“Christ, Abbott.” I can tell there’s more, secrets and demons that lie close to the surface, eating away at his soul.
But as much as I love my brother, it’s concern for Lorelei and Nolan that drive me now.
“Do you know where Farkas is?”
He gives a pathetic shake of his head and I don’t know if he’s lying or telling the truth. In fact, I’m pretty sure I don’t know my brother at all.
Chapter 20
Lorelei
“You’re sure you’re okay with going today?” Damon asks, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, his worried eyes meeting mine in the bedroom mirror.
“I told Quinn we’d be there.” I spin in his arms, wishing I could take away his apprehension like he’s taken away mine. But the worry is always there, and I know until Farkas is found, it will never truly go away.
And there’s also Abbott. I’m not sure what his brother said to him the other night, but I heard the accusation in his voice, saw it in his gaze when the man looked at me.
Farkas hurt him, somehow. I knew the look. Felt it in my soul.
Grief.
Hatred.
Only because of Damon had I been able to let those go. Been able to accept the unconditional love and acceptance he gave me.
“Quinn will understand. There’ll be a lot of people there.”
“I don’t want to disappoint your parents.” After their initial shock, they’d been extremely gracious and accepting of Nolan and I. They’d come over to meet their oldest grandson a few days ago. The visit ended in tears and hugs, and with me promising them they could have Nolan over every other weekend.
Damon rests his forehead against mine. “I’m worried if Abbott shows up, he’ll make a scene.”
“I can’t live my life hiding,” I say, smiling up at him. “You’re the one who taught me that.”
“You’re right. I just...”
“Want to protect me from everything and everyone. I know.” I brush my lips against his. “And I love you for that.”
Nolan comes bounding into the room, jumping up onto the bed. “Are the Wild Irish really going to be at Uncle Zee’s house?”
“Shane and Makena will be there,” Damon says, scooping Nolan up and tossing him in the air, then dropping him on the bed and tickling him until he’s squealing in laughter and begging for him to stop.
Breathless, Nolan says, “Can we go now?”
“I was hoping we could stop somewhere first,” I say. “I haven’t...”
“What is it?”
“I’d like to visit my mom.” She’s still in a coma, probably always will be, and even if she ever wakes she’ll have permanent brain trauma. Even though I’ll never forget what she did, what she allowed to be done, I need...closure.
“You sure?” Damon asks, more concern tugging at his handsome features.
“Yeah.”
His strength wraps around me, giving me the courage to face her, and when he laces his fingers with mine, he barely lets go until we’re walking through the ICU of the hospital.
They stay out in the hall, Nolan’s eyes glued to the phone Damon bought him. I take a deep breath before walking into the room.
The woman lying on the bed is frail, her skin gray, and her face almost unrecognizable to the beautiful woman who used to fuss over my appearance.
Tubes are everywhere, down her throat and in her arms. There are wires attached to her chest.
I approach the bed, expecting to feel...something. But it’s mostly just a small ache, a sense of pity, that fills me.
“I was wrong, Mom,” I say, watching the tiny lines move on the monitor above her head. “I used to think it was wrong to love. Wrong to expect things from people...”
One of her fingers twitches. Maybe she hears me, or maybe it’s just an involuntary movement. I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter. I’m not here for her.
“I should have had expectations. From Damon, even from Farkas. And especially from you. I should have expected you to take care of me. Expected you not to allow a man to sell me like property. I...” Tears burn my eyes, but I blink them away. “I should have expected you to love me.”
The bleeps on the monitor grow closer together.
“That’s all I wanted to say. I won’t be back. This is the last time I’ll visit. But I wanted you to know that in spite of everything you did, I found love.”
I turn around and walk out of the room, not looking back.
Damon’s brows furrow when he sees me. “You okay?”
“Yes.” I take his hand again, placing my other arm over Nolan’s shoulder as we walk out of the building.
A family.
The party is already in full swing when we arrive. Damon wasn’t wrong when he said it would be busy. It seems like the entire town of Port Clover is here.
As soon as he’s out of the truck, Nolan scurries off towards the massive treehouse, already at ease here.
Damon doesn’t leave my side, his hand tight around my waist, squeezing a little whenever anyone new approaches and begins asking questions.
“You’re making me nervous,” I say, chuckling. “I’m all right. I promise. Go be with your brother. He looks like he could use some help.” The man looks ready to have a heart attack as he watches his daughter, Lola, climb to the top of the treehouse, hanging dangerously over the edge.
The girl is a whirlwind of energy who could rival Nolan any day for chatting your ear off. Kade and his wife, Sophie, on the other hand, are more reserved and a lot more cautious than their precarious little girl.
Even I get nervous as I watch her dangle over the side of the treehouse, trying to get away from a little boy who is dead set on catching her.
It’s Nolan who finally is able to coax her back to the right side of the railing, and I feel a small swell of pride when he grins over at me and takes the little girl’s hand.
“You see that?” Damon asks.
“He’s just like his daddy. Always the protector.”
Damon grunts, but I see the smile tug at his lips.
“I’m going to see if Quinn needs any help in the kitchen.”
One brow lifts. “You’re assuming my sister cooked. You do know this whole thing has been catered.”
“Then I’ll go see if she needs any help ordering people around.”
Abbott, his eyes still black and his nose busted up from where Damon hit him, walks across the lawn. He glances over in our direction and shifts nervously.
Damon sees him, too, because he mutters, “Shit.”
“Be nice.”
“I’m always nice.” It’s meant to be a lighthearted comment, but I hear the edge of anger in his voice.
I, of all people, know what it’s like to hold a grudge against family, but as much as I want to hate Abbott for the words he said about Nolan and me the other night, there’s something wounded about the man, something that makes me think he’s not just a prick. That his actions, while misguided, aren’t vindictive.
But then, the man’s eyes lock on me.
Cold.
Hard.
Dangerous.
And I wonder if maybe I’m wrong.
Chapter 21
Damon
My mom pulls Lorelei away from me, and I watch like a hawk as a flock of elderly women surround her. Gossips, each one of them. But the smile Lorelei gives them is genuine, and no matter they say to her, she handles herself with grace.
I know it’s wrong to want to keep her locked up, safe behind the walls of our home, but Farkas is still out there, and we’re no closer to tracking him down than we were before all this shit went down.
Every trail has led to a dead end.
And I can’t help but feel like danger is shifting in the shadows, lurking on the outskirts, preparing to strike.
I scan the crowd, recognizing most of the faces here. Most are my dad’s friends from when he worked, or folks from around town.
It’s Shane Hayes, th
e cocky Irish rock star who married my cousin, Makena, that approaches, carrying two bottles of beer and handing me one.
“Good to see ye again, Damon.” He clinks his bottle to mine, giving me a crooked grin.
“You, too. Surprised you made the trip just for my dad’s birthday.”
“It’s been a while since Makena’s been home. And even longer since we’ve been away without little ones crawling around at our feet.” He tilts his head. “So, we left them with my sister, Emer, and are spending the rest of the week in the city for some adult time. But I’m sure ye know all about needing alone time, now that ye’re a dad.”
“It’s a relatively new concept,” I admit. “Not sure I’m ready to leave him anywhere just yet.”
At least not until Farkas is behind bars.
“Trouble’s approaching.” Shane nods towards my youngest brother who approaches cautiously, and he chuckles before saying, “Bloody hell, Abbott, who did ye piss off this time?”
Abbott’s features tighten, and he mutters, “Need to talk to my brother. Alone.”
Shane lifts a dark brow before taking a swig of his beer, still grinning. “Looks like the beating didn’t help cure ye of yer assholeness.”
“Seriously, Irish–”
Shane chuckles. “Ye need to come up with a better insult than that, boy.”
Abbott, who already looked unhinged, takes a step towards Shane. I place myself between them before Abbott does something stupid, like take a swing at one of the most famous rock stars on the planet.
Laughter giving a lilt to his voice, Shane says, “Ye Americans need to spend some time over in Ireland. A temper like that would be beaten out of ye faster than an Irish man can drink a bottle of whiskey.” He shakes his head, still chuckling as he turns to go.
It’s all a big joke to him, but I doubt Shane Hayes knows how close he was to having that cocky grin knocked off his face. I can see how unbalanced my brother is. He’s teetering close to the edge of insanity, and with the alcohol I can smell on his breath, I don’t trust him.
“You’re drunk.” I glare at him.
“I’m as sober as I need to be.”
“Not sober enough to realize what a douchebag you’re acting like.”
“I’m just trying to protect my family.”
“By doing what? Seeing how quickly you can destroy your liver, or kill yourself and some innocent kid while driving drunk?”
He winces. “I’m in control–”
“You’re so out of control you can’t even see what’s right in front of your face.” I catch a few glances our way, and lower my voice. “Don’t do this here. Get some coffee into you and sober the fuck up.”
I’m about to walk away when he stops me. “Said I need to talk to you.”
“Whatever it is can wait.”
“It’s about–”
A thud, followed by a child’s wail, fills the air, and every protective instinct in my body goes on overdrive.
A dozen feet away, Lola lies on her back under the treehouse, her blue eyes wide and filled with tears as she lets out another heartbreaking cry.
Looking terrified, Nolan crouches over her, trying to comfort her.
I’m the first one to them, and I gently pick my niece up.
“I-I told her not to climb so high.” Nolan looks ready to cry himself.
“It’s okay,” I say, used to Lola’s incessant antics. She clings to me like a spider monkey, still sobbing. “You’re okay,” I say soothingly, rubbing her back. With the force she’s holding me with, I doubt she’s too hurt. She probably just got the wind knocked out of her.
Kade is by my side a second later, and I shift his daughter into his arms.
“Daddy, I fell.” She’s already starting to calm down.
“I think she’s okay.” I squeeze Nolan’s shoulder, hoping to reassure him.
A crowd has gathered around us.
Kade places her down, kneeling in front of her. He runs his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away the tears. “How bad is it?”
“Bad.” She hiccups.
“Ice cream bad or hospital bad?”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Ice cream bad.”
Kade smiles. “Okay, let’s go inside.”
Taking her dad’s hand, she starts to follow him, then stops. She looks over her shoulder. “Come on, Nolan. Let’s get some ice cream.”
Nolan looks up at me, and I nod. With a grin, he takes Lola’s other hand and follows Kade up to the house.
I try to find Abbott, having a bad feeling that what he was about to tell me involved Farkas, or worse, Lorelei. But when I scan the crowd, who have gone back to their socializing and drinking, he’s gone.
The hard, hammering feeling at the back of my skull that warns me of impending danger is still there, however.
Chapter 22
Lorelei
From my spot on the patio, I watch Damon take action, so quick to be the little girl’s hero. I see the awe in my son’s eyes when he looks up at his dad.
Always the protector.
I smile, until a shadow moves across the lawn, a dark force that looks set on a mission. One that won’t end well.
Abbott. Fear radiates from him. And something else I recognize–desperation. I saw it when he was talking with Damon, and I see it now as he moves down towards the dock.
I follow after him.
He doesn’t trust me; he made that clear the other night. But he’s Damon’s family.
By the time I get to the dock, he’s in a small, busted-up speedboat, starting to untie it.
He glances up, and snarls. “What do you want?”
Some men are all bark and no bite, but I’m starting to think his bite isn’t just dangerous, but full of venom.
“I know you think you know me, but I’m not–”
“Yeah, I know who you are.” His words are only slightly slurred, his eyes much clearer than they were the other night.
I sigh. “And who do you think that is, Abbott?”
“Someone who brings destruction wherever you go. Someone who destroys the people who love you.”
“Sounds like you’re describing yourself.” I cross my arms over my chest and glare down at him.
“Yeah. You’re right. But don’t fool yourself thinking you’re any better than me. I know what you did. Keeping Damon’s kid from him. Know you stole money from Farkas. Know my brother is going to end up with a bullet through his skull because he’s too stubborn to see you for what you are.”
“Wh-what?” I swallow hard.
“You’re so worried about saving your own ass you don’t see all the people you put in danger. And it’s not just Damon. You think Farkas will stop with just him? He’ll go after Quinn, my parents. He’s already threatened–”
He winces like he’s said too much and looks up toward the house.
“He’s already threatened what?” I ask, my hands trembling, knots forming in my stomach. “Abbott, what aren’t you telling me? Have you spoken with Farkas? Do you know where he is?”
I see it then. Guilt, confusion, uncertainty...desperation.
When he speaks again, it’s a rough whisper, barely audible, but his words scream like a banshee through my soul. “He told me to bring you to him.”
Everything blurs.
No.
I suck in a breath. “You work for him?”
“Fuck, no,” he shouts, then drags both hands over his face, leaving scratch marks across his flesh. “But once he has his claws in you...”
I know. Know the threats he’s used to get what he wants. And what he wants is me.
“Tell me what he has on you.”
“He knows you’re staying with Damon. Knows the kid is his. Maybe my brother can take care of himself. Fuck.” He tears at his hair. “But London...”
I don’t know who London is, but I know Farkas won’t hesitate to hurt her to get to me.
“Did you tell Damon?”
“I tried.”
�
��Tried.” I choke on the word. “That’s not good enough. You have to tell him. If you know where Farkas is, Damon needs to know.”
I start to turn away, but I freeze when I hear a metal click behind me. Abbott’s rough voice growls, “Get in the boat, Lorelei.”
Slowly, I turn, seeing the glint of the gun in his hand and the frenzy in his eyes. I whimper, “Abbott, you don’t have to do this.”
He laughs, the sound as desperate as the look in his eyes. “Trust me, I wish there was another way. But I won’t let them die because of you.”
Chapter 23
Damon
“Have you seen Lorelei?” I ask my mom, the pressure on the back of my skull now a jackhammer blasting a warning that something isn’t right.
“No.” She frowns and glances around. “She was here a few minutes ago. Maybe she went in to help Quinn–”
“Quinn hasn’t seen her.” No one has. At least, not recently. And she’s not answering her cell.
My mom starts to say something else, but I’m already pushing through the crowds of people, razors of fear scraping across my flesh.
“Hey,” Kade grabs my arm. “Have you seen Abbott? He was here and then–”
“He’s gone, too?” Panic swirls, the pressure building again. He’d been trying to tell me something. I’d see the wild desperation in his eyes, and I’d ignored it.
Zee approaches. “Just talked to someone who said he saw Abbott and Lorelei down at the dock.”
I don’t hesitate. I’m rushing down the steep hill, pulling out my phone and dialing my brother’s number as I go. There’s no answer.
“Boat’s gone,” Zee says behind me.
“Fuck,” I growl out, knowing Lorelei is with him. I try his cell again, but still no answer.
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