McKenzie had bitched her way beneath my skin, making me believe Mia was having an affair with this asshole, and all the while the sinister truth had loomed right in front of me. Regret seeped into my bones. I’d doubted Mia, doubted us.
Zen was called for. Not just here, now, but in the way I usually conducted my life. I’d let emotion get in the way and it had threatened all I held dear.
Fucked up everything.
That dog barked viciously from somewhere in the back of the house.
“Decker Hern?” I asked.
He went to close the door. “Not buying anything.”
“You work at Charlie’s?” I smiled.
His gaze swept the street behind us.
“Bad time?” said Shay.
Decker studied us. “Kind of.”
“You’re right.” I turned away. “We should go.”
“You don’t want your New Year bonus?” asked Shay, surprised.
“He’s busy.” I tucked my hands into my pockets and turned to go. “We’re running late anyway.”
Shay glanced my way. His brow arched to convey what we both now new. Decker didn’t know who I was.
“Sorry to have bothered you.” Shay went to follow me.
“You should have called first,” said Decker.
Shay turned back to him. “You didn’t get the email?”
“Email?”
“That’s another one,” I said.
“What kind of bonus?” asked Decker.
Shay patted his jacket pocket as though looking for it. “You’ve got this one,” he said to me.
“I’ve never seen you at Charlie’s?” said Decker.
“We’re from corporate,” said Shay. “They make us troll the neighborhood and piss off employees. Nobody’s ever home.”
“No one answers the door,” I said grouchily.
Shay shrugged. “The check’s not worth it to be honest.”
“How much?” asked Decker.
“Five,” said Shay.
“Dollars?”
“Hundred.” I said. “Five hundred. Tight bastards. Most volunteers ask us to redirect the funds back to Charlie’s.”
I patted my jacket. “I have the check here. Needs a signature. Shit, where’s my pen?”
Shay shook his head. Apparently he didn’t have one either. “We’ll mail the check to you.”
“Or we can add it your paycheck?” I offered.
“I have a pen,” said Decker.
Shay glanced at his watch and flinched at the time.
“To be honest,” said Decker, “I only just started at Charlie’s. Haven’t seen that first paycheck yet.”
“Sorry you didn’t get that email.”
Decker widened the door. “You can come in if you like.”
Shay glanced at me. “I suppose we could get this one done now.”
I agreed with a nod.
The house came in around 1000 square feet of chaos. Decker had all the makings of a hoarder, with old pizza boxes strewn here and there, beer cans crushed in the corner, and the only furniture was a well-worn sofa sagging in the middle. The mismatch cushions were stained yellow. The TV was new. Cigarette smoke wafted from a corner ashtray.
“What kind of dog?” said Shay. “Sounds like a poodle. My aunt has a poodle. Smart dogs.”
“Rottweiler. Big softy. Unless I’m threatened.”
“As it should be,” I said.
“How long have you lived here?” asked Shay.
“Just moved in with my brother. Sorry for the mess.”
“Your brother doesn’t work at Charlie’s?” said Shay.
“No, he…” He searched for the answer. “He’s got a job.”
“Where?” I said casually.
“Who gives a fuck, man,” snapped Shay.
He’d seen Decker’s left eyelid twitch, hinting at his suspicion.
Shay looked annoyed with me. “Give him the check then.”
I reached into my pocket.
“Do you have a beer?” said Shay.
“You’re not drinking.” I removed my hand. “We have ten other stops.”
“Just one. Get off my case.”
“This always happens.” I looked to Decker for support. “He gets drunk and then I have to drive him home to fucking Orange County.”
“Drinking is the only way to put up with your bullshit.”
I glared at Shay.
“I have to take a piss.” Shay rolled his eyes. “Restroom?”
Decker pointed. “Down the hall.”
“Which room’s your dog in?” asked Shay.
“Bedroom.”
“I’m not gonna get my dick ripped off am I?” Shay laughed and headed off.
“Stay out of the bedroom and you’ll be fine,” Decker shouted after him.
“I’m trying to keep him off the wagon,” I muttered.
“You mean on the wagon?”
I scratched my face, as though embarrassed.
He glanced in Shay’s direction. “My brother’s a drinker. I get it.”
“He’s into the hard stuff too. I worry about him. He’s been there for me. But I’m getting tired of his drug use.”
“My brother uses.”
“Really?”
“I don’t touch the stuff.” He raised his hand defensively.
“Tried LSD once,” I lied right back. “Acted like I had superhuman powers. Believed I could rip a man’s head off with my bare hands.” I stared at him then back down at my palms, turning them over as though reminiscing. “Flashbacks are a bitch.”
“Bad trip?”
“The worst?” I pointed to the TV. “Nice.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey,” said Shay, appearing from the hallway. “He has a copy of War and Peace in the bathroom.”
“Yours?” I asked Decker.
“My brother’s.”
“I hate reading,” said Shay. “Don’t see the point.”
I arched an amused brow.
Shay was going for a fucking Oscar.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” I asked Decker.
“Charlotte.”
“What’s it like growing up there?”
“Grew up elsewhere.”
My movement was slow, deliberate, matching the way he leaned on his left leg, the way he held his hands to his chest defensively, and that tilt of his head.
“I was always in my brother’s shadow,” I whispered solemnly, matching that lilt in his accent, his tone, cadence.
A subtle mirroring.
“Me too,” he muttered.
“Hate to think about it. Bad memories.”
“Yeah, well.” He narrowed his gaze.
“I blame the way my dad was. Crazy son of a bitch.”
“Mine was drunk half the time. The rest of the time he was away at sea.”
“Where’d you grow up?”
“Alaska.”
“Bet that was fun?”
“If you like wide open spaces.”
“Wide open spaces.”
“It’s kind of lonely, actually.”
“Lonely?”
“Ever been?”
“Once.”
“I hated it.”
“He hit you?” I muttered. “Your dad?”
“Tried to make me a man.” He scoffed at that.
“Life hurts,” I murmured.
Decker gazed off. “He almost broke my brother’s arm once. Shoved him down the stairs. He told my mom Adrian lost his balance.”
“How old?”
“17.”
“Where was your mom?”
“Around. She was scared of him too.”
“Your brother?”
Decker frowned. “I meant my dad.”
“Your parents tried to keep you on the straight and narrow,” I whispered.
“Suppose.”
“They knew.”
“Knew?”
“You were both strong willed. Full of possibility. Could hav
e gone either way.”
“Yeah, well.”
“We blame our parents, but that’s a cop out,” I said. “There comes a time when we know right from wrong.”
He looked at us warily.
“You can either live life well, serve others, be kind and good, or you can choose to be an A-one asshole. Choice is yours ultimately. Apparently you chose the latter.”
“What?”
“He called you an asshole,” said Shay.
“Why?”
“You’re fired,” I said flatly.
His jaw gaped.
“We only hire staff with integrity.”
“What about my check?”
“There is no check,” said Shay.
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ll make it clear,” I said. “Tell Adrian I know what he did to Ms. Lauren when she was fourteen. I know he murdered her mother. I have the documented evidence to support this. I also have the D.A.’s involvement. Tell Adrian we have men watching his every move. The statute of limitations may be over for what he did to Mrs. Lauren, but if he so much as steps out of line, I will have him incarcerated for life.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re blackmailing Ms. Lauren. You assaulted her.”
“Didn’t.”
“You ripped off her choker.”
“She gave it to me.” He glanced toward the bedroom. An unspoken threat he’d let his dog lose.
“I saw the scar you left on her neck.”
Though it was nothing compared to the one on her heart.
Decker’s face flushed with fury. “Bet Dr. Cole doesn’t want the press to find out she’s the daughter of a crack addict.”
“It’s over, Decker,” I said calmly.
“Fuck you. Get out.”
I stepped closer. “If either of you ever go near Ms. Lauren again, I will eviscerate you.”
“That’s disembowel,” said Shay. “He talks posh.”
Decker glanced toward the bedroom again.
“If you attempt to contact her, I will find you and I will end you.”
“Who the fuck are you?” he snapped.
“Your worst nightmare.”
“Are you…”
“I am.” I turned on my heel and left.
Breathing in the cool night air, I was grateful to leave that stench behind. Shay followed me out.
He patted his jacket. “Collar’s intact.”
“Thank you, Shay. Brilliantly executed.”
I hated the thought of them ever touching anything of mine.
“What about the dog?” I said halfway down the pathway, envisioning the animal let loose and taking a bite out of one of us.
“Tranquilizer.”
“Ingenious.”
“Have my moments.” He smiled. “He gobbled up the steak laced with the sedative.”
“You really do think of everything.”
“Dog protocol.” He pulled a face as he tapped his pocket. “My jacket’s going to need a dry-clean.”
“Throw it away. I’ll buy you another.”
“I like this one.”
“I’ll buy you the same one.”
“It has sentimental value.”
“I’ll buy you a boat then.”
“You just did.”
“Okay, a house.”
“Now you’re being ridiculous.”
We turned the corner.
The SUV, BMW, and Bugatti Veyron were just up ahead. Shay’s men looked menacing as they stood guard. They’d attracted the attention of several gangbangers by the look of things, and they lingered not too far away on the street corner, no doubt intrigued by the flashy wheels and flashier entourage.
“That was a big fucking dog,” said Shay.
I patted his back in admiration.
“All men accounted for,” he said. “Not a bad day.”
“Let’s find Adrian.”
“Well we know where he is now.”
“Where?”
“You’ll never guess what I found in his bedroom.”
My phone buzzed and I snapped it to my ear. “Henry?”
“Where are you?” he said gruffly.
“Are you in the air?”
“Fuck, no. Waiting for you.”
I hurried toward the cars. “I’ll be there in twenty.”
“Good. How’s Mia?”
“How did you know?”
“I’m your brother.”
“The issue’s been resolved.”
“Hurry up. I don’t know how your evening’s going, but mine’s grueling.”
“In what way?”
“Our air stewardess is a bossy bitch. She has a swastika tattooed on her body somewhere. Ass probably. I’ll put money on it.”
CHAPTER 4
MIA SLEPT SOUNDLY, but those disheveled sheets indicated remnants of a nightmare. My heart ached for her.
Our luxury 747 had reached cruising altitude several hours ago and we were well on our way to New York. The Cole plane had every luxury—this private bedroom, a conference area, an office, and a small lounge where, right now, Shay and Henry were going over the documents my father’s team had emailed us.
His executives were equally immersed, with legal, business, and corporate staff burning the midnight oil to try and salvage our sinking ship.
A break from the intensity was needed and here lay my serenity. I set the ice-filled glass of water down on the night stand.
The minimal décor provided some respite. Those two chairs, the walled TV, and the artwork were all well secured. The deep blue comforter provided the only color.
Very gently, I brushed a stray hair out of Mia’s eyes. She stirred awake and blinked up at me.
“How are you feeling?” I said softly.
“Sleepy.”
“Keep sleeping. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She took in the deepest breath. “What’s the time?”
“Midnight.”
She rubbed her eyes. “Are you going to get some sleep too?”
“Have some work to do.”
“I’m sorry, Cameron.”
“What for?” I handed her the glass.
She pushed herself up. “We’re on the run again.”
I smiled at her. “We’re not on the run. And we weren’t on the run from Lance. We were merely putting distance between that rogue and us.”
She drank. “Why are we going to New York?”
“Business.”
“You’ve relented then?”
“I have.”
“What did Adrian say?”
“He wasn’t there. Decker was though. He was very compliant.”
“You persuaded him?”
“I did.”
“Did you give him money?”
“No.”
“Good.” She blinked at me. “I’m so glad you got the collar back.”
“Me too.”
“I was terrified they might have sold it.”
“That would have been hard.”
“Because it’s stolen?” She took another sip.
“Yes, and it’s worth fifteen million.”
She had trouble swallowing. “I would have spanked myself had I known. You could have told me.”
“I wanted you to enjoy wearing it.”
“Oh, God.”
“It’s insured.”
“Yes, but it belonged to Aunt Rose.” She looked pained. “How did you find out about Decker?”
“Staff shared that with Zie. Told her you’d met someone at Charlie’s. She told me during her therapy session. I almost believed her.”
Mia hugged herself tighter.
My body tensed. “You were seen huddling together.”
“We were whispering. I didn’t want anyone to overhear what he was saying about me, about my mom. I was embarrassed.”
And I’d walked right out of his house without punching him. My hand balled into a fist instinctively.
“He looked familiar
, and when I realized who he was…” she said.
The thought of it had almost destroyed me.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Same reason you didn’t tell me about Decker and Adrian. We were trying to protect each other.” I kissed her forehead.
“I thought I could handle them.”
“You don’t handle these kind of people.”
“I really thought if I gave them what they wanted they’d go away. It was only a few thousand at first…”
“Until Decker saw your choker.”
She winced.
“It’s over,” I soothed.
“I’m sorry I lied to you at dinner.”
I reached for her hand. “Never lie to me again.”
“I promise.”
“Mia, I need you to listen. These kind of threats come in every day. That’s why we have Shay and his team. They handle all security. If anything ever comes up again, you must tell me. Or Shay, if I’m busy. Straight away. No delay. You never handle any issue alone. Am I understood?”
“I was scared you or your family would suffer because of me.”
“Am I understood?” I repeated firmly.
“Yes.”
“Mia, I own Chrysalis. Let’s be grateful they didn’t find that out.”
“Could you be connected to it?”
“The ownership goes under a corporation. We call it ‘The House’ when discussing any details in public. Very ambiguous.”
“So it can’t be traced back to you?”
Amused, I arched a brow. “That’s the benefit of a secret society.”
“Thank you for making that go away.” She still looked scared.
“It’s because of me you were there.”
“I’d never forgive myself if my actions hurt you.”
I wanted to say, ‘Mia, that man murdered your mother. How in God’s name could you not have told me? How could you even talk to his brother?’
But I knew the answer. She’d buried her pain to protect me.
“Mia, if anything ever happens to you, it will kill me. Do you hear me? You are the most important part of my world.”
She sighed, her face full of worry from those filth drenched hours that still clung to her, threatening never to leave. I wanted to soothe her and remove all anxiety and have her free of the pain that had caught up with her again.
That work I’d done with her in Chrysalis’s dungeon had gone a long way to heal her, but the threat had reemerged.
I could see it her eyes.
Those bastards had stirred up a hornet’s nest of memories for her, and I refused to allow their effect to linger one more second.
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