Not once during the drive to Ryan's parents' home had he thought that Skip had killed his own son. Now it looked like the older man had a great deal to hide.
Skip shook his head and pressed the knife more firmly against Mariah's vulnerable flesh.
"We don't need to work this out. I just need to keep you here long enough for Seb to get out of the country."
Seb? The pieces were beginning to fall into place.
Taking a few breaths before he replied, Ryan tried to steady himself. His emotions were all over the place, his instincts screaming to run over and knock Skip away from Mariah. His overriding concern had to be getting her - and everyone else here - safely away from the older man.
Mariah, to her credit, hadn't lost her shit despite having a knife to her throat. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and if he could hear her heartbeat he was sure it would be galloping as fast as his own, but she hadn't said a word. She'd barely moved, clearly deciding that she was going to stay still so as not to upset Skip Harrington.
It was a wise move on her part. He hoped he was giving her an encouraging look but he didn't have a clue as to how he was coming across. Normally, he'd be logical and cool in a situation like this. But Skip Harrington knew exactly what to do to keep Ryan off balance...
"Why does Seb need to get out of the country?" Ryan asked, keeping his tone even and soft. "Did he hurt Brad?"
Skip took a step back, pulling Mariah with him, his expression pale and tortured.
"It was an accident. He didn't mean anything bad to happen. It was just a terrible accident," Skip said, his voice hoarse with emotion.
"I believe you. You need to give Seb an opportunity to explain that," Ryan said. "He won't go to jail if it was an accident."
"I can't take that chance," Skip replied with a shake of his head. His hand tightened on the knife, and even from Ryan's vantage point he could see the knuckles turn white. "I won't lose my only remaining son. I won't let anything happen to him. I have to protect him. They just got into a fight and things got out of hand."
"Of course you have to protect him, but this isn't the way," Ryan argued, taking a tiny step forward. Small enough that he hoped it wouldn't spook the older man. "Let Seb tell his story."
There was a visible sheen of sweat on Mariah's forehead and upper lip. She'd held herself together for this long, but Ryan couldn't guarantee that she was going to be able to continue. He had to get her away from Skip.
"Just let Mariah go," Ryan cajoled, his tone calm even as his guts churned inside of him. Fear clawed at his abdomen and he had to fight his urge to use physical force to separate Skip and Mariah. That could have a tragic ending he didn't want to think about. He just hoped that Skip wouldn't actually hurt anyone. He was desperate at the moment and needed to be convinced that this wasn't how to help his son. "Let her go and we'll talk."
"You'll call the police and they'll stop him from flying out of the country," Skip argued. "Once he gets on that plane and it takes off, I'll let her go."
"It’s going to make him look guilty," Ryan said. "People will say that he did something wrong."
"Let them say that. He'll be free and I'll have my son. I'll protect him no matter what."
Ryan was just about to reply when his father Jack stepped forward, his own hands held up in a sign of surrender.
"It was an accident, old friend. Just tell the police and they'll understand. Seb won't go to jail. Let Mariah go and we'll do it together," Jack said. Ryan could hear the pain in his own father's voice. "What you're doing is wrong and you know it."
"He's my only son now," Skip said, his voice quivering. He was beginning to look tired, drops of sweat on his forehead and his eyes turning glassy. This might be the opening that Ryan was looking for. He just had to be patient. "I have to protect him."
Jack shook his head, his expression sad. "At some point we have to stop trying to protect our sons and just hope that we did a good job as parents. And we did a good job, Skip. Our sons are fine men. But we can't live their lives for them. We can't make their decisions for them, and we sure as hell can't stop them from facing the consequences of their actions. We have to let go."
Tears began to fall down Skip's face but his grip tightened on the knife. "What if they take him away? I can't lose another son."
"You have to let Seb stand up for himself," Jack pressed. "We can't make everything okay for our kids no matter how much we want to. Let Mariah go, Skip. You know you're not really going to hurt her. You could never do that."
Out of the corner of Ryan's eye, he could see Knox entering the dining room behind Skip. He'd been patient but it was time to take a chance. Ryan let his gaze dart to the left of Skip, just over his shoulder. Holding this breath, he hoped that the older man would wonder what Ryan was looking at.
It worked.
Skip, for only a moment, slackened his hold on Mariah as he jerked his head to the right, allowing the hand that held the knife to drop a few inches.
That was the opening that Ryan needed. Roaring with fury, he rushed Skip, grabbing his wrist and wrenching his arm away while pushing Mariah to safety. He trusted that Knox would keep her safe while he dealt with the other man.
Knocking Skip to the floor, he held him down while the man fought and howled but it didn't last long. He gave up, tears streaming down his cheeks, lying on the maple hardwood flooring. Ryan stepped back and his father took his place, kneeling next to his friend.
Knox had, indeed, done as Ryan hoped, placing his body between Mariah and Skip.
"Don't hurt Seb," Skip sobbed, his face red and swollen. "Just let him go. He didn't mean to do it."
His pulse still racing, Ryan stood and walked on shaking legs to where Mariah was watching the entire scene with a look of horror on her face. He doubted she was used to dealing with murders in the family.
"Are you okay?" he whispered, cradling her ashen cheeks in his hands. Her beautiful eyes were shiny with emotion and her lips trembling visibly. "Should we call a doctor?"
"I'm okay. Just shaken up." She glanced down at where Skip was lying on the floor. His wife Lilly had joined Jack in trying to talk to him and get him to stand up. "I don't think he really would have hurt me."
"Let's just be glad we didn't have to find that out."
It was then that Ryan noticed that the entire party had come to a halt and everyone was standing around them in a circle...staring.
"Show's over, folks," Knox said, beginning to usher some of the guests out of the dining room. "If you could please exit, that would be helpful."
Ryan reached for his cell phone in his breast pocket. "We need to call–"
"Done it," Knox replied. "The police should be here any minute. I also told them that Seb Harrington was probably on a charter jet out of the country. They're going to try and see if they can stop the takeoff, but I guess there are several airstrips that he could be flying out of. I couldn't be more helpful about that."
Grimacing, Ryan's father also stood. "Call them back and tell them to try the Carlisle private airstrip. That's the one that Skip uses most often."
Knox's brows rose. "Will do. I'll call them now. Thank you."
Jack turned to Ryan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did a good job, son."
Glancing toward Skip and Lilly, Ryan wasn't so damn sure. "Your best friend's son accidentally killed his brother, and that best friend is trying to cover it up. I'm not sure that I did such a great job."
"You did your job," Jack replied, his expression solemn. "You're not responsible for how this turned out."
That may have been true, but Ryan didn't feel the usual elation or the satisfaction of an investigation closed. The situation was messed up and a lot of lives had been ruined today.
"How did you know?" Mariah asked. "How did you know it was Seb?"
"I didn't," Ryan immediately answered. "I actually just wanted to talk to him because my research showed that Seb had gone into rehab a few months after Brad disappeared. The rehab center
not only dealt in drug addictions but also gambling addictions. At that point, I realized that Brad must have been covering for his little brother and may have been killed in a case of mistaken identity. Seb and Brad looked a hell of a lot alike and it seemed plausible. I didn't realize Seb was the one until Skip mentioned him."
"I thought it was Skip," she said, placing her arm into his and leaning into him. He wrapped his arms around her, needing to feel her healthy and alive. For a moment, he'd had to face the thought of losing her. He never wanted to do that again. "When he grabbed me I just assumed it was him. I was shocked."
"I would never have let him hurt you. You know that, right?"
His gaze searched hers, wanting her to know the truth and what he saw almost brought him to his knees. His heart squeezed in his chest and he had to make himself breathe in and out because oxygen simply wasn't all that important at this moment.
"I know," she said, love and trust shining from her eyes. "I knew you'd figure it all out and you did."
"I love you."
The words came out choked but he couldn't have meant them more than if he'd hired a skywriter to write the words over the Greater Chicago area.
"I love you, too."
He didn't really give a shit that there were people watching and sirens in the background. He kissed her until he heard his dad clearing his throat over and over and his sister tugging on his jacket sleeve.
"Not here, big brother. Later."
"This is all your fault," Mariah said smugly to Liza. "If you hadn't convinced me to buy the apartment across from Ryan's..."
"I would have sought you out and found you," Ryan said. "Because I couldn't stay away from you. End of story."
He dropped a kiss on the tip of Mariah's nose. "I have to get back to work."
"I'll be here. Take your time."
The thought of coming home to Mariah every night after a long day of work was...
Perfect. Amazing. Fantastic.
He didn't have the adjectives to describe all that he was feeling, but he had a future with this woman, and suddenly that was all he wanted in his life.
She was everything and more. And she loved him back.
28
Six months later...
Mariah watched as Ryan and his friends carried in a stack of pizza boxes and several six packs of beer, water, and soda. The movers had just dropped off her boxes and they'd all offered to help pitch in and unpack for the measly compensation of pizza and a few cold beverages.
I'd take that deal any day.
She'd officially moved to the Seattle area. She and Ryan had gone back and forth about whether he would move to Chicago or she would move here, but the bottom-line was that his job was here and she could work anywhere. That he'd promised to buy her a home with an amazing studio space was the icing on the cake. He'd been true to his word, too. They'd closed on the house last week.
Now they were making plans to merge their two Chicago apartments into one big one for when they visited their families. They were going to need the space.
Mariah was pregnant. Twelve weeks along.
They probably should have waited longer but once they were together and making plans for their future, they couldn't really see a reason to delay. In their minds, they'd already waited twelve years. They hadn't been in a hurry, either, but they'd somehow managed it the first month they'd tried. She hoped it boded well for the future as they'd discussed having at least two and maybe three kids.
They'd told their families a few days ago and Ryan wanted to tell his friends today. He'd been bouncing around like a Labrador puppy all morning, grinning from ear to ear. His friends didn't know what was going on but they'd been teasing him about love making him giddy since they'd arrived.
They chatted while demolishing several large pizzas. Mariah had been lucky and hadn't experienced any morning sickness so she ate her share. When everyone was done eating, he gave her a wink and stood, holding up his glass.
"I'd like to make a toast," he said. "To my soon to be wife, Mariah. I love you more than anything in the world and I can't wait for our baby to be born in six months."
Pandemonium. Hugs, tears, and congratulations.
Mariah had grown close to Ryan's friends and their significant others, although Knox would always have a special place in her heart.
When a guy puts his body between you and a knife, you know he's a good person.
"We didn't even know you were trying," Ella said, her hand on her own baby bump. She was married to Ryan's co-worker Chris Marks and due in about a month. They already had a daughter from Chris's first marriage who was adorable and incredibly intelligent. Annalise was going to rule the world someday. "It's so exciting. Do you want a boy or a girl?"
"It doesn't matter to me," Mariah replied. "Ryan might want a boy, though."
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter to me either. I just want them to be healthy and happy."
Luke reached over and grabbed his fiancée Shaw's hand. "What do you say, babe? Should we start trying right away?"
Shaw rolled her eyes. "That would be a no, handsome. We still have to get through our wedding in the summer. Then we can talk about it. How about you two? Are you moving the date up?"
Mariah shook her head. "We talked about it but the plans are set for next year and I don't want to mess with them."
"I already feel married," Ryan said with a shrug. "Honestly, we could go down to the courthouse and get married. It would be fine with me."
Mariah shot her beloved a look. "Your sister would kill us both. So would our mothers. Now, your dad and my dad might defend us but I can't promise that."
Ryan's relationship with his family had improved about a thousand percent in the last months. He understood there were things that his father simply couldn't say out loud, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel them. But a funny thing...now that Ryan didn't expect his parents to show much affection, they seemed to be trying to do just that. Last time they'd left Chicago, Jack had given his son a hug. It was awkward but it was progress.
There was more talk about babies and weddings as they folded up and bagged the empty pizza boxes. They started working on Mariah's kitchen items and with so many hands it was done and organized in a few hours.
"It would have been faster if you didn't use shelf paper," Knox complained good-naturedly. "Is that a female thing? I've never used shelf paper. Am I missing out? Do I need shelf paper in my life?"
Shaw nodded solemnly. "You need shelf paper."
"And drawer organizers," Luke added with a laugh. "At least that's what my mother and sister said. I didn't argue. Just go with it."
Knox sighed dramatically. "I guess I need to get right on that then."
Chris popped open a can of soda. "I hate to bring the conversation down but I have to ask how it went."
They all knew what "it" was.
Two days ago, Sebastian Harrington had pled guilty to a single manslaughter charge in exchange for no jail time. He would, however, have ten years’ probation and be required to do community service.
Ryan had flown back for the court date but Mariah stayed in Seattle since he only planned to be gone a few days. She needed to finish a commission and couldn't get away.
"He had to tell the whole story to the judge," Ryan replied. "It was exactly as he told me before."
The night the police had pulled Seb off of an airplane that was almost ready to taxi down the runway, he'd eventually talked to Ryan and told him everything. It was tragic and sad.
Seb was a senior in high school and he was actually the one gambling tons of money, drinking, and taking drugs. Since Seb didn't have access to his trust fund yet - he was under eighteen - Brad was covering his losses so Skip and Lilly wouldn't find out. The parents, if they noticed anything, would have simply put it down to Brad spending it on girlfriends and partying.
But Brad actually did leave the bar that night. Seb had snuck into the bar with a fake ID, wearing a hoodie that he'd pulled up to
cover his face. He was afraid that Brad's friends would recognize him. He'd run up even more debts on cocaine and hookers and was afraid to tell his parents. He owed money and his loan sharks wanted it. Right away.
Consequently, Brad and Seb had traded clothes in the men's room. Brad had gone out the front door wearing Seb's hoodie over his face. Seb had gone out the bathroom window and waited at the construction site while Brad led the bookie who was trying to collect away from Seb.
When Brad lost the man looking for his brother, he doubled back and met Seb in the construction site. They argued, Brad wanting his younger brother to go to rehab and Seb saying that he wasn't that bad. He'd change and it would be okay. Brad wanted to tell their parents - or call the therapist that Brad had found named Aaron - and that's when it became physical. Brad threw a punch and then Seb threw one as well, but Brad knocked the younger brother on his back. Seb instinctively reached for a piece of pipe lying next to him and hit Brad on the side of the head, killing him.
Panicked and still under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Seb pushed Brad into a shallow hole and covered him in dirt. He then went back home and waited for the police to come arrest him. He was surprised when that didn't happen and he realized that everyone thought that Brad was in Hawaii. The construction crew poured concrete that week and by the time the family was looking for Brad he wasn't going to be easily found.
Seb went into rehab a few months later, his parents not aware of the extent of his issues. To make up for what he'd done, he tried to be the perfect son and husband, giving to charities and making a difference in his community.
As for Jack and Lilly, they didn't know what had transpired that night. If they had, they obviously wouldn't have brought Ryan in to investigate. It was only when Ryan said that Brad was a gambling addict that they had an inkling that Seb had somehow been involved. When Ryan left the couple, they'd dragged the truth out of their younger son.
Deciding they couldn't lose a second child, Skip had used his money and influential connections to send his son overseas where the long arm of the law hopefully wouldn't be able to touch him. When Ryan had shown up at the party asking to talk to Seb, Skip had realized that he had to stall, giving his son's flight a chance to take off.
Gilded Craving: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 3) Page 20
