Dangerous Secrets (O'Connor Brothers Book 3)

by Rhonda Brewer

  He walked up to his driveway and played the conversation with his grandmother over in his head. Sandy’s car still wasn’t back, so she was either gone to get Evie or was staying with her sister to avoid him.

  He leaned against the wall trying to find a solution to the problem but something moved out of the corner of his eye, and he raised his head.

  “Ian, please don’t call the cops.” The scruffy man held up his hands in front of him. A split second later Ian had the man on the floor with his hands behind his back.

  “Who the fuck are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?” Ian growled as he twisted the man’s arm behind his back.

  “Fuck, Ian it’s me.” The man moaned. “Gerry.” It took a moment for the name to sink in.

  “Gerry who?”

  “Morgan.” He groaned. “Colleen’s brother.” Ian’s blood ran cold as he remembered the police suspected Gerald of killing Colleen and her husband.

  “You, son of a bitch. You killed your sister.” Ian turned him over and pulled him up off the floor. Gerald was never a big man, but he was nothing but skin and bones, so it took no effort for Ian to slam him into the wall.

  “Ian, I didn’t kill her,” Gerald grunted.

  “That’s not what the police think and if you didn’t, why did you run?” Ian was trying hard not to beat the hell out of his old friend.

  “It’s a long story, but you’ve got to believe me, man. I wouldn’t have done that to Colleen. Jesus Christ, she’s all the family I had left next to the girls.” Gerald sobbed, but the mention of Lily and Grace made Ian see nothing but red, and he punched the wall behind Gerald.

  “Leave my daughters out of this conversation, because until you can prove to me, you had nothing to do with taking their mother away from them, you’ll be no family of theirs,” Ian growled through his teeth.

  “I get it. Let me explain. Please.” Gerald begged, and Ian grabbed him by the jacket collar and dragged him into the living room.

  “Start talking.” Ian practically pushed Gerald onto the sofa.

  “I didn’t kill my sister or Carter, but pretty sure I know who did.” Gerald clasped his shaky hands together.

  “Who?” Ian asked.

  “I don’t know what his real name is. He always went by Lefty because his left hand is lame. I don’t think anyone knows his real name.” Gerald was trembling, and Ian started to feel guilty. It looked like he hadn’t eaten, or showered in a long time.

  “You look like shit.” Ian sighed. “How long has it been since you ate or showered for that matter,” Gerald’s lowered his eyes.

  “About a week since I’ve had a decent meal and I’ve been hiding out in the old camp in the woods. You know the one we built when we were kids. It’s in rough shape, but it’s out of the elements, and it gave me a place to hide out until I could figure out what to do.” Gerald wouldn’t look at him.

  “Come with me.” Ian left the living room and headed to the guest bathroom with Gerald following him. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll give you something to throw on. I’ll get you a bite to eat, and you can tell me the rest.”

  “Thanks, Ian but where are the girls?” Gerald asked.

  “They’re fine and won’t be back tonight.” Ian wasn’t telling him anything more about Lily and Grace until he could be sure Gerald was innocent.

  “They’re safe where they are, right?” Gerald looked genuinely concerned.

  “Very.” Ian pulled out a couple of towels from the closet and tossed them to Gerald. “Get cleaned up, and I’ll leave some clean clothes on the counter.”

  Ian turned and left the bathroom. He had a war raging inside his head. He really should call the police because as far as he knew, Gerald was a fugitive, but this was Gerry. The same kid that used to follow him and Colleen around. He went to school with Keith. Could he be capable of killing his sister?

  Ian found an old pair of track pants and T-shirt in his dresser. He tossed it on the counter in the bathroom and headed to the kitchen to make a couple of sandwiches. He had to give Gerald the benefit of the doubt. The man he knew would never hurt a fly, let alone kill his sister. Maybe he should call his Uncle Kurt, John or James. He squashed that idea because they were police and would have to take Gerald in custody. He could call Keith but knowing his brother, he’d probably make Ian call the authorities. No, he was waiting until Gerald told him everything and then he would decide what to do.

  Chapter 14

  “What did you expect, Sandy?” Her sister sighed as she closed the dishwasher. “I mean you tell him you want to take in a child of a woman that was murdered and the man that killed her has been threatening you.”

  “I don’t know, Kim.” Sandy flopped back on the small love seat in her sister’s small apartment. She really didn’t know how Kim could live in such a tiny place.

  “Look, I know my initial introduction to the O’Connors, was shall we say less than honorable but I’ve changed, and it’s partly because of them. When I was dating John, I was a bitch.” Kim said. Sandy chuckled because it was the truth.

  “You laugh, but you know it’s the truth. The fact any of the O’Connors even talk to me shows what kind of family they are. Hell, Stephanie and Marina hired me to do their hair and makeup for their weddings, and Nanny Betty comes to me every month to get her hair done.” Kim laughed because Ian’s grandmother was not a big fan of Kim in the beginning.

  “I know all that.” Sandy sighed.

  “Ian is a great guy, and yes the situation is entirely screwed up, but you don’t want to lose him, do you?” Kim asked.

  “No, I’ve been in love with him for years, but I feel responsible for Evie.” Sandy sighed.

  “But Ruby is taking care of her, so Evie is not your responsibility.” Kim was right of course.

  “It’s hard to explain. Ruby understands, which is why she agreed to move here with Evie.” Sandy had the conversation with her friend, and Ruby never hesitated.

  “And I’m sure Ian would understand if you’d given him a chance.” Kim sat next to her and nudged her with her shoulder.

  “I hate it when you’re right.” Sandy poked her back.

  “I must get my brains from my big sister.” Kim grinned, and Sandy rolled her eyes. The fact that there was only a total of four months between the two of them didn’t really mean Sandy was that much older.

  “Have you seen Brad or our wonderful father lately?” She needed a subject change from talking about Ian or Evie. Things were already in motion. Trunk was flying in with Ruby and Evie in the morning while Crash drove the moving truck with their belongings.

  “Brad seems to have turned into a bit of a womanizer, but that doesn’t surprise me because he’s been spending a lot of time with A.J. lately.” Kim laughed.

  “Jesus, A.J. and Brad? Someone needs to warn the single women of the province.” Sandy chuckled.

  “And probably some of the married ones.” Kim laughed. “Dad has been pretty quiet lately. He calls me at least once a week to ask about you, and when I tell him to call you, he changes the subject.” Kim had always been closer to their father than she or Brad because he took Kim in after her mother died. Kim was still a teenager at the time, so he felt responsible, or so he said.

  “I guess it’s too hard to punch in my number.” Sandy rolled her eyes. “I’m going to head to bed. Ruby and Evie’s flight is supposed to be in at nine in the morning.”

  Sandy walked into Kim’s small guest room and flopped down on the bed. She pulled her phone out of her purse and turned it on. She’d been ignoring calls and texts from everyone because she just needed to get her head together. There were a bunch from Stephanie and Marina as well as a couple from Keith telling her to call him before he found her and kicked her ass. That made her scoff because he knew that would never work with her. The last message made her heart race.

  Sandy, we need to talk.

  The message from Ian was short, but it could have been a novel for what she read into it. Was the conv
ersation going to break her heart into pieces or was it going to make her happier than she’d ever been in her life? She wouldn’t know unless she called.

  She opened up her phone and scrolled to Ian’s number but before she had a chance to tap it her cell rang and Keith’s name flashed on her screen. If she ignored him, he would just keep calling back. It could be a job, or maybe something could have gone wrong with Ruby and Evie’s flight.

  “Hello.” She answered.

  “Well hello to you too.” She didn’t miss Keith’s sarcastic tone.

  “What’s up?” She tried to sound casual.

  “Let’s see the price of gas, unemployment and yes my fucking blood pressure because someone doesn’t know how to return texts or calls.” Keith snarled.

  “Oh, stop being a drama queen. I needed some peace and quiet.” Sandy said.

  “Peace and quiet? At Kim’s? Ha, that’s funny.” The asshole knew where she was but he was right, Kim was anything but quiet. Her personality had changed a little since she’d been stabbed and left for dead by Brad’s crazy ex but she could still be loud and obnoxious at times.

  “So, if you knew where I was, why is your blood pressure up?” Sandy asked.

  “Because I hate being fucking ignored and I was wondering if you were going to suck it up and go talk things out with my brother instead of acting like a spoiled princess who didn’t get her way,” Keith said.

  “Fuck off, Keith.” She snapped.

  “He loves you, kiddo. Call him.” Keith used the name he used when she was going through the depression of losing her baby.

  “I will.” She was going to call him.

  “Tonight.” It wasn’t a question from Keith, it was an order.

  “Yes, boss.” Sandy used her usual sarcastic tone that she knew pissed Keith off.

  “I mean it, Sandy,” Keith warned.

  “If you must know, I was about to call him, but you called, and I had to answer because you hate when you're ignored.” Sandy smiled when she heard him growl.

  “Fine and make sure you bring my girl to see me when you get back to Hopedale. I miss the little fart.” Keith was a big part of Evie’s life since the day she was born, and he’d kept in constant touch with her. She even called him Uncle Keith which was weird considering technically he was her step-father. He was also paying for her schooling because, like Sandy, he felt responsible.

  “I will.” She tapped the screen to end the call, and her finger hovered over Ian’s number for a moment. “Just bite the bullet and call him.” She whispered and tapped his number.

  The phone rang several times which was not usual for Ian. He generally kept his phone close to his hip, but since he was on leave, he probably didn’t need to have it close all the time. After the fourth ring, she was about to end the call but a voice she didn’t recognize answered, and it was a woman.

  “Hello.” The female voice was pleasant, but it didn’t give her a nice feeling.

  “Umm…. I’m sorry... I must have the wrong number.” Sandy stumbled over her words. She programmed his number into her phone, so it wasn't the wrong number.

  “Are you looking for Ian?” The woman asked.

  “Ahhh... Yes.” She wanted so badly to ask who the hell was answering his phone.

  “This is Sandy, right?”

  “Yes, who’s this?” She hoped her question sounded casual.

  “Isabelle. Ian left his phone here at Aunt Kathleen’s house. I was just on my way to drop it off before I went to town.” Of course, it was Isabelle. How could she think anything else but one of his family? “Did you want me to give him a message? Like he’s a huge ass, and you want to kick it all over Hopedale?” Isabelle chuckled.

  “I see news spreads fast.” She should have known they would all know by now.

  “How long have you known my family?” Isabelle laughed.

  “Good point. Just tell Ian, I’ll call him tomorrow.” She laughed.

  “I will and if you need anything Sandy you know you can call any of us,” Isabelle’s offer caused tears to form in Sandy’s eyes because she knew it was from the heart

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you soon.” Sandy ended the call and flopped on the bed. She was exhausted, but sleep was not her friend over the last few days. The only day she’d slept well was the night she spent in Ian’s arms.

  Two hours of tossing and turning was enough. Sandy threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. So, here she was not able to sleep, and it was after midnight. The worst thing was she couldn’t even do any work because she wasn’t home. Part of it was because she hadn’t heard from Ian. She did tell Isabelle that she would call him tomorrow, but she usually got a text from him every night.

  She walked out into the dark kitchen. Kim lived on the fourth floor of the apartment building just on the edge of St. John’s. Her view sucked. The only thing she could see was the highway that ran by the back of the apartment building. Kim liked it because since she’d opened her salon and spa with an old friend of hers in Hopedale, it was an easy commute. Why she just didn’t get a place in Hopedale was beyond Sandy, but Kim didn’t always make sense.

  Sandy stared at the cars flying up and down the highway. There weren’t many because it was late, but someone was always driving in or out of the city. She was in such a trance she almost missed the vibration of her phone in her pocket. Without even looking at the screen she answered.

  “Hello.” Sandy hoped it was Ian and couldn’t help her disappointment when she heard the voice on the phone.

  “Hey, Sandy. It’s Smash.” Smash a/k/a Gage Hodder was also a computer analyst with Newfoundland Security Services as well. He’d had the task of trying to track anything he could find on Scott. It was too personal to Sandy which is why Keith gave him the job. Her boss was worried that she would go after Scott on her own if she tracked him down.

  “Hi, Gage.” She said.

  “I was wondering if you could check out a photo.” he asked.

  “Thinking about changing your profile picture on Facebook?” Sandy laughed.

  “Now that wouldn’t be fair to all the other guys on that site.” He chuckled.

  “Your modesty is so refreshing, Gage.” Sandy rolled her eyes.

  “I know, but no. Rusty is probably gonna give me shit for this because he told me not to involve you in this, but you knew this dick better than any of us.” Sandy’s heart thudded in her chest. He was calling about Scott.

  “You’ve got a picture of him?” Sandy tried to keep her voice steady.

  “It’s from a surveillance video in Moncton dated about a week ago. I’m almost positive it’s him.” She could hear the clicking of the keys as Gage spoke.

  “Send me the picture.” Sandy blurted out. If he was in Moncton, it could mean he was on his way to Halifax. Maybe he knew where Evie was and he was on his way to get her. “Send it now.”

  “Holy shit, you’ve been around Rusty too much. You sound just as bossy.” Gage said. “Just sent it to your email.”

  “Hang on.” Sandy opened her email and groaned. She had over two hundred unread emails. Her hand trembled as she opened the email from Gage.

  “Did you get it?” She heard Gage ask.

  “Yes, hold your horses. It’s coming up now.” The black and white picture opened on her screen, and she stared at it. It wasn’t the clearest picture, but there was no denying it. The picture was fuzzy, but there wasn’t any doubt in her mind. It was Scott. Now it wasn’t just her hands trembling.

  “Sandy?” Gage’s voice echoed through the earpiece of her phone.

  “It’s him.” She put the phone to her ear and closed her eyes.

  “You’re sure?” Gage asked.

  “Yes.” Sandy took a slow deep breath. “Call Keith.” She ended the call before Gage could say anything else. Ruby and Evie were at a hotel next to the Halifax airport. Trunk was staying with them at the hotel. He needed to know to be extra careful and keep a close eye on Evie.

  She was in a compl
ete state of panic when the fourth call to Truck went straight to voicemail and was in the process of looking up the number to the hotel when Trunk’s name flashed across her screen.

  “What the hell took you so long to answer the damn phone?” Sandy snapped as soon as she answered.

  “Probably because the fucking thing has been ringing like something possessed for the past half hour.” Trunk’s deep voice rumbled through the phone. “Between Smash, Rusty, Crash and you I’ve been ready to heave it out the window.”

  “They told you about Scott being in Moncton?” Sandy asked.

  “Yes, and Ruby and the princess are safe.” For some reason, Trunk always referred to Evie as the princess. Sometimes Sandy wondered if he even knew the little girl’s name.

  “What time are you going to the airport tomorrow?” She knew the time the flight arrived, but she didn’t have all the details of their departure time.

  “Rusty changed our flights, we’re actually leaving in an hour for the airport. We’ll be getting in St. John’s about three in the morning.” Sandy cursed under her breath when she glanced at her watch.

  “Well, it would’ve been nice if he’d let me know that,” Sandy grumbled.

  “Maybe if you hadn’t been harassing Trunk with phone calls, you’d have read the text I sent you.” Sandy gasped and dropped her phone.

  “What the fuck, Keith?” Sandy snatched her cell off the floor but not without giving Keith the death stare. “Thanks, Trunk. See you in a few hours.”

  “You know, your sister’s building needs better security.” Keith opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

  “Just make yourself at home there, asshole.” Sandy snapped. “How did you get in here?” They’d locked the door, and it was a secured building.