by Cora Brent
“Helping who? You?”
“No.” Maria looked to Andy, as if deciding how much information she ought to reveal. He gave her a slight nod and she continued.
“On paper Hale was an investor in some businesses that were really a façade for some horrific and exploitative activities.”
“Yeah, I’ve been told that part already,” I said, hearing my voice rise. Curtis gave me a slight nudge under the table, either a gesture of solidarity or a suggestion to stay patient.
“But what you don’t know,” Maria said, “is that he’d helped rescue over twenty victims of forced prostitution.”
That was a surprise. I looked to Andy for confirmation.
“It’s true,” Andy said. “Hale was using his own money to buy them out, hiring an intermediary to pretend to be a big money pimp so the bosses wouldn’t suspect he was behind it.”
“He got them out,” Maria said emphatically. “And he brought them to me.” She reached for a napkin and twisted the end in her fingers as her expression dimmed. “These women are always in bad shape when they first escape from that life. Most are very young, some even minors. You see, they were deliberately targeted and groomed. Ultimately they found themselves unable to get away from an awful cycle of addiction and violence. Hale helped them escape by buying their freedom. And when he started to run short of the kind of money needed to buy them out he still didn’t stop what he was doing. He just went about it a little differently.”
“Theft of valuable merchandise,” I muttered, thinking of the accusations from John Jones/Frank Bruno.
“They’d figured out it was Hale,” Andy explained. “He’d already entrusted Maria with whatever evidence he was able to gather and believe me, it’s going to good use. He would have been a valuable witness.”
“If he’d lived,” I added, thinking of my brother careening wildly through the streets on his motorcycle with booze in his blood and secrets in his head.
Hale. Why didn’t you tell me? You could have told me.
“If he’d lived,” Maria repeated and she choked on the words a little.
I would have liked to hear much more but Andy again grew soft on details. After all, this was an ongoing case that was bound to receive a lot of publicity. Andy assured me that he’d keep me informed if there was anything to be concerned about. He also told me to stay alert and call right away if I noticed even a shadow that seemed out of place.
“But I truly don’t think you or your wife are in any danger at this point,” Andy emphasized once we were outside the diner in the parking lot. “And you know I wouldn’t bullshit you if I thought otherwise.”
I shook his hand and thanked him for going out of his way to set my mind at ease. He shook hands with Curtis, wished Maria a good night, and then walked briskly to his car.
“Well,” Maria said to me and Curtis. “It was nice to meet you both.”
I felt like there was something important I should say to her. “Nice to meet you too.”
She smiled and walked away.
“You okay?” Curtis asked me.
He’d been quiet but I hadn’t once felt sorry I’d asked him to come along. It was nice just having someone I trusted at my side.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
We started moving toward my truck when I stopped and tossed him the keys.
“Hold on, I’ll be right back.”
I caught up with Maria just as she reached her car. She looked up expectantly as I approached.
“You loved him, didn’t you, Maria?” I asked her.
She considered the question. “Yes. Your brother was a complicated man. And a very good one, though he would have balked at the description. I didn’t know everything about him but I knew everything I needed to know. We didn’t have the fairytale relationship that people make movies about but everything felt right when we were together. And you’re right, Dalton. I did love him.”
“I’m glad,” I said. And I was. I was glad that Hale had been loved like he deserved to be. And I was glad to know that my faith in my big brother had never been misplaced.
But as I looked at Maria standing there and struggling not to cry I realized my heart wasn’t the only one that had been broken lately.
“Maria?” I said gently.
She looked at me.
“I told him something,” I said. “The night before my wedding I told him that I was sure he’d find his perfect match. He said maybe he already had. I think he must have been talking about you.”
She closed her eyes and a tear fell down her right cheek. I patted her shoulder as a sob shook her and we stood there under the yellow glare of the parking lot lights, both of us mourning what we had lost.
Maria opened her eyes, gazed up at the sky and smiled before she got in the car.
“He will always be my hero,” she said and closed the door.
I watched her drive away.
“Mine too,” I whispered.
Curtis already had the air conditioning running when I got to my truck. There wasn’t much to say on the drive back to Dream Fields where he’d left his own vehicle. When I called him this evening he’d come over immediately. I would always be grateful for that.
“You heading home now?” he asked me.
I checked my phone. “Nah. Cami’s working late at the paper so I thought I’d drive downtown and watch over her until she’s done whether she likes it or not.”
He nodded. “I’m really happy everything worked out.”
I stared at him, this rough and tough former criminal with a heart of gold. In any other life our paths would probably never have crossed.
“I’m lucky to know you, Curtis Mulligan,” I said. “I meant it back there when I said you were family.”
He offered up a crooked grin. “It’s not every day I get that kind of compliment from a sports legend.”
I scoffed. “I’m not exactly a legend.”
Curtis looked around pointedly at the sprawling Dream Fields complex. It was temporarily quiet but tomorrow it would be buzzing with hopeful kids.
“I think you are,” he said softly. He ran a hand through his short hair. “Look Dalton, I know I’m not your brother. And I know it’s not the same but anytime you call I’ll always answer. Just like a brother would.”
“Right back at you,” I said.
He smiled. “See ya, Dalton.”
“Night, Curtis.”
As soon as Curtis and I parted ways I drove downtown and found Cami’s silver Camry in the parking garage adjacent to the Sun Republic building. I pulled into the spot beside it and called her cell.
“Where are you?” she asked anxiously. “I was worried.”
“There’s no need to worry. I’m in the parking garage leaning against the hood of your car.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Meet me in the lobby. I’ll be right down.”
The hatchet-faced security guard in the lobby kept eyeballing me even after I said I was waiting for my wife. Then the elevator doors opened and Cami shot out of them and straight into my arms. I lifted her off the ground and kissed her neck without caring that the security dude was ogling us.
“Tell me everything,” she murmured as she continued to hug me tight.
The lobby was positively cavernous so we retreated to a spot on the far end where the nosy security guard was out of earshot. I told my wife everything Andy had said and she interrupted me with reporter-type questions a dozen times but that was fine. When I got to the part of the story that included Maria, Cami was amazed over Hale’s heroics. Then at the end, when I shared Maria’s final words about how she felt about my brother, Cami’s eyes filled with tears.
She threaded her fingers through mine. “You must miss him terribly.”
“I do.” I turned her hand over and kissed the tender skin of her palm. “But I think I understand him better now.”
She touched my face. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“I thin
k I can guess.” I stood and pulled her up with me. “Let’s go home.”
She groaned and glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to wrap up a few more paragraphs before I turn the piece in to the fact checker.” She kissed me. “You go on home. I’ll be out of here in half an hour.”
I sat back down. “I’ll wait.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I’m doing it anyway.” I pulled out my phone. “Maybe I’ll check out this Sugar Rush game everyone’s talking about.”
She laughed. “I’ll write as fast as I can.”
“You do that Mrs. Tremaine. I’ll be right here.”
Cami started backing up toward the elevators. She jerked her thumb toward the security guard. “Don’t let Bob scare you. He’s a teddy bear.”
Bob didn’t look like any kind of teddy bear that I’d be interested in cuddling with but he was obviously pleased by the praise.
Cami bounced back into the elevator and I settled into the chair to wait for her as long as it took. This had been a strange day. But the ending was as good as it could be.
Well, almost.
I could think of one loose end that still needed some attention. There was no reason to put it off or be nervous. He’d always been my friend. Now that I’d married Cami he was also my family and he was hurting over the possible fate of his beloved son. If there was anything I could say or do to ease that burden I would do it in a heartbeat. He answered right after the first ring.
“Hey there, teach,” I said. “Sorry, I guess I should have checked the time first. I hope it’s not too late to call.”
“Dalton,” Chase said and I could hear the pleased smile in his voice. “No, it’s not too late. It’s not too late at all.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Curtis
I drove straight home after I left Dalton and I’d been waiting for her ever since.
Eventually the patio door slid open and she stepped outside.
“What are you doing out here?” Cassie asked.
I reached for her. “Waiting for you to get home.”
She settled against my chest and I inhaled the sweet scent of her skin as I held her close.
“Is Breck in his room?” she asked.
“Yeah, he got home a little while ago.”
Cassie raised her head. The light filtered out from the apartment and I could see the curiosity in her eyes.
“What did you mean by your text earlier?” she asked. “You said Dalton needed you.”
I kissed her forehead. “He just needed a friend.”
“With everything that’s been going on I was worried.”
“No need to worry.”
“Does it have something to do with that shady character you saw at his office? Or was it about Hale?”
“Both.”
Her eyes widened. “Tell me.”
“I swear to god everything’s good,” I assured her. “Dalton’s fine. Cami’s fine. The bad guys are gone. And Hale…”
I tried to think of a way to sum up what I’d learned about Hale Tremaine tonight.
“Dalton’s brother was actually a much better guy than anyone ever guessed,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Now she was really interested. “What happened?”
A breeze lifted a strand of long blonde hair and it fell across her face. I smoothed it back.
“I’ll tell you every single detail another time,” I said.
“Why not now?”
“Because now I want to do something else.”
She probably thought I was leading the conversation somewhere dirty. It was the kind of thing I would usually say before sliding my hand up her skirt.
But instead I knelt at her feet and looked up into her angelic face, a face I wanted to look at every day for the rest of my life.
“Cassidy Gentry, will you marry me?”
The heartbeat filled with shocked silence was the longest second of my life. Then she bent down to throw her arms around me.
“Yes!” she squealed. “You know I will, Curtis. I’d marry you tomorrow.”
“Then do it,” I challenged. I held her a few inches away so she could see I wasn’t kidding. “Marry me tomorrow, Cassie.”
Her mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”
“I’m completely fucking serious.”
She was amazed. “You are serious. You really are.”
“We could get our marriage license in the morning. I’ve been saving money to buy you a ring so we’ll go shopping and then we’ll go downtown to the courthouse in the afternoon. They perform ceremonies on a walk-in basis. I checked.”
“What about everyone else?”
“We can ask your parents, your sisters, Dalton and Breck to be witnesses. And then later on if you want we can have another ceremony in front of family and friends.” I brushed my lips across hers. “Cass, I know I don’t have the resources to give you the dream wedding you deserve. And we don’t have to do it this way if it’s not what you want. But sweetheart, I would be the happiest son of a bitch on earth if I could call you my wife by this time tomorrow.”
“Curtis,” she whispered. She wiped a tear from her eyes. “You’ll never stop surprising me, will you?”
“I hope not.”
She kissed me. “Then yes,” she whispered against my mouth, “I will marry you tomorrow.”
Our kiss deepened while my hands started roaming and events were on the verge of getting interesting when she suddenly leapt to her feet.
“I have to call Cami! I have to call my mom! Oh my god, I have to find a dress!”
She scurried into the apartment in search of her phone. She must have called Cami first because I heard a lot of excited carrying on and a maid of honor request.
“I have the dress I bought for Easter and never wore,” she was saying. “No, it’s not white, but it’s very light pink. I’m getting married, Cams. Can you believe it?”
I left the patio just as Cassie was ending the call with her sister. Brecken emerged from his bedroom and blinked at us.
“What’s going on?” he wanted to know.
“Curtis,” Cassie laughed. “Brecken wants to know what’s going on.”
I slid my arm around Cassie’s shoulders and faced my little brother.
“You got any plans tomorrow afternoon?” I asked him.
“Plans?” He scratched his head. “I don’t know, either I’ll take a bus to the mall or go down to the baseball field and hang out. Why?”
“Because I’d like to ask you to be my best man.”
He was confused. “Huh?”
Cassie clapped her hands together. “We’re getting married!”
Brecken raised an eyebrow. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “No fucking kidding?”
“No kidding,” I said, ignoring his language for once. “Make sure your good pants are clean.”
Brecken continued to stare at us and when he realized we were indeed serious his lip quivered with emotion. “I really love you guys,” he said.
Cassie went to him with her arms out and wrapped him in a hug. “We love you too, Breck.”
I hugged him next. Life hadn’t always been easy for Brecken. His mother abandoned him and ultimately wound up in prison. He lost the only home he ever knew growing up and was dumped into the care of a clueless older brother who hadn’t even figured his own shit out yet. I was already so proud of the man he would become. And I was proud of the home Cassie and I had made for him. I could manage to be proud of that now. Even though I’d also lost Tristan along the way.
Earlier tonight I’d witnessed how Derek and his family were struggling to stay whole in the face of life altering challenges. I’d also observed Dalton’s efforts to understand his own brother’s legacy. And I was reminded that sometimes there’s only so much we can do for the people we love. In the end we just have to understand them as best we can and accept that we may never know every one of their sec
rets.
Brecken retreated to his room to go hunt down a decent outfit for tomorrow while Cassie went to our bedroom to check out her dress and call her mother to prepare her for an impending wedding.
I took a seat on the couch and scrolled through my phone, looking for the number. It might not even be valid anymore. He changed contact info so frequently. I’d grown used to waiting until I heard from him and trying not to dwell on the times that I didn’t. This time the news was too big to not share so I sent the text without knowing if it would get anywhere.
Hey kid brother. I’m getting married tomorrow. Please come.
I knew I shouldn’t hold my breath waiting for an answer that probably wouldn’t show up. But then the phone buzzed to life with an incoming call.
“Holy shit,” Tristan greeted me in awed voice. “Are you really getting married, Curtis?”
I leaned back on the couch and grinned. “You’re damn right I am.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dalton
We made sure to get there early. That was Cord’s idea. He wanted the bride and groom to be confronted by the sight of all of us standing in the lobby as soon as they entered the building.
“Can you hold these for a minute?” Cami asked, handing over the bouquet she’d picked up for Cassie. She squinted at her phone and then exclaimed, “They’re almost here! Cassie texted they’re just parking the car.”
“You think they’ll be surprised?” I asked Curtis’s brother, Brecken. We’d picked him up earlier since Cassie and Curtis had to go get rings and a marriage license before making their way to the courthouse.
Brecken grinned. “They won’t be surprised if they really know the Gentry family.” He pointed to the floor. “You dropped a flower petal.”
I bent down and swiped the petal off the floor. When I straightened up Cami’s parents were standing right next to me.
“I would have paid for an actual wedding,” Cord grumbled for about the tenth time.
Saylor shushed him as she straightened his collar. “This is what they want,” she reminded her husband. “So this is the way it’s going to be.”
The glass entrance doors opened and Cassie and Curtis walked through them. Cassie was laughing and holding onto Curtis’s arm. Dressed in a simple light colored gown with her long hair flowing loose, Cassie looked pink-cheeked and ecstatic while Curtis wore gray pants and a plain white shirt that was rolled up to his elbows to showcase some of his more vivid tattoos. My first thought was that they looked as natural and euphoric as any couple could possibly be. They didn’t spot us immediately because they were so focused on each other as they passed the two stern guards at the front door.
