by Ivy Blake
I frowned and took a sip from my glass. Was there trouble, after all?
“I know exactly what they want. The same thing everyone wants, especially from me. They want my money, and I’m not giving it to them!” There was a pause, during which he sighed. “Ah, fuck. I knew it. That idiot. Of course, he was. Let me think.”
He could’ve been talking about anyone, but something told me it was his ex-business partner.
“Yes, I made the decision, but that deal is on the company. The IRS can dig wherever they want, so let them, otherwise we’ll look guilty. And anyway, we’ll bury them under paperwork until the next century.”
The IRS! Were Owen’s problems much more serious than he had told me? Shit.
He said, “Look, if they find that Lawson is laundering money, that’s on him. His schemes were shit five years ago, and they probably are now. What we have on our side is plausible deniability. This isn’t a tax write-off, nor are we hiding this money. What we need to worry about is the DA sniffing around where he shouldn’t be. When all that went down, I didn’t know anything, you didn’t know anything, and those assholes can prove nothing. If they want to look at our taxes, we have nothing to hide!”
The IRS, tax write-offs, money laundering… Just what exactly was Owen’s business? Was his company just a cover for criminal affairs, the way that shabby bar was a front for Chicago Buyer’s Club? Had Owen really changed, or had he just moved past his former colleagues?
She took another sip of the wine and tried to hear some more, before jumping to conclusions.
He said, “Yes, okay, it was my fault. I might have jumped in their trap, but I’m not the only one in it– No, nobody is going to prison! Look through the papers once again, it’s all in there. All the IRS is going to see in there is an unwise business decision. So, we’ll lose a couple of million, so what? Take it from my salary. Relax, I’m telling you!”
As convincing as he tried to sound, I heard doubt in his voice. He didn’t believe a word coming out of his own mouth, which meant the trouble was real and big.
I drank the last of my wine, splashed the glass, and put it into a cupboard, fixing it in place. I tiptoed back into the bedroom, trying to convince myself I had heard nothing.
But once I was alone, lying in that bed, it began to weigh on me. Had I made a colossal mistake?
Chapter 16
Owen
I swiped off the call and almost threw the cell phone overboard. Fuck. Why was everyone so sheepish when it came to dealing with real problems? My people were afraid, and when people are afraid, they make mistakes. I didn’t want that. Couldn’t afford it. Everything was at stake, and I needed the company to be strong.
I also knew that the only way to ensure that would be to go back to Chicago to face the music. I wasn’t afraid. I could dance circles around the IRS, and if that didn’t help, I could simply pay them off. Wouldn’t be the first time for either. In the last ten years, I had discovered that everyone who had looked into our business had a family. A teenager getting ready for college, a pregnant wife, an elder parent in need of a hospital… I knew all the tricks in the book.
The truth was – I was tired. I had everything he had ever dreamt of. All the money in the world, and all that had brought him was more problems. More bases to cover, more backs to scratch, more people to pay off. I was done. I wanted to go downstairs and lie down next to the woman who had made me happy in just two days. She was the real thing, none of this other bullshit.
I knew what I had to do. The only thing that would take this weight off my shoulders, and I needed to do it as soon as possible. If there was ever any hope for us, I would have to come clean to Sydney.
But first, I raised the anchor and set the computer to take us back home. The day was still warm, but there was no sun, and it would quickly get cold out on the water. I put my phone away and went downstairs.
When I walked into the main cabin, Sydney was sitting up in the bed.
“We need to talk,” she said.
Chapter 17
Sydney
I had to know what was going on.
“Yeah, we do,” he admitted. “What did you hear?”
“Enough.”
He didn’t respond so I pressed further, what was he really doing in the club that night?
I learned that Owen had known one of the investors of the club for over ten years, and wasn’t especially proud of that period of his life. Apparently, Lawson was bad news.
“Then why did you give him so much money?”
“For what?”
“For me.”
“It’s good for business. He might be an asshole, but judging by the clientele I saw yesterday, the club makes money hand-over-fist. What I did for you, was for you.”
“That’s a lie. What you paid for me was a power play. What were you trying to prove?”
I didn’t want him to treat me like some dumb blonde, I knew something deeper was going on here.
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I need to just be here with you right now, okay? We both have our shit. It happens.”
I sat up straighter, “Owen what’s going on? Why did we come here?”
He shook his head. “It’s out of the country.”
“Shit. What did you do?”
“Nothing! And technically this place is owned by a United States company, it’s an asset. So, if they wanted to come get me, they could.”
“For what?”
“The DA thinks I’m involved in money laundering. I was at the club to take a picture of him.”
“Wait you’re blackmailing the district attorney of Chicago?”
This wasn’t happening.
“Sydney, it’s not like that.”
“Like hell it isn’t. So, what was the money for? What you paid for me?”
“A show of power. I wanted him, and Lawson, to know I hold the power.”
“Great, I’m a pawn. Why ask me to stay? Why include Declan in this mess?”
His eyes became soft. “I am not fucking with your brother. I promise Sydney. I am doing that for him, for you. What I paid for you might have been a move, but getting you here, having you to myself? That’s because I want it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I want to go back to the house,” I said grabbing my clothes and going into another room change.
Chapter 18
Sydney
As we got back to the house I was so annoyed with Owen I could barely look at him. How could he do this to me? To Declan.
I was just another business arrangement to him he’d made that so clear. I had been such an idiot. Thinking some millionaire could fall for me so fast.
I was dumb.
But as I looked at my phone, all those thoughts disappeared. There were seven missed calls from the hospital! My hands shaking, thoughts rushing through my head, it took me a moment to hit redial. I waited, feeling as my face turned red. I had fucked up! Something had happened to Declan while I was out having fun! I prayed it was nothing serious, but of course they wouldn’t have called otherwise. I waited, counting the rings. Six, seven…
“Hello? This is Sydney Mercer, calling about Declan Mercer. How is he?” I wanted to ask ten more questions and say sorry for having missed the calls, but the calm voice on the other end gave me a break.
“Miss Mercer, I’m glad we could get a hold of you. Declan is sleeping right now. But his condition has gotten worse. We’re keeping an eye on him, and he is stable, but you should come to the hospital as soon as you can. He needs you.”
Tears were streaming down my face. All the guilt I had been suppressing for the past two days suddenly rushed back in. This was on me. I should never have left him. Fallen into the stupid fantasy.
“I’m on my way,” I said, and hung up. I had to get out of there.
Thankfully, there wasn’t much to pack, so I got into my dress and hurried downstairs.
Owen was waiting for me on the couch, but as soon as he saw me there, shaken up an
d crying, he jumped to his feet.
“What is it? What happened?”
“It’s Declan. They hospitalized him, because he got worse. I should’ve been there for him!”
He moved to touch me but I pulled away. “It’s not your fault Sydney.”
“Is the plane here? I need to go back right now.”
“The plane will be here in thirty minutes. I’ll make the call. Come on, let’s calm down a minute.”
“Calm down? Are you kidding me? You’re running from the DA and IRS, my brother is about to die from the same illness that took my Mom, and I’m half way around the world! I am not calming down Owen!”
“Fair enough. What exactly did they tell you? What do they need us to do?”
He said us. Like we were a thing. But we weren’t. Declan’s hospitalization reminded me of that. Owen was some fairytale. I had made him that way in my mind, but now the truth was out.
“They didn’t give any details,” I replied. “Just told me I should come ASAP. What if it’s something serious? How could I live with myself? I should’ve never left…”
“Sydney, we’ll sort it out. I have messaged the pilot, they’ll be here and ready to go.”
“I’ll sort it out. I know you’re not coming.”
He sighed, looking genuinely sorry. “You’re right, I’m not. As soon as I get back to the city they’ll pull me in for questioning. My lawyers need to get a plan together. I can’t come with you.”
“I’m not surprised. I’ve done this on my own a million times before. I can do it again.” I turned away from him.
“I’ll drive you to the tarmac.”
“It’s the least you can do.”
“And I’ll call the Mayo Clinic, I’m sure I can pull some strings.”
“Owen, I don’t want your strings. I just want all this to be over.”
It hurt me to say it, but I didn’t have a choice. This had to end. Time to go back to reality. Time to fix this mess I made.
+++
The moment I stepped out of the Uber, I felt like a deer in the headlights. I was scared, but the weight of the situation made my legs carry me forward, to the elevators and then up to the fifth floor. I could do it, I knew I could. Things were so bad that they could only get better, I decided.
My legs felt heavy, everything did. Not only was Declan sick again, but I had shut down Owen, who could have been good for me.
Maybe.
The nurse at the reception desk was nice, and asked me to wait a moment while they checked up on Declan. She said there was nothing life-threatening, but that she had to make sure he would be able to take a visitor.
“He has developed an infection,” she said. “Because of the therapy, his immune system is extremely fragile, so the infection developed quickly, too quick for us to catch it. It has harmed his respiratory system. He has trouble breathing, so don’t let him talk too much. He might get sleepy, but it’s natural with all the meds, so don’t worry. We’re monitoring his condition at all times.”
“Thank you,” I said, thanking the nurse, as much as whatever higher power had been responsible for the whole mess.
A minute later I was invited into the room, and the sight of Declan in the hospital bed, with tubes around his face and all sorts of blinking equipment around him made me tear up.
“Declan!” I whispered as I leaned close. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here! How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better. Don’t worry, Julia told me you were out of town. Did you have fun?”
It was an honest question, but I couldn’t help but hear reproach in his tone. I sniffed. “I’m so sorry, Declan, I shouldn’t have left! Yes, I had fun, but now I wish I had been here with you!”
Declan mustered a small smile. He was visibly tired, too tired to even wave me off. When he spoke, it sounded like he had a sore throat. “It’s okay, sis. I don’t blame you. You can’t keep babysitting me. We– you are paying good money for other people to do that.”
“Don’t say that. I’m responsible for you, remember? So, from now on, I’m not leaving you.” I sat on the chair next to the bed, dropping my handbag to the floor. “I’m going to stay here for as long as you are!”
He turned to look at me. “You don’t have to, Syd. I’ll be up and running in no time. You know how I am.”
She smiled. “I know, Declan. Rest now, okay? I will be here if you need me.”
“P.S. Don’t think I’m going to ignore what you’re wearing.”
Ugh I was still in the red bodycon dress. Awkward.
He blinked a couple times, and then shut his eyes, falling asleep before he could roast me anymore.
I exhaled. It was painful to see my brother like this, but I was glad to see him holding up. I texted Julia, saying that all was fine, and she was happy to hear it, but she also wanted details on Owen. I wasn’t ready for that yet.
How could I have been so careless? What if Declan had collapsed somewhere in the street without anyone to identify him and get in touch with me? I was so stupid. The important thing was that I was there with him, and that his condition was stable and treatable. For now.
Worn out by the stress and all the thoughts, I dozed off in the chair, listening to the rhythmic beeping of the monitoring equipment.
When I came to, the moon was out in the sky, casting cold light. I walked over to the window, yawning, and shut the blinds. The room got very dark, so I turned on the dim lamp next to the small table by the chair. Declan was still asleep, but moving around, uncomfortable, but too tired to change his position. I took his cool hand, and he opened his eyes.
“Sorry. I woke you up,” I said.
“I barely slept. My chest hurts a little. Every breath feels like my lungs are wrapped in barbed wire.”
“That’s awful Declan.”
“The drugs help.” He smiled a little. “So, tell me about him, your prince on a white horse. He better be treating you well!”
“Do you really wanna know?” In all the years, they had barely shared any real detail about their relationships, even though they were very tight. I thought Declan might be interested because he wasn’t feeling well, so I said, “Well, he’s a nice guy… but things aren’t serious. So, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
I was the one who had to worry. I broke our deal, leaving him. Now I would have another huge hospital bill to contend with.
“Hmm, not serious? And where did this guy take you, exactly? Seemed far for not serious.”
I didn’t know where to begin. “Well, out of town, to his place out of town.”
“As opposed to his place in Chicago?” he asked.
“I suppose so,” I said, silently panicking about not having any cover story. “He’s got a house, and he lives in an apartment here in Chicago.”
“Oh, big money then,” Declan said.
Like you wouldn’t believe, I thought.
“And you met him at work?”
“Oh, yeah.” I knew how that sounded. I had never been good at lying to my brother, and even when sick, he was smart enough to keep the interrogation going.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Syd?”
He knew, of course he did. I said, “Well, look, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to fool you.”
“Yeah? Because Julia told me you met this guy at a club. Since when are you hot on nightlife, Syd? Come on, you can tell me, I’m on my deathbed here.” He said that with such cynicism that I was ready to cry.
“Don’t you say that, Declan.”
Declan smiled. “Go on then, lay it out for me. What, does he have some weird fetish? Why don’t you want to talk to me about him?”
I guessed there was no way out of it. And to what end? My brother had every right to know what was going on.
“Promise not to get angry.”
He frowned, which was visible hard for him. “I will try.” Pale as he was, I thought he was beginning to get red in the face already.
Taking a deep
breath, I told him exactly what had gone down. How Julia tipped me off about this club, and how it turned out to be an auction for rich men, and how there was a spark between Owen and me, and how I left the club with him…
“Let me stop you right there,” he said, his voice sore. “He bought you at an auction?”
“It’s not like that!”
“If I’m honest, it fucking sounds exactly like that.” The equipment beeped faster as Declan’s heart began racing.
“You need to calm down, Declan.”
“Did you sleep with him?”
Now it was my turn to blush. “It wasn’t because of the money.”
He shut my eyes tight, as if he wanted to disappear. I felt the same way. When the silence got awkward, I said, “I really liked him, Declan, and not for my money. I did it for you, Declan. I’ve been trying, but I just can’t do it on my own.”
His eyes were still closer, but now there were tears at their corners. He coughed, then said, quietly, “I’m sorry, Syd. It’s all my fault.”
“It isn’t!”
“I want you to be happy.”
“And I want you to be better. And we’re both getting what we want. I’m not selling myself into slavery, Declan. Besides, it’s over now.”
“Why?”
“We had a fight, or whatever. Anyway, he’s not coming back here anytime soon. We’re done.”
“But you’re okay?” he asked, like I was the one who needed saving.
“I’m fine. I’m with you, and that’s what’s best for everyone.”
Chapter 19
Owen
I should have fucking followed her.
Why was I sitting here, doing nothing on the island? Jesus Owen, what a fucking mess.
As soon as the plane returned to the island, I said goodbye to paradise. I had to face my demons, and Sydney. I needed to win her back.
