Fight For Me

by Claudia Burgoa

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Harrison

  Scott and Hazel leave the Keys the following day. They have other plans, and won’t be back in New York until Sunday morning. Luna and I stay until the following Monday. I discovered that Luna doesn’t believe in lounging. We swim, water ski, snorkel, and at night we go dancing. I couldn’t believe it was the first time she was on vacation.

  When I asked why she’s never gone anywhere, I was shut down. Luna trusts me, but only so much. I hate that I’ve shared everything about myself with her and yet there are still parts of her that she keeps for herself.

  On Tuesday morning, Scott wakes me up. “We have a board meeting.”

  “It’s too early,” I complain, covering my head with my pillow.

  Thank fuck they decided to hold it at home, or I would’ve said no. I’m not putting on business casual clothes. When I enter the home office, I spot a basket with pastries, a bowl of fresh fruit, coffee, and a quiche. I look around the table to where my three brothers and Hazel sit.

  “We’re having breakfast too, how fancy,” I remark, taking a seat between Hunter and Scott. Hazel sits next to him.

  “The prodigal child is back.” Hazel stares at me from her seat. “You were gone for almost a week.”

  “You’re mad?” I arch an eyebrow.

  “I worked my ass off to get you the perfect dates, and you didn’t go to any of them.” She pushes a yellow envelope across the table. “You owe me. They would have been my treat if you had done them.”

  I look at my brothers and then look at her. “Can someone explain why she is part of this board meeting?”

  “Scotty promised to make me breakfast, and I never say no to homemade food,” she jokes, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

  “She’s my right hand,” Scott reminds me, ignoring Hazel’s response. “Neither one of you gives a fuck about this company. Hazel at least pretends to care because she likes to boss me around.”

  “I do love to boss him around,” she nods, feeding him a piece of a chocolate croissant. “But that’s not the reason. I handle the Everhart boys’ investments. Having a say in the company is part of my job.”

  “We’re not boys,” Hunter protests, then looks at Scott and Hazel. “But I do need your help. Which one of you two is going to set up the baby’s trust fund?”

  Hazel raises her hand. “Me, pick me.”

  “You can have that,” Scott concedes, preparing a plate of fruit for her. “Can we start the meeting now?”

  “After he tells me all about Luna.” She bats her eyelashes at me and then lets out a long, exaggerated sigh. “And how much he loves her.”

  “I appreciate the family reunion. But if that’s all we’re here for, I have other things to do.” I glare at Hazel. “Don’t you have a company to run?”

  “This meeting is a little more pressing than my other job. But first, tell me how your weekend was.”

  “We are here to discuss Everhart Enterprises, not how you like to meddle in my love life.” I glare at Hunter, who isn’t paying attention. He’s just texting with Willow. “You should’ve stayed home if that’s all you’re going to do.”

  Hazel claps. “Ooh, our boy is in love and pissy from the drought he’s going through.” She winks at me.

  “Stop,” I warn her. I had a great time in the Keys, but fuck, Luna was wearing tiny bikinis the whole time, and I couldn’t even touch her. “Do you have any idea how torturous it was? And it was all your idea.” I glare at Hazel.

  “I suggested it, and it’s working,” she grins, looking up and licking her lips dramatically. “If I were into her, I’d be all over her. She’s so hot, I can’t believe you haven’t seen her naked yet. It’s a sight to see.”

  “When did you see her naked?” I ask.

  Hazel grins, thumping her hand on the table. “Never, but you should’ve seen your face. Priceless. Now tell me what happened.”

  I exhale forcefully, staring at Scott. “What is it—sugar, coffee? She’s already wired up and driving me insane.”

  “Sex,” Fitz responds. “She’s getting some. I just don’t know who the poor bastard is.”

  “Poor bastard?” Scott frowns.

  “Yeah, I have the feeling that this one is like that bunny in the commercials—what’s it called?” Fitz snaps his fingers shaking his head. “The Energizer Bunny.”

  Scott’s face is stern, but I can see the smugness in his eyes. Yep, the bastard got a lot of action over the past few days while I just watched Luna from afar and salivated.

  “Can we focus on the meeting?” Hunter redirects the conversation. “Willow wants to remind you guys that tomorrow we have a dinner party at our house. And I’ll be gone for the next couple of months, as we have some traveling to do before the baby arrives.”

  “Dress formally for the dinner party,” Hazel adds.

  “Willow asked for Luna’s number.” Hunter’s attention swings back to me. “I’m sure she sent her a text, but I assume she’ll be joining us regardless, won’t she?”

  I nod and take the opportunity to make an announcement. “I’m moving out of the penthouse. There’s no date set, but I’m starting to search for a place.”

  They all look at me but no one says a word. After a long silence, Hazel hands me a business card. “Our realtors have years of experience in the Tri-State area. We mostly do commercial, but for you I’d do residential too. If you want, we can also set up an appointment to discuss your prenuptial agreement and future investments.” She uses a business-like voice.

  Then she glares at me. “You make her sign a prenup, and I swear I’m castrating you before you say I do.”

  “Aw, aren’t you adorable.” I wave the business card. “I might give your people a call…and no prenuptial will be signed.”

  She smiles and goes back to her breakfast. Yep, she’s a little off today.

  “The brownstone next to ours is for sale,” Hunter discloses, then looks up to me and smirks. “You’re in love, aren’t you?”

  All eyes are on me. This meeting wasn’t supposed to be about Luna or how I feel about her, but I have the sudden urge to share with them. My brothers and my sister.

  “I’m falling—”I pause looking at my brothers and Hazel—“Hard.”

  “She’s not your type,” Fitz notes. “But I can see you with her. She’s the yin to your yang.”

  “You’re right,” I agree. “She’s not the type of woman I’d have chosen to date. Or consider… marrying.”

  “Marry?” Hazel’s eyes are wide, and she is staring at me in disbelief. “Wow, miracles do happen.”

  “They do, babe.” Fitz pats her hand. “Now you just need to find a man for me, and then find a drone for Scotty.”

  Hazel presses her lips together for a brief moment, and then plasters a smile on her face and nods.

  “Yeah, I’ll find them. An excellent guy for you, and…” She clears her throat. “A woman for Scott.” Her tone is flat, and I hope she knows what the hell she’s doing.

  Luna and I have to figure out what’s going on between us. Or, more like I have to convince her that we are possible. Maybe she’s not what I used to have in mind for my life partner, but she’s what I want now.

  The woman is noisy, but fuck, I like that about her. I like when she turns on her music and sings off-tune to some Latin song that I don’t understand, or she decides to play an old ballad by Christopher Cross, and she grabs whatever is at her disposal, pretending it’s a microphone.

  She’s quirky.

  Those fucking horoscopes she reads religiously drive me crazy. She believes that her hand holds her future. I’ve never known someone as superstitious, and I find it adorable.

  She believes in justice and she fights for those who can’t fight for themselves.

  She’s ruthless, fearless, and stronger than any person I’ve ever met. But God, she can also be so sweet and passionate. It’s hard not to fall in love with someone as extraordinary as her. Though, convincing her
that she can fall, and that I’ll catch her, is going to be hard. So fucking hard. But I want her to be part of my life. I want her forever.

  “Being with her reminds me of what Mom and Dad had when they were with us,” I say out loud.

  Hunter smiles, looking at his phone. Probably expecting a text from Willow. I never thought I’d see him so happy, calm, and fulfilled. Scott glances toward Hazel. Is Hazel the woman who could make him happy?

  “I imagine your parents had the perfect marriage,” Hazel says dreamily.

  I stare at Hazel and then look at Scott. We know how messy their marriage was. There were times where I expected them to say, it’s over. I don’t deny that they loved each other but their relationship wasn’t what everyone thinks.

  “Actually, it was pretty imperfect and very messy. But they loved each other.” I give her just enough because I don’t want to talk about them. Sometimes discussing them with my brothers is like opening Pandora’s box. You don’t know which memory will trigger each one of us and what will happen afterward.

  “But it was magical when they were together,” Scott adds.

  I nod in agreement. “Dad loved to give her presents on a daily basis. He tried to hang the moon for her, and he promised her the stars.”

  “He always delivered,” Scott continued. “Mom said that when they met, she just knew they belonged together. They fell in love slowly, but it was inevitable that they would.”

  “That,” Hazel sighs. “I want that.”

  I look at my brother and then at her. Can he be what she wants? Hazel’s life has been a clusterfuck since day one. Her parents pretty much abandoned her when she was young. Her first love screwed her up. All she wants is love and everyone around her rejects her. I’m at a loss for words. What do I tell her? Stay away from my brother, he’s an insensitive asshole? But what if he’s not with her. Dad could be ruthless but he worshiped Mom.

  “One day you’ll have it,” Fitz assures her. “You always say it—love is real, it actually happens. You just have to wait for the right guy.”

  “What if I had the right guy? But we were too young and careless with what we had? I might die alone.” She stares at her hands for a couple of beats. I pray that she’s not thinking about the asshole who broke her heart. Then, she looks up and smiles. “Tell me more about your parents. I need to hear about those blissful moments they shared. Were they happy?”

  Scott and I witnessed the entire relationship. It was heaven when they were happy. But somewhere along the line, joy became apathy, and eventually distaste. It was a cycle.

  “It was hard to imagine how one would survive without the other when you saw them kiss,” I say, moving my gaze to the family picture that hangs on the wall.

  “And…they left together,” Scott adds with a voice filled with sorrow. “They loved each other so much that you can still feel that love around us.”

  “That’s the kind of love Luna makes me want to have,” I tell them. “I want to wake up next to her for the rest of my life, and then when I die, I want to wait for her in heaven so we can be together forever.”

  “But?” Hazel gives me an inquisitive gaze. “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to work hard to convince her that we can be together.”

  “Just show her how amazing you can be.” She gives me her vote of confidence.

  She makes it sound simple. Maybe it is. I don’t know. There are a few things that I am doing to show her that she can trust me. That I love her and I would do anything for her.

  I tap the table a couple of times. “If you don’t mind. I have things to do. Whatever you decide to do within the company, you have my vote,” I say, standing up and leaving the office.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Luna

  I spend my Tuesday in the yoga studio. I finish at nine, which means missing dinner with Harrison and his family. When I arrive at the Beesley’s penthouse, Harrison is in the foyer discussing something with Scott.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he greets me, brushing my lips with his.

  “Hi,” I mumble then turn my attention to Scott. “Hey.”

  Harrison lifts his right hand that holds a binder and says, “Can we have a word?”

  I nod.

  “See you at home, Scott,” Harrison says, placing his free hand on the small of my back.

  When we arrive at my room, he closes the door and hands me the folder. “Here’s what you’ve been looking for,” he says.

  I open and start reading, taking a seat on my bed. I read every word, study every picture, and remind myself to breathe while doing such. After I finish, I repeat the process all over again. Nothing makes sense. This isn’t what I asked him to give me.

  I wanted the truth about Mom’s death. This isn’t it. “You’re wrong,” I mumble.

  There’s a picture of a baby sitting down next to her mother. I can’t see the body of my mother but I know it’s her, because the baby next to her looks like—me? That can’t be me. It was Sammie who was taken along with her, not me. I was safe…somewhere.

  Wasn’t I?

  I stand up from the bed, brushing past Harrison to reach the small desk where I keep my files. I’ve gone through this information so much, I know immediately where to find the folder with the original documents. I open it and go through the highlighted notes, double checking the few pictures I have. There’s no baby in the picture, just Mom, eyes closed with a white sheet over her body. No description of the child, no mention of her at all really.

  The file I have is thin, too thin compared with what Harrison gave me. I’ve known about it for a long time. I expected that the other one would be larger, but not completely different, and I can’t help the bitter laugh I let out when I compare the two. This binder has interviews, testimonies, and pictures. So many pictures of where they found her, how they found her…

  In one of the pictures, I see her as they must have found her: a naked, bruised and bloody corpse next to some bushes. Her eyes are wide open, and her long blond hair is matted in multiple places, stained with blood. Her face had been turned toward her baby in her last moments. They found her car abandoned on Highway 95. Their little boy was close by, asking for help from the drivers who passed along the site. According to her husband, she was going to visit her mother. I had no idea. Mom was found in a wooded area, in Greenwich.

  “Lucas,” I gasp, covering my mouth. “He was there too, but they only took her and…me.” My voice disappears as I continue reading page after page of the same.

  A lump forms in my throat, my stomach turning with every new revelation. She suffered so much, experienced so much torture before they finally killed her. A hiker found her because the baby was crying.

  And the killer left a note.

  She’s next. You can’t hide them from us.

  My stomach ties into knots, my breathing is uneven. I’m frightened for the children who almost died, for the way my mother…this can’t be true. I am in a state of denial.

  “That was an act of brutality. Why do you think he hired that man?” I’m still hoping to blame her ex-husband for taking away my mother and destroying our family.

  “Who?”

  “Sammie’s dad.”

  “It wasn’t Sammie’s father.” Harrison takes the file away from me.

  “There’s no other option,” I insist, shaking my head. “Then why did he keep Sammie away from us?”

  “He filed a restraining order against your father after this happened. He claimed that Cristobal was a danger to his child. Though your dad fought it, he never got to see her again.”

  “Where was Sammie?”

  “According to my investigators, she was with her father,” Harrison responds. “Your mom wasn’t allowed to take her out of the city without his consent.”

  Then what happened to my sister? I thought seeing her mother die had broken her but now I’ll never know for sure. Maybe she never recovered from missing us, or maybe it was abuse. Mom always said in her journals that h
e was hitting Sammie.

  “I feel like my entire life is a lie.” I plop on top of my bed, resting my elbows on my thighs and cradling my head.

  “I wouldn’t call it a lie,” he says, quietly.

  A sob elbows up my throat. I’m as confused now as I’ve ever been. Hurt. My father lied to me. All these years he—“He lied to me.”

  “There’s always another side to the story, Luna.”

  “What would you do?” I lift my head, looking at him.

  “If I were your father or if I was you?” He exhales harshly.

  “If it was your wife,” I rectify.

  His face goes slightly pale. He takes me into his embrace. He brushes sweet kisses up the side of my neck. “If you were taken away from me, I’d die with you.”

  The tone of his voice and the words rock my entire system. I couldn’t survive if he died either. I know that’s what happened to my father. I doubt that he’ll ever be the guy he was when Mom was around. But why hide it from me?

  “Harry.” I push him away, walking across the room. “Help me understand, please.”

  I can’t think about Harrison and what’ll happen to him when I die. This probably isn’t the best time to tell him, By the way, I don’t have too much time left. The women in my family only last thirty-one years. But I’m falling so hard for him and the reminder that we can never be feels like a vice around my lungs. I push it away before I’m overcome.

  “There has to be a better answer than the one he’s given me. I don’t accept that I just have to live with the lies I’ve been told.” I say. “What would you do?”

  “I probably would bury everything so deep that no one would ever know what happened. I wouldn’t want my kid to know that. You have to talk to him.”

  “Harry,” I say, as I see his face breaking.

  Harrison pulls me back into his comfortable arms, and the weight of the world vanishes from my body. He cups my face, catching my lips with his. The kiss is soft at first but becomes deeper, rougher, passionate. It’s so much different from all the other kisses we’ve shared since we came back from the Keys. Meaningful, lustful, but healing too. It’s like he’s trying to absorb my pain with every touch of his tongue.