The Terms Duet

by Rowe, Ruby

  “Speaking of my parents, they’re coming for dinner at six this evening,” he says. “I couldn’t put them off any longer since they’re eager to meet Liam.”

  “I want them to meet him, too. I’m excited for him to know his family.” I sit down at the table, and Irene serves Liam and me breakfast. As she begins to walk away, Liam crosses his arms.

  “I don’t want eggs. I want French toast,” he spouts.

  “OK, my piccolo. I’ll make you some,” Irene says.

  “No, Irene, please don’t, but thank you,” I say as I look at Liam. “We’re not having French toast today. Irene was nice enough to make you breakfast, so we’re going to eat it and be thankful.”

  I glance at Ellis, expecting him to disagree, but he gives Liam a stern look instead.

  “Eat your eggs, and I’ll have Irene make you French toast in the morning. If you don’t eat your eggs, I’ll have her fix them again tomorrow with tuna fish on top.”

  Liam’s little brow furrows the way his father’s does, but then he breaks into a smile over his dad’s funny comment. I stifle a giggle, wondering how I ever missed the uncanny similarities between them.

  “I hate to run, but I have to get to my meeting,” Ellis says.

  “OK. Be safe, and maybe this little guy will know an Italian word besides piccolo when you return.”

  Ellis kisses the top of my head and Liam’s, too, and my heart is filled with joy this morning. My sister was happier than I’ve ever seen her last night, and Ellis and I are pulling off this parenting gig together.

  Now, all I need to do is tell him about my past and have him take me back to the playroom. Then, I’ll be content.

  Ellis

  “Here’s what I have so far. It’s on Mr. Day, and you’re not going to like it,” Lawson says after handing me a file folder.

  “You mean I’m going to dislike it more than meeting you at this busy coffee shop?”

  He takes a sip from his cup. “I think you can make an exception, considering all I’m doing for you.”

  As I open the file, I say, “Does this mean you’re going to take care of the more sensitive matter for me, as well?”

  “Yes, but I need more time. I should be able to wipe her slate clean, and I’ll get you the documents you wanted, too. Oh, and I’ll check out her parents.”

  “I can’t thank you enough.” I read over the first page in the file. “Wait, this can’t be right.” Sitting up straighter, I read the page again. “Are you sure you got the correct Christopher Day?”

  “Yes, it’s him.”

  “But this says his mother is Sandra Buchanan.”

  “That’s correct. I’m guessing it’s not the news you were expecting.”

  “I don’t know what I was expecting, but not this. Sandra Buchanan is his mother. This is unbelievable but explains so much.”

  “What’s the significance?”

  “Christopher’s mother is also my brother’s birth mother. Christopher is Tony’s half-brother.”

  “Shit, did Tony know that?”

  “If he did, he never told me. Did Sandra raise him?” I flip to the second page, looking for more information.

  “Yes, she had custody of him. I couldn’t find where his father was ever in the picture, but his info’s in there, too.”

  “Thank God we don’t share the same parents.” The anger swells inside me, and my pulse accelerates until there’s a pulsing in my temple. “Christopher Day is full of secrets.”

  “There’s another one in there, and I have a feeling you won’t want him working for you after you read it. Page four.” Swiftly, I look for it. “What exactly happened here?”

  “At sixteen he was charged with sexual assault against a fifteen-year-old girl, but due to lack of evidence, the case was closed. Then, he had a robbery conviction at seventeen and spent some time in juvenile detention.”

  “This bastard’s in my home every day, and he’s spent more time with Camilla and my son than I have. This news makes me want to kill him.”

  “Settle down there, cowboy.”

  “As far as I know, Tony never saw his mother. He hated her for giving up custody in exchange for cash. If I had to guess, Christopher found Tony and befriended him for his personal gain. Hell, this makes me wonder a lot of things.”

  I slam the file closed and drop it on the table. “Shit, do you think it’s possible he killed my brother?”

  “I’m not on Tony’s case, but I can look into it for you.”

  “I’ve tried to keep you away from the investigation since we don’t want it getting out how closely we work together, but if I haven’t used up all my favors, could you talk to your colleagues on the case and plant the seed of suspicion about Christopher?”

  “Why not? What’s one more favor among friends?” He pushes back his dark hair and grins. “While I’m doing my research, I’ll envision my brand-spankin’-new lake house and boat. It’s the one you and I will be fishing from while we drink bourbon and celebrate my early retirement.”

  “One day, my man.” I stand. “I have to get home. That scumbag’s working there this very minute, and I want him as far away from Camilla and my son as possible. Thank you, Lawson. I owe you big-time.”

  Camilla

  “Oh, my gosh, kid, what is going on with you?” I ask, exasperated by Liam’s foul behavior. He stomps his feet violently, and if his screams reach a decimal higher, Lorenzo will call Child Protective Services on me for suspected child abuse.

  Needing to get back to the Italian tutor, I leave Liam in his room, along with the tantrum he’s throwing. Emma is waiting outside his door with round eyes.

  “What’s that about?”

  “I have no clue, but let him get it out of his system. Can you wait here by the door? I need to reschedule with Lorenzo and see him out. That is if he’ll even come back to teach the devil’s spawn.”

  Beginning to laugh, she falls short at a giggle.

  “Sorry, but that was funny.”

  I head downstairs, and Lorenzo rises from the couch. Thankfully he grants me a warm smile as opposed to a look of horror.

  The second he said hello to Liam in the grand hall, my child began throwing a hellacious fit I couldn’t get a handle on. I finally picked him up to remove him from the scene, and he proceeded to kick his legs at me all the way up the staircase. There was no consoling the little monster.

  “Lorenzo, I’m so sorry. Liam’s normally well-behaved, but he had a nightmare last night and was up for a while. I believe the exhaustion and anxiety spurred his foul disposition this morning. I hope you’re willing to try again.”

  “Absolutely. He’s not the first child who was alarmed when meeting me.”

  “Thank you. This was especially important to Ellis.”

  “Would you like to try again next week?”

  “That’d be perfect.”

  I show Lorenzo out, and I’m only midway up the staircase when I hear Liam again. Thankfully, his full-blown meltdown has run its course, and his cry is taking turns with a whine.

  “Emma, you can go hang out in the family room and watch TV or play on your phone. I think I’m going to put him down for a nap. Maybe in a couple of hours, he’ll eat lunch and be more tolerable afterward.”

  “OK, no problem.” She strolls off, and I enter Liam’s room. He’s lying on his back in the floor, holding a few Lego blocks above his face.

  “Do you feel better now?” He only grunts and whines, so I sit next to him on the floor and pick up a red and blue block. “That man, Lorenzo, only wanted to help you like Emma does.

  “He was going to teach you some cool, special words. Momma doesn’t even know them, but Boss does. I know you want to be like your daddy. He’s smart like you.”

  Liam smiles, but once he realizes I can see it, he frowns. I pick up a few more blocks and begin building something. “Do you want to help me build a fort?”

  Sitting up to face me, he rubs his nose on his arm. His eyes are swollen, and e
very inch of his face is pink.

  “I can do it myself.”

  “OK. You can have these, too.” I drop the Legos and reposition myself to sit more comfortably. “What’s got you upset today?” He shrugs and snaps two blocks together. “Is it about the bad dream you had last night?”

  “It’s a secret. I’m not awoud to tell you.”

  “Who told you the secret?”

  He sniffles. “Chris.”

  “Oh, he did, huh? Liam, you don’t keep secrets like that from me. It’s my job to take care of you, and if something upsets you, you can always tell me.”

  “I’ll get in trouble.”

  “You won’t be in trouble for telling me your secret. I promise.”

  He looks up at me for confirmation. “I promise, sweetie, now tell me what Chris said.”

  Cocking his head to the side, he sniffles again and stares at his blocks.

  “He said I might take a trip wif him. I asked him if you was going, too, and he said no. I don’t want to go wifhout you.”

  My mouth dries in a split-second. If my blood could boil, it would spill over the pot. Speaking of stoves, I’d like to stick Christopher in the oven and set it to broil.

  I take Liam’s hands in mine. “Listen to Momma. You’re never going on a trip with Chris. Not ever, so you don’t need to worry. You’ll always be with me.”

  “And Boss-Daddy?”

  I find a grin amid my anger. “Yes. Boss-Daddy and me will always keep you safe, and if you go on a trip, it will be with us. I’m proud of you for telling me the truth. That shows you’re growing into a big boy.”

  Smiling, he hands me some Legos. “Here, let’s build a fort. I want to make it super tall so my Army men can fit inside it.” Holding up a green block, his face brightens. “Let’s use all the gween ones so it matches the gween guys.”

  I’m utterly amazed by his ability to move on so quickly. It shows the trust he has in Ellis and me, but I’m feeling unworthy for not having a gut feeling that Christopher was up to something. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, but I find that hard to believe after the way Liam explained it.

  I pull my phone from my pocket and text Emma to come up. I need her to distract Liam so I can confront Christopher. This can’t wait.

  “Hi,” she says after cracking open his door.

  “Change of plans. Can you build a fort with him? There’s something I have to take care of.”

  “Sure.”

  “Liam, Emma’s going to play with you, but I promise I’ll be back in a little while. I’m only going downstairs.” I kiss his forehead.

  “Em, you can build with all the blue ones,” he says. Relieved that he’s comfortable with me leaving, I stomp down the stairs. I head straight to the library and find Christopher working at his desk. Shutting the door behind me, I march over to him.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Yeah, we do.” He backs away from his laptop and clasps his hands in his lap. I cross my arms and glare at him.

  “What the hell did you say to Liam when I left you two alone the other day?”

  “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “You think the fact that you told him you were taking him alone on a trip isn’t a big deal?”

  “Look, when I’m around you and Liam, Ellis becomes jealous. Taking the kid on a short trip would be a way for me to spend quality time with him. I was going to discuss it with you today.”

  “I don’t believe you. You would’ve asked me first before mentioning it to him, and you sure as hell wouldn’t have told him to keep it a secret.”

  Chris gets up from his chair and strolls around the desk.

  “Speaking of which, I heard you’ve been keeping a secret, as well.”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask.

  “Let’s see … that you slept with Ellis years ago. That he’s really Liam’s father, not Tony.” Without warning, Chris backs me up against his desk, and by gripping it, he cages me in with his arms.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Saying my peace. I think I at least deserve that after kissing your ass for four years. If I’d known you were such a slut, I would’ve made a move on you a long time ago.”

  “Shut up. I’m not a slut.”

  “Really? So, you fucking one brother while you were dating the other makes you what then? Considering how they both threw money and possessions at you, I guess that makes you a whore, too.”

  Squeezing my hand up between us, I smack his face. He grabs my wrist and brings my body closer to his. His hot breath is on my skin but his eyes are glacial. He’s not the Christopher I’ve been fond of for years.

  “What happened to you?” I ask.

  “I’ve grown tired, Camilla, of your games. You’re buying into Ellis’s bullshit that he cares for you when all he really wants is his child. I don’t know how you’re so damn blind.”

  “That’s not true. I love him, and he loves me.” I try to free my wrist, but he only squeezes it tighter. My lower lip quivers, and I feel the hammering of my heart. Leaning forward, he forces me to bend back over the desk even farther.

  “Now that I know he’s Liam’s father, I have no use for you. You screwed up all my plans and are nothing but a dumb, greedy whore.”

  I squirm against him to get away, but he won’t budge, and I feel sick over having his body pressed to mine.

  “Get away from me. If you don’t, I swear I’ll press charges.”

  “For what? Making you see the truth about yourself?”

  “Get away. Let me go!”

  “You get your fucking hands off her!” Ellis says. His voice booms from the door before he barrels toward us. Christopher looks over his shoulder about the time Ellis gets a handful of his shirt.

  Grabbing his body, too, he throws Chris on the hardwood floor, and instinctually, I bring my arms up for protection.

  “Where’s Liam?” Ellis asks.

  “He’s safe upstairs with Emma,” I reply.

  Grabbing Chris by the shirt collar, he lifts his upper body enough to punch him in the face.

  “Ellis, stop!” I yell. “Just make him leave.” He drags him up to his feet next and clutches his shirt.

  “Give me your keys. Then, get out of my house, and don’t ever think of coming back. I know who you really are.”

  Christopher turns his head to the side and spits blood on the floor. I eye his busted lip that’s swelling up. “The question I have is did my brother know the truth?”

  “What’s going on, Ellis?” I ask.

  “Tell her,” he says to Christopher.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Bullshit. Camilla, Chris and Tony have the same mother.”

  “You can’t even say it, can you?” Chris spews. “That I’m his brother, too.”

  “Did he know the truth?” Ellis asks. “Answer me!”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Ellis sucker punches him in the gut, and Chris falls over against him. “Let me go, asshole, so I can leave.” He groans and coughs. “I was done here, anyway.”

  While still holding him by the collar, Ellis peers at him, contemplating what he wants to do next.

  “Please let him go so you don’t get in trouble.” Listening to me, he shoves Chris away, who stumbles back a few feet.

  “Give me your keys, and get the fuck out.”

  Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Chris pulls out his keys to the property. He walks up to Ellis and drops them on the floor next to him before storming out. Ellis follows right behind, and I hope it’s only to be certain he leaves.

  I blow out a long breath and brush tears from my cheeks. I don’t know who that person was, but I’m thankful Ellis showed up and nothing happened to Liam. I can’t believe Chris and Tony are brothers.

  After a few minutes, Ellis returns. While stroking my hair, he scans my face.

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “No, he only scared me. He said the most aw
ful things, Ellis. I’ve never seen him like that.”

  “He’s not the person you thought he was.”

  “I believe that now. I was sure he was going to hurt me.”

  “He’s gone and finally out of our lives.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Ellis

  As I hold Camilla’s shaking body against me, I have the overwhelming desire to hunt Christopher down and kill him. I pull back and touch her quivering lip with my thumb.

  “It’s OK. He’s gone. Why were you in here talking to him?”

  “You’re going to be even angrier when I tell you.” Her face turns away, so I bring her chin back to me.

  “Tell me.”

  “Promise me you won’t go after him.”

  I huff out a sharp breath. “Fine, as long as he doesn’t come back here.”

  “When Lorenzo showed up, Liam threw a temper-tantrum, and it was so bad that I had to reschedule his lesson. Once he calmed down, I asked him what was upsetting him, and he said Christopher told him a secret he wasn’t allowed to tell or he’d get in trouble.” She shakes her head.

  “Ellis, I swear I only left them alone together for a minute while I went to the bathroom. It was when we were having lunch in the dining room.

  “Christopher told him they might take a trip together, just the two of them, so I came downstairs to confront him. He tried saying he was going to discuss it with me, but then he completely changed and showed me a side to him I’d never seen before.”

  Her eyes flood with tears. “Do you think he was considering kidnapping Liam? I’m so afraid of what he’s capable of doing now.”

  Bile rises in my chest, and every muscle in my body is rigid, tense with fury. It’s going to take all my strength not to harm him.

  “He’s gone, and I told security to never let him back in. I’ll change the locks and the security code on the house, as well.”

  “That makes me feel better.”

  “I’ll postpone dinner with my parents until tomorrow. I don’t believe Liam needs the stress of meeting someone else today.”

  “I hate to do that, but I agree. You would’ve been beside yourself if you’d seen him acting out today. I know it’s normal for kids to throw fits, and it wasn’t his first one, but it was the worst I’ve witnessed from him. This incident with Chris explains the way he’s been acting.”