitterly about the food. Noah had been released a few days before, but never failed to come up to the hospital when Drew did. Noah seemed a little lost, hungry for family time, and Drew intended to give it to him.

  They were all huddling together. It was what they did. It was how they survived, though now the huddle was a little bigger, a little brighter than it had been before.