The Billionaire's Secret

by Nana Malone

  Derrick frowned at Elena. "What's he talking about?"

  "Oh, I should probably mention that Inline's silent CEO is Jecko Dominchyk. All along, as you were plotting against your father, you were working with the very man who took you."

  Derrick shook his head. "No, no, no. Fuck you, no." He lunged for her.

  I couldn’t tell where the shot rang out from, but two things happened simultaneously; Derrick went down, and so did Brian Cohen.

  I dove over my brother, covering his body with mine.

  He wasn't complaining, which meant he was probably hurt.

  Another shot rang out, and Timothy Arlington dove for some cover. Elena was running. I looked to the side, frantically searching, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Cohen was down, a trickle of blood running out of his forehead. Jesus Christ, dead center head shot. Roone Ainsley wasn’t fucking around.

  Derrick struggled beneath me in an attempt to follow Elena. As she reached the door, Lucas was right there, and I heard him say, “Tsk, tsk. You can’t go that way. Now you’re not going to make me hit a woman, are you?”

  Elena shuffled her short stocky frame, running for the main fence. Did she have a car waiting?

  Beneath me, Derrick groaned. "Get off me, you big oaf."

  "You're alive, aren’t you?"

  "Oh, Jesus," he groaned.

  I rolled off of him and checked him out. He was bleeding out of his side. I took off my shirt and used it to apply pressure to his wound.

  He cursed low. "Fuck you."

  "Hey, I'm not the one who played fast and loose with employee stocks."

  "It was only supposed to hurt him."

  "Yeah, I heard that."

  "I'm fucking sorry. This is my fault. My hatred for him blinded me."

  "I can see why. It could have blinded me too. Elena seemed so full of love."

  "I guess I never did have someone who loved me."

  "At the risk of being all sappy and shit, you do now. Maybe I always did. Even though I didn't know about you."

  "Yeah, sappy as shit."

  "Shut up, or this is going to hurt more."

  Beneath my hands, he squirmed. "Oh, fuck, it already hurts."

  "Well, it is a gunshot wound. What did you expect?"

  "What are the odds you'll take one too, so we have a matching set?"

  "Fuck that plan."

  "Arsehole," he grumbled.

  "Hey, I'll take it. If you're calling me an asshole, it means you're alive."

  Finally, I heard cars and saw the sheen of headlights approaching.

  I could hear feet moving quickly on the pavement followed by the sound of Zia’s voice. "Oh my God, Theo. Theo. Theo, are you okay?" I could hear her panic.

  I glanced up. "I'm fine. Derrick has been shot though. We need to take him to the hospital."

  Jax and Trace were faster than any ambulance I could have imagined. They pulled up in the SUVs, and then suddenly there was something rumbling at our backs. Something that looked like a mobile grenade rolled over to us. Trace leaned down. "I'll take it from here."

  All I could do was look down at the blood on my hands. Around the corner, Tamsin grabbed Timothy Arlington.

  How had the whole team shown up and I hadn't known?

  You were focused on your brother.

  My brother. He'd almost ruined hundreds of lives to get back at our father. A father he'd always assumed hated him. I couldn’t imagine how he was going to live with what he’d done.

  The good news was I didn't have to figure it out. Zia was in my arms, and she was holding me and squeezing me tight. My arms wrapped around her, and I relaxed into her embrace with her tiny frame pressed up against me. I inhaled the hibiscus and the ocean breeze, and I knew I was home, no matter what else happened. I was exactly where I belonged.

  26

  Theo…

  How could he be such an idiot? God. I paced outside of Derrick's room. He was in a private wing at the hospital that might as well be in the palace itself. Zia sat in a chair holding her phone tightly in her hand and watching me. I knew she was worried, but there wasn't much she could do to help. What was even more notable was how the rest of Royal Elite milled about. Lucas, Roone, and the king himself called every twenty minutes for updates. They were all here to support me, to support him.

  I'd ridden with him to the hospital, cursing him for everything. He'd cursed me right back, and all at once, it hit me. It was like we'd been having this push and pull between us for longer than I had ever imagined. He was my brother… my twin.

  I'd been so focused on him I hadn't even noticed much else about my surroundings, so I didn't really pay attention when the doors at the end of the hall swung open and someone rushed in.

  "Theo."

  The sound of my name snapped me out of my reverie. "Mom?"

  Had she always looked so small? Despite her size, I thought her color definitely looked better than the last time I'd seen her. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

  She shook her head. "No, I’m fine. I—how—how is he?"

  And then in startling clarity, as if everything suddenly slid into focus, I remembered all the reasons why I hadn't spoken to her in over two weeks. All the reasons why I had no idea what to say. "Right. Derrick."

  "Theo, I wanted to tell you a million times."

  "But you didn't, right?"

  "No, I didn't. And I could give you a million reasons as to why. A million excuses about how I justified it to myself, but it all boils down to one thing; it was just easier not to tell you."

  I nodded. "Well, at least thanks for the honesty."

  She shrugged. "I think we both know I’m not honest. But you have to know I never wanted you hurt. I somehow thought that knowing and still having to be apart would be even harder for you."

  "You never gave me that choice, Mom. You made it for me. You deliberately withheld the truth. How can I ever trust you again?"

  She winced. And I wanted to take care of her, to pull it back, to tell her it was okay and that I understood, but I didn't. I didn't understand a damn thing. She had separated me from my twin, and it hurt. That phantom pain I'd carried around for years because I had a twin I didn't know. I’d thought it was the missing-dad thing, but no. It was the brother thing.

  "Look, I know I can't begin to make up for what you've lost with your brother, but I want you to know how much I love you."

  "Mom, I know that. You've shown me love every single day of my life. But what about him? He didn't know that. He was raised by people who very likely shouldn't qualify as parents. He was raised by a monster who pretended to love him. Can you imagine how he feels?"

  "I wish I could take it all back. I wish I could make all of this better somehow. If I could, I would. I swear to God. When I was with your father years ago, there was a part of me that knew it was going to end badly. But I was enthralled, and I believed the lies he told me. I also loved someone else… Brian. He gave me the kind of kindness your father didn’t have in him. But I was drawn to that fire that was your father. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew your father would insist I hand you over to him, or worse."

  I frowned. “Mom?”

  “I was a terrified kid. I had nowhere to go. Little family to speak of. And certainly not anyone who could help me. He had all the power. But Brian helped me to get out of town and gave me money to tide me over until I had a job. He was kind then.” She swiped at her tears. “But the moment your father confronted him about his feelings for me, he caved and told him where I’d gone. That’s when Timothy came for Derrick. A million times I’ve wished I could change what happened. All I can ask is your forgiveness.”

  "But you can't change it, Mom. You can't make any of this better. It doesn't matter how hard you try."

  "Theo, I'm sorry, and I understand every single thing you're saying. I know. I messed up. I was terrified Timothy was going to take you both. I was so scared. When he said he wanted his firstborn, I tried to fight him. I called every l
awyer I could think of, but they all stressed the legality of the parental rights of the father. He had money, and I didn't. It felt like I'd let him buy Derrick, but I knew that you would need things in life, and I didn't think I had any other choice."

  "There's always a choice." I had always known my Mom had a spine of steel, and when she tilted her chin up and stared me down, I could see it.

  "What would you have done? Let him take both of you? No. There was no way I was going to let him do that. I loved you. I kissed your booboos. I scolded you. And our agreement was that during the first five years of your life, before you would be able to remember anything, you’d get to see each other once a year. I had to pour all my love into him once a year. And after that, I didn't get to see him anymore. You just thought it was cool that this kid kind of looked like you. I always thought you'd feel the loss of him and he of you, but you were children. Your minds offered you other explanations."

  "No, you’re wrong. Derrick and I have both felt that loss our whole lives.”

  "So tell me, could you have made that impossible choice? Tell me now, and I will turn right back around and walk out these doors."

  The pain slashed through my chest. The idea of letting someone take my children. I would kill them. But could I save one knowing the alternative was to lose both? "Mom, I—” I knew she was right. There was no way anyone faced with that decision could sit back and do nothing. And if I knew her, she did fight until there was no choice. Just like she fought for me all the time.

  What could she have done? Timothy Arlington was practically royal. And she'd given up one son to save the other.

  I sagged against the wall and my eyes pricked with tears. "I couldn't have done it. I'm sorry for judging you, Mom. I just—when I found out, I couldn't—"

  She nodded and strode to me. Her thin arms wrapped around me, and just like always, she absorbed my tears, my exhaustion, my fear... Like she had my whole life.

  “I’m sorry I didn't tell you about this.”

  "Baby, I know. I can only imagine. And I wish I'd been the one to tell you the truth. But when you were a boy, it seemed crueler to tell you than to not tell you. I tried to protect you from the pain, but you felt it nonetheless."

  "I just want him to be okay."

  She nodded. “And I just want the opportunity to get to know him. He probably hates me.”

  I shook my head. "Nah. He puts up a good front because he expects to be unloved. And he’s done some stupid shit, but he's not really capable of hate. At his core, he's decent."

  "Do you think he'll like me?"

  I laughed. "All he's ever wanted his whole life is for someone to love him unconditionally. Since I’m guessing you’re about to give him that, there’s no way he could hate you."

  She took my hands then. "If only—I hope it's as easy as that."

  "Nothing is going to be easy. Not after what happened tonight. But hopefully, we'll work it out."

  "Hopefully. But are you okay? You're not hurt?"

  I shook my head.

  She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tight. And I hugged her back. As I gazed over her head and across the room, Zia gave me a tremulous smile. I couldn't have done any of this without her by my side, watching my ass. All of this had been such a mess, the way it had started right through the way it turned out. But thanks to her, I had a family. A big ruckus of a family that I hadn't planned on. But that was everything I wanted. And everything would work out for the best as long as I had her.

  Derrick…

  Okay, yeah, that hurt. That opening the eyes thing was not a good call. Best to keep those suckers closed the rest of my life.

  Basically, everything hurt. Everything that involved moving, or breathing, or hell, even blinking. It was easier to keep my eyes closed, but I could feel Theo staring at me. "Open your eyes, fucker. I know you're up."

  I peeled one eyelid back. "When you talk so sweet to me like that, it makes me want to do whatever you say."

  "Bite me."

  "Oh, I can see our childhood conversations now. Me, using wit and logic. You, resorting to ‘bite me.’"

  "Jesus Christ, you could have died tonight."

  "Yes, a fact of which I am very well aware. Fuck, everything hurts."

  "You deserve that."

  I winced. "I know, I made a mistake."

  Theo blinked at me. "A mistake? You committed fraud. Do you even understand how much trouble you're in right now?"

  "I have a fair idea."

  "This is going to mean jail time."

  "Possibly, but I have some very good lawyers."

  "Is everything a joke to you?"

  "No. Everything is not a joke to me. Because if it was, my side wouldn't fucking hurt."

  My brother groaned. "Jesus Christ, I will kill you myself. I swear to God."

  "You keep promising and swearing to God. One of these days you're going to have to see it through."

  "You need to take life a little more seriously and start caring about things and people other than yourself."

  I pinned him with a look. "I do care about things. I mean maybe not before the last couple weeks or so, but spending some time with you has proven you're not half bad."

  Theo's lips twisted into a smirk. "For the better-looking brother?"

  "Let's not get carried away. I’m going to have a sexy scar now. Women love scars."

  "If you can find one who'll have you."

  "That's a good point. Do you think Zia is willing to have the two of us?" I could have sworn he growled. “Just kidding. Jesus!”

  Theo’s expression turned serious. "Listen, I have someone outside who wants to see you."

  My gut twisted, sending an even bigger pain to my side. "She wants to talk to me?"

  "I mean, you're her kid. So yeah, she wants to talk to you."

  "Couldn't you tell her I’m dead or something? Very busy being dead."

  Theo chuckled. "Look, I wasn't particularly thrilled with her either, but let’s put things in perspective. You could have died tonight. And she has been dying a little bit with every treatment she’s endured, although she looks better now. So, fingers crossed for her remission. But life's too short. You could waste it being pissed at her, and I could waste it being pissed at you, but what’s the point?"

  "You mean like I wasted my whole life being pissed at the wrong person."

  He shrugged. "Well, that was bound to happen. But since you can't do anything about it, why don't you meet our mom?"

  I nodded slowly. I wasn't sure I could do this. I wasn't sure how emotional I would get. It wasn’t like I knew this woman.

  Theo went to the door and opened it slowly. He slipped out, and a small woman stepped in. She was tiny. Thin, not frail though. There was something strong about her.

  "Hello, Derrick."

  "Mommy dearest."

  She winced. "I guess I deserved that."

  See? There it was. That pain near the chest area. What the fuck was that? "Force of habit. Seems people are always running from me. Are you going to run?"

  "That's a fair question. You have a right to ask it."

  "Well, answer me. Will you run? Is this just a passing thing for you? A curiosity about the twin son you never got to know? Will you take off and vanish once that curiosity is satisfied?”

  "Now that I have access to you, I’m not going anywhere for as long as you'll allow me to stay."

  I frowned. "What?"

  "You're my son, Derrick. Your father might have taken you when you were young, but you're an adult now. An adult who's well aware of my existence. So now, I can see you anytime you’ll let me, Timothy Arlington be damned."

  "You just gave me up."

  "No, I didn't. I fought him. But he had money and I didn't. And I'm sorry, because it's a weak excuse, but when he threatened to take you both, I knew I wouldn't survive that. I don't know if you remember, but we did get to see each other once a year when you were very young. I held you. I smelled your hair. I put you t
o bed. We were allowed to make those memories until you and Theo were five. We could see you but only once a year. It was torture. It was also the best kind of salvation."

  I frowned at that. There was something familiar about her voice.

  She stepped closer, and I could practically feel her warmth from a foot away. "I don't remember you."

  "That was the point. You weren't supposed to remember me. After five, he knew you’d start forming some memories. And you were certainly going to remember your brother. The two of you were thick as thieves, two peas in a pod. You were twins. I didn't know if I was doing more damage to either of you by letting you see each other or not, and that scared me, if I’m being frank. That’s when your father said you two weren't allowed to see each other anymore. And he said if I fought him on that, he was going to take Theo too."

  I winced. "And you loved him too much to let that happen, right?"

  "Of course. I love you both."

  I nodded, blinking rapidly. "Yeah, well, I haven’t exactly felt any of that love, so..."

  "That's my fault. I'm sorry. But I can get treatment down here just as well as I can in New York, and I'd love the opportunity to get to know you better."

  "Haven't you heard? I'm going to jail. Little thing with the Ponzi scheme. Not one meant to hurt anyone, except for dear old dad, but still, the authorities are none too pleased. And Sebastian is disappointed as always."

  "You know, you don't have to live up to that. Whatever Timothy and Elena and everyone else told you about who you’ve been your whole life, you don't have to live up to that. You can be who you want. If you want to be good, be good. If you want to be the guy who isn't plotting revenge, be that guy. That’s within your power."

  My heart squeezed. "I usually just live up to people's expectations."

  "And what are your expectations for yourself?"

  Shit.

  Had she asked me that question three months ago, I would have just said party, have fun, not think about much. But the moment I met Theo, all that changed. He had rattled my world, made me see everything differently. I didn't want that. I didn't need that.