The Clarke Brothers (Complete Series)

by Lilian Monroe

  The top of it reads “Approved Suppliers List”, and the name that’s crossed off is near the bottom of the list: Dominic Clarke, Furniture Maker.

  “You motherfucker,” I breathe. The anger starts coiling inside me and my heart starts to beat faster. My hands are trembling as I close the folder back up and shut the laptop screen down. I slip out of the room to see Will waiting outside.

  “Found what you were looking for?” He asks cheerily.

  I force a smile. “Yep!” I head off toward the kitchen as my head fills with questions.

  Even though I’m here, and I’ve done everything they asked – even giving up my relationship with Dominic – they’re still going to fuck him over! They’re still going to remove his name from the approved supplier list which means he won’t have an uptick in business. The whole reason he agreed to do this was to grow his business, and now that reason is gone.

  They lied to me. Vincent, my mother – they both lied through their teeth. They told me his business would be safe, and now they’re doing everything they can to cut it down.

  I’m furious now. My cheeks are burning and my hands are shaking so hard I can’t even pour myself a cup of coffee. I take a deep breath and try again, but all I can think of is Dominic.

  I can deal with betrayal when I’m the victim. As painful as it is, I can deal with my mother using me. I can deal with having a loveless marriage to a man I despise, if it means that Dominic gets to live a good life. But now? He doesn’t even get that. He gets nothing.

  It’s not even anger anymore – it’s fury. I’ve never felt like this before. My whole body feels like it’s vibrating and all I can see is Vincent’s snarling face. I forget about the coffee and stalk back down the hallway.

  “Will!” I call out. “Will!”

  His head appears around the corner.

  “Give me your keys,” I say before he can speak. “The car keys.”

  “Miss McCoy, I’m not supposed to –”

  “Give. Me. The. Keys.” I say. I stare him straight in the eye and he takes a step back before nodding his head once. He pulls out his car keys and drops them in my hand. I head off toward the front door when he clears his throat.

  “Are you…” he pauses. “Should you get dressed?”

  “Who the fuck am I trying to impress?” I ask. His eyes widen for a moment and a wave of understanding washes over him. He nods his head and I turn toward the black sedan parked in front of the house.

  This has gone far enough.

  39

  Dominic

  I thought I’d go straight to Tim McCoy from Aiden’s last night, but when I drove into town my resolve wavered. Now I’m drinking my third cup of coffee as I stare at the stack of letters.

  What if he doesn’t believe me?

  What if he already knows?

  What if he forgives her?

  The more I think about this, the less certain I am. The more it seems like I’m destined to fail. What am I trying to do, anyway? I have to convince Tim to turn against his wife, and somehow figure out what’s going on with Mara. Then, if I’m able to do all that, I have to get Mara back.

  What if she doesn’t want to come back?

  I shake my head and pull out my phone again. I read her text over and over until I’m sure she’s there against her will.

  She doesn’t want to be there. I know her. I saw it in her eyes when she left. I saw it in the way she recoiled when Vincent touched her. I can see it in her text.

  This isn’t her choice.

  I push my mug aside and stand up. I tuck the stack of letters under my arm and stalk out the front door. I swing myself into the cab of my truck and start the engine, peeling down the driveway toward Main Street. I can hardly hear the sound of the engine over the beating of my heart. I’m staring through a tunnel, and all I can see is the McCoy hotel at the end of the road. I glance at the passenger seat at the letters, and I try to think of what I’m going to say.

  Mr. McCoy, I…

  Tim, I have something to tell you.

  Tim, is there somewhere we can talk?

  My breath is shallow and my vision is blurry around the edges. I pull up outside the hotel and jump out of the truck, grabbing the papers and tucking them under my arm once again. I walk up the pathway toward the hotel’s main entrance and push the door open.

  I breathe a sigh of relief when no one is at the front desk. My eyes scan the room, and I wonder where Tim McCoy could be. I turn down the hallway toward the office where we spoke.

  My hand is trembling when I lift it to knock on the door. With one more deep breath, I rap my knuckles against the wooden panels of the door and wait for a response. I look up and down the hallway, praying that Margaret McCoy doesn’t appear around the corner.

  I knock again.

  Nothing.

  My shoulders slump, and I turn away from the door when a voice calls out behind me.

  “Can I help you with anything?”

  I turn to see one of the housekeepers. I know her. We went to school together. I know pretty much everyone in this town.

  “Katie!” I call out, trying to sound casual. “I’m looking for Tim McCoy.”

  “Huh,” she replies with a smile and a frown. “Okay.”

  She smiles at me and motions down toward the lobby. “He and Mrs. McCoy are having their breakfast in the dining room. I can show you the way.”

  “No!” Her eyebrows jump up and I take a deep breath. I try to control my voice. “I can’t…” I pause, looking at Katie. “Can you get him for me? It has to be him. Only him.”

  She frowns slightly but nods her head. “Are you okay, Dominic?”

  “I’m fine. Please, Katie. Can you get him for me?”

  She stares at me for a few moments and then nods her head. “Wait in here,” she says, pulling out a key ring and opening the office door. “I’ll be back.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her. She looks at me for a long moment and after a pause, her lips curl up into a smile.

  “You and Mara seem really happy together. I’m rooting for you.”

  I open my mouth and close it again. I shake my head. “What are you talking about?”

  She laughs. “Come on, Dominic. It’s a small town. Everyone knows. You guys seemed really happy, and I hope it works out. I saw her when she was leaving.”

  “Do you know what happened?”

  She shakes her head. “Not really. I overheard Margaret threatening her with something, but I couldn’t make out what it was.” She looks at me and smiles. “I’ll get Tim. Wait here.”

  She closes the door gently and I slump into a chair, laying the stack of letters on my lap and putting my head in my hands.

  The whole town knows??

  I sigh and shake my head. Of course they do. Who were we kidding? Ethan could tell I was attracted to her the very first time I saw her at Harold’s bar. I remember the way my arm felt when she touched it, and the way every look she gave me sent a thrill down through my stomach. I close my eyes and think of that smile of hers.

  I’m lost in my thoughts when the door opens. I jump up and catch the stack of letters as they start to fall off my lap.

  “Dominic!” Tim says in a hushed voice as he closes the office door. “What’s all this about?”

  Suddenly, I’m at a loss for words. I look at this man and see kindness in his eyes, and I hesitate. Do I really want to ruin his marriage?

  He doesn’t give me a chance to change my mind. His eyes shift to the stack of letters and he frowns.

  “What are those? Is that… is that Margaret’s handwriting?”

  I glance at the stack of letters and take a deep breath.

  “Tim, I… Mr. McCoy,” I start, my voice catching in my throat. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this…”

  “Spit it out, son,” he says. His upper lip is trembling and the sides of his forehead are starting to get red. I feel the tension in his body from where I sit.

  I stand up and show him the
stack of letters. “Aiden found these when he was cleaning out the attic at our old house,” I explain. “They’re… They’re addressed to my father. From Margaret.”

  Tim’s mouth opens as he looks at the letters. “There are dozens of them!”

  I nod. “I’m sorry, Tim.”

  I take the top letter off the stack and hand it to him. “This was the last letter. I think…” I pause again, swallowing. “My brothers and I think that it was the reason that Margaret took such a… uh… disliking to us.”

  Tim McCoy grabs the letter and opens it up. The blood drains from his face as he reads through the letter, and then he slumps down into a chair. He puts his head in his hand and shakes his head.

  “This…” His voice trails off and he looks at the paper again. “I’ve been faithful all these years, and…”

  “I had no idea,” I say, sitting down across from him. “None of us did.”

  He looks up at me, his eyes suddenly clear. “So her insistence on buying the trucking business… Her ridiculous hatred of you and your brothers… All if it…?”

  I shrug. “It looks like it was because of this,” I say, motioning to the letter. “Because my father broke it off. I don’t know how it’s related to Mara, but I can’t help but think…” My voice trails off and I struggle to find the words to express myself.

  He shakes his head over and over until a lump forms in my throat. I shouldn’t have done this. His face scrunches up and he keeps shaking his head back and forth, back and forth. I watch him slowly crumble in front of me until tears start streaming from his eyes. A pain goes through my chest as I watch him.

  I shouldn’t have done this. I should have found another way.

  We both jump when the door opens. Margaret appears in the doorway. Tim stands up. He pulls his shoulders back and stares at her with fire in his eyes.

  “You heartless bitch,” he growls. I tense, staying immobile in my chair.

  Margaret’s eyes swing from him, to me, to the letters. She goes pale, grabbing the door jamb for support before her eyes go dark and her mouth purses into a thin line.

  “So now you know,” she snarls. “Well, it only took you ten years to put it together.”

  “What else have you lied about? Why did Mara leave?”

  “Oh, grow up,” she spits. “You should be thanking me for providing you with all this,” she says, sweeping her arm in a wide circle. “Without me you’d be broke and alone.”

  “Where is my daughter,” Tim growls.

  “She’s where she belongs, with her fiancé.” Her black eyes swing to me, and her lip curls into a snarl. “I’d rather die than let her date a Clarke.”

  I stand up. Despite herself, she takes a step backward. She looks so tiny next to my huge, six-foot-four frame, but she squares her shoulders.

  “Where is she,” I growl. Her face relaxes and she smiles. A shiver passes down my spine.

  “I told you: she’s with her fiancé. I gave her the choice: you, or him. She chose him.”

  “I don’t believe you,” I growl. I take another step toward her but this time Margaret stands her ground.

  “Leave us,” Tim says. I turn back to look at him, but his eyes are locked on his wife. He waves his hand at me. “Leave us,” he repeats. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Something in his voice leaves no space for argument. I glance at the two of them before stalking out the door without looking back.

  40

  Mara

  My knuckles are white as I grip the steering wheel. My slippers are sliding on the pedals and it takes all my concentration to stay on the road. I can’t think of anything except the burning anger in the pit of my stomach.

  I’ve never been this angry. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience. All I can do is ride the wave of fury as I drive down the road. My vision is glued on the pavement in front of me. The car is powerful, and every time my foot sinks on the pedal, it accelerates forward. I breathe in and out through my nose as I press the accelerator down a fraction further.

  My mother and Vincent used me. They used me to get my father to sign an agreement passing on the business to me and my future husband. They promised to take care of Dominic, but they lied.

  The pain of that lie is like a dagger in the back. I could live with my guilt. I could tell myself that I was making up for the accident ten years ago, and I was giving Dominic another chance at a good life. I could have watched from a distance as he moved on from me, and used the rest of my life as a chance to atone.

  If Dominic had been able to have a good life, it would have been worth it.

  But now, all of that is gone. I’ve got nothing. I’ve lost the man that I love, I’ve lost my trust in my family, and I’m engaged to a man that I despise. The only reason I had to stay with him is gone.

  I’ve got nothing.

  Nothing, except black anger in my heart and a taste for blood in my mouth.

  I turn onto the highway toward the city center where Vincent works. I see the tall buildings in the distance and my heart fills with fury.

  I hate his slicked-back hair. I hate his perfectly tailored suits. I hate his gaudy house, and his expensive tastes. I hate the fountain in the front yard, and the wide marble steps. I hate his greed, and his heartlessness.

  I see him for what he is now. He’s a mercenary. He preyed on me, he preyed on my mother and father, and now it’s gone too far. I won’t let him prey on Dominic and his brothers too.

  I grip the steering wheel a little bit harder as I press my foot down on the accelerator. My slipper starts to slide off the pedal and I adjust my foot, pressing it down a bit harder. The black sedan responds, and soon I’m racing down the freeway toward Vincent.

  I don’t even know what I’m going to say. I’ll tell him I know. I’ll tell Vincent that I’m telling my father about it all – that he’ll never agree to anything. I’ll tell him the deal is off.

  It might make me look like a crazy person. They’ll talk about me for months. I’ll be the crazy ex-fiancée who showed up in her pajamas and started screaming in the office, but I don’t care.

  All I care about is Dominic. I tried to protect him but once again all I’ve done is hurt him. I can’t let that happen again.

  My foot presses down a little bit harder but this time the slipper slides off. I try to get my foot back up, but my slipper jams itself under the brake pedal.

  I’m going too fast.

  The car swerves and I try to regain control. My heart jumps in my chest and my eyes widen as I feel the car slip out of my control. I try to grip the steering wheel and mash the pedals, but the back is fishtailing behind me.

  I can’t brake. The back of the car is spinning around out of control.

  Maybe I scream, or maybe I’m stuck in silent shock. I can’t be sure. My heart is thumping and my body is rigid as the car spins.

  What they say in the movies is true: everything does slow down when you’re about to die. I can see a pickup truck’s shiny chrome grille coming straight toward my windshield. The driver’s honking his horn, but it sounds elongated and far-away to my ears.

  My whole body goes limp as I watch the front of my car crumple in a split-second that lasts an eternity. Soon, everything will be over.

  I close my eyes and wait for it to end, and all I see is Dominic.

  I melt into my seat. I think of the man I love as the truck crashes into me, and my world goes dark.

  41

  Dominic

  I throw a few clothes into a bag and toss it into my truck. I’ll book a flight at the airport. I can’t wait for Tim and Margaret to work things out. I have to see Mara now.

  I haven’t heard from her since that text, and Margaret’s reaction convinced me that something else is going on. She’s holding something over Mara’s head, and I need to find out what that thing is.

  I need to see her. I need to hear it from her lips that she’s choosing Vincent over me.

  If she isn’t, then I want to wrap my arms
around her and cover her in kisses. I never want to let her go again.

  As I drive down the highway, I turn off the radio and try to make sense of my thoughts. Mara told me that her parents used her in the business deal for the hotel that burned down. What’s stopping them from doing it again?

  But the thing is, in order for her to go back to Vincent, she’d have to be forced.

  They’d have to be threatening her with something – even Katie said so. What could they possibly threaten her with? What would be so important that she would leave everything behind, including me?

  My head hurts as I try to figure it out. I take long, deep breaths as I make the three-hour drive to the nearest airport.

  I know she wants to be with me. I cling on to that text for dear life.

  “I wish I could.”

  She wants to be with me.

  The sun is going down, and I drive in silence. I’m not even sure where Mara lives. I don’t even know if there are flights tonight. All I know is that I’m going to the airport, and nothing can stop me.

  My phone rings and I see Tim McCoy’s name pop up. I hit answer and put him on speakerphone.

  “Tim, I need Mara’s address. I’m going to California.”

  “I… What?”

  “Text me her address.”

  “Dominic… Okay. I’ll send it over.”

  “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “They threatened her,” he says in a low voice. I nod as I drive down the highway. “Dominic,” he continues, “They threatened to put your business on the blacklist. That’s why she agreed to go with Vincent.”

  “What? What do you mean?” I ask. My heart drops to my stomach and I struggle to understand what he’s talking about. I hear Tim McCoy take a deep breath.

  “They needed my approval to pass the business on to her and her husband. That arrogant ass, Vincent.” I can hear the venom in his voice as he says Vincent’s name. “So they told her they’d drag your name through the mud.”