I hugged him back.
Now, he sat on the other side of me across from Eryn in the chopper and our gazes met. We smiled at each other. No matter what happened we would deal with it together. I just prayed to a God, I don’t normally bother with that it would only be pleasant brunch conversation and food we would be having.
Eryn’s mom turned out to be just a shorter, older, but still elegant version of Eryn. When she showed me a picture of Eryn’s father, whose parents were from Croatian I saw she did have some of his features in her cheekbones and chin. Brunch had been wonderful, Mrs. Gunn, or Christine as she insisted I call her was very nice. Laid back and a very smart lady, but there was a hint of sadness in her gaze. I could see it. From time to time, she would glance off as if her thoughts had drifted.
It suddenly hit me why I recognized her sadness. I’d seen it often enough in my dad’s gaze. The funny thing was there was no awkwardness between us, not the kind I’d anticipated. Christine made my dad and me feel very welcome. I got points I think for helping her in the kitchen, but it was my dad who made the better impression. As soon as that sadness crept over her, he would distract her with some funny fishing story or another. The man had a million of them.
“You ever been fishing, Christine?” my dad asked.
She laughed. “It’s been years since I’ve been on a boat and even longer since I held a fishing rod.”
“Well, you’ve got to come out to the Cove sometime. There’s nothing like sitting out on the water with a cold ginger beer in your hand and fishing rod between your knees.”
“I think it might be even better if I’d actually catch something,” Christine said.
“Yep, that’s fun too and if we do, Pike here can fry it up for us,” John J replied.
Christine chuckled. “I’ll hold him to that.”
My dad raised his glass of sparkling water and they clinked glasses, then soon it was time to leave. Christine hugged both my dad and me and told us we were welcome back anytime.
I didn’t realize how tense I’d been until after we’d left and were in the helicopter heading back to the Cove.
Eryn leaned against my shoulder. “My mom really liked you,” Eryn said. “You too, John J.”
“Your mom’s quite a woman. Yeah, I enjoyed meeting her too. She’s a real nice lady.”
“Yes, I just wish she wasn’t so alone in that big house. I wish she’d move into something smaller, better yet, find someone to share her life with.”
“Pardon me for asking, but she never remarried? She told me your dad died before you were born.”
And just like that, with my father’s words, that chill raced back. Why the fuck is he bringing this shit up?
“Yes, that’s true but she did remarry briefly when I first went away to college. Didn’t last long, she got divorced about a year later. She said it was a mistake, she’d just been lonely, but she’s been by herself ever since. Oh, she’ll go out once in a while with old family friends but that’s about it. You remind me a lot of my mom, both of you widowed.”
“Yeah, sometimes there’s only one person for each of us. That’s what my Katie was. She was my one and only, so no, I never remarried. I’ll leave all that to Pike. I always hoped one day he’d find that person that would settle him.”
“For fuck’s sake, Dad,” I mumbled.
“Don’t cuss at your father,” Eryn stated.
“I raised you better boy,” my dad said grinning.
We both knew who I got my language from and his was worse than mine. He only toned it down whenever Eryn was around. “I think perhaps he just might have.” I didn’t confirm or deny what he said.
Then again, Eryn didn’t comment either.
I just put my arm around her shoulder and drew her closer to me, while she placed her hand on my thigh. I took that as a sign of possession. Hell yes, she was mine, and I would put up one hell of a fight before I let her go. John J Pike didn’t raise no fool.
You’d think with the DC police department as well as Eryn’s family keeping an eye on the place, not to mention all the surveillance cameras all over the area they’d be able to find one man. So far though, nothing for the last three weeks. There had been some evidence that the man may have left the country and returned to his own. Someone matching his description had been seen leaving the embassy, but had apparently escaped the tails on him. Yet, someone matching his description had boarded the private jet owned by the Hasla government bound for London then Hasla. Someone again, matching the description of the suspect had been seen briefly in London, so the cops were pulling back on the surveillance. If this guy had slipped out of the country, then I could breathe easier knowing Eryn was no longer in danger. Then again neither was I, not that I thought I was in any serious trouble. I believe for whatever reason, Eryn had been his obsession and target. So good riddance.
Eryn had been able to get back into her office for the last couple of weeks and also moved back into her condo, but I practically lived there now. I would be in the studio all day and would just crash at her place and then it just got to be a habit. One neither of us seemed inclined to break. During the week, we were either downtown at her condo and then on weekends we’d go out to the Cove. I even had her mom join us there one day. She and my dad spent most of it out on the water fishing.
I’m not even sure when the domesticity started with me but it felt comfortable as shit coming home to Eryn’s open arms. I put everything else behind me, my suspicions about our entwined past, and the fucker who’d tried to kill this woman I found myself being grounded by, falling in love with.
I’d been cooking when I had that epiphany, with a spatula in my hand and froze. Damn. I wasn’t falling in love with her. I was already there. It scared the ever loving fucking shit out of me. I burnt the omelet I was making and had to start all over again.
“Are those burnt eggs I smell?” Eryn came over to me all dressed in one of her sexy ass power suit. Baby blue this time.
“I fucking love it when you go all lawyer on me. I know what’s under that shit too.” The woman had a penchant for sexy underwear. I know I’d torn enough of them off her and been replacing them.
Smiling, she walked over to me and gave me a long kiss.
I pulled her closer for more and to rub the boner I began sporting from the moment she entered the kitchen area.
She pushed me away. “Oh no, I’m running late already. I’m going to have to just grab something later this morning.”
I swatted her ass as she stepped back. “That’s for making me horny as fuck and not taking care of your man.”
She blew me a raspberry. “I’ll be home about six. And if you’re good, I might let you have me for dinner.”
“I’m always good. Oh, and if you get a chance, I’m going to be interviewed a little later this morning on E Today.”
“Sweet! I should be done with my meeting by then. It’s a live show right, so if I do miss it I’ll make sure and catch the video stream.”
“Yeah, it is. Enjoy your day baby.” I blew her a kiss.
She raised her hand as if to catch, tossing me one of her sexy bedroom smiles, she grabbed her briefcase and closed the door behind her.
If I could go back in fucking time. I would have stopped her from walking out the door that day and I would never have agreed to that fucking interview.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Eryn
My cousin Dorian, Nikko, our senior associate, and I had a great meeting with a new client of Nikko’s. They’d both given me a little grief because I tried to hurry things along. Well duh, my boyfriend was being interviewed on national television, live. His first since we’d been officially dating. I still couldn’t believe I was dating a rock star. That my boyfriend was the Pike. I suspected if they asked him if he were seeing someone, he might be outing us. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I still pinched myself some mornings.
We’d been lucky in that we were able to keep our relationship under wraps.
With the bombing of my office, his presence had been toned down. I was just seen as his attorney and the focus had been on my firm and him as a client, more than us as a couple. Given that we’d also been very low key since the bombing, and with the ongoing investigation, not much chance of any pictures of us as a couple making the news. Besides, in a town like the Nations Capital, plenty of newsworthy things going on compared to what a rock star might or might not be getting up to.
Once everyone left, I stayed in the conference room and turned on the TV. I refreshed my coffee and sat down to ogle my boyfriend. For a moment, I missed Babs. This was something we would have done together. She would’ve loved to sit here with me and watch. We’d buried her a week ago and I still couldn’t bring myself to replace her. I had a temporary assistant from an agency for now, my third one in two weeks.
The segment came on for the interview breaking into my thoughts. They began with the obvious, pictures of Pike on stage and at various events with a different girl on his arm each time, a listing of all of his awards. Then they cut to the news studio with Pike and the interviewer, Tony Ellis.
“Did I miss anything?”
I glanced up to see Dorian walk back into the conference room and grinned. “Didn’t know you were a fan?” I teased.
“Dude’s a big client not least of which he’s also dating my cousin. I’m making it my business.”
Yet, when they began playing one of Pike’s song for the intro, I noticed Dorian singing along. “Know the words do you?”
He scoffed. “Who doesn’t?”
“Shhh, I can’t hear.” I turned up the volume then settled in to be entertained. Twenty minutes later. I wasn’t so entertained any more.
Air. I couldn’t take in any air. My lungs had forgotten what they were supposed to do. My brain wasn’t functioning—wasn’t sending the right signals. Nothing was working right, nothing was right.
Then Dorian was on his knees in front of me. “Breath, hon.” He held my hands and squeezed them. Then he ran a hand over my hair. “Here, take a sip of your coffee. It’s cool but it’ll help.”
Numbly, I obeyed him. I could feel the cool bitter liquid in my mouth going down my throat, opening my airways back up and I gulped.
“I take it you didn’t know,” he said.
I swung my gaze to Dorian. “His mother?” I shook my head. How was this even possible? “It couldn’t be possible.” But the sickening feeling in my stomach I couldn’t deny, nor given his reaction—he knew. “He knew, Dorian. He knew.” I stood up. “I’ve been a fucking fool!”
Dorian stood too and hugged me. “No hon. You weren’t, you just got taken in by a pretty boy. Best you find out he’s an asshole, sooner rather than later.”
“Oh my God, Dorian. Oh God.”
The sound of my cell phone sitting on the table going off had us both glancing toward it. I could see from the caller ID it was Pike, so could Dorian.
“Do you want me to answer that?” he asked.
“No. No. I have nothing to say to the sonofabitch. He fucking knew!” It seemed to be on rewind in my brain.
“Seems like he did. However, since we do represent him, you might have to talk to him at some point.”
Dorian ever the practical one had to remind me of that. Idiot that I was had gotten him to sign and even better agreement with me, with my firm. “We’ll be damn well unrepresenting him, effective immediately.” I turned to walk out of the conference room to get back to my newly rebuilt office to type the letter of withdrawal of representation.
“Do you want to take the rest of the day off?” Dorian asked behind me.
“Not hardly. I have a letter to draft.”
“I’m here if you need me for anything.” Dorian left me alone.
It took me all of five minutes to write the letter to the asshole. My phone kept vibrating the entire time.
Then another call came in, this time from my Uncle David. “Sweetie, I’m sorry I just heard and had it confirmed.”
“So it’s true, Pike’s mother was convicted for being an accomplish in my father’s murder. And the sonofabitch knew.” I practically screamed the last. I was angry, frustrated, but under it all, a profound sense of betrayal, sadness. And hurt—so much hurt. Because I realized something. I was falling in love with this man. This man whose mother was somehow responsible for my father’s murder. The father I’d never known. Oh my God, he’d been to my mother’s house! He and his god damned father. Oh my God! What have I done? “Mom. What about Mom? Does she know? Oh my God, Uncle David, this is going to devastate her.”
“I’ve already spoken to your mom and she’s stronger than you give her credit for. She’s probably calling you now too.”
And sure enough, I got a call on the other line from my mom. “Yes, she’s calling me now. Let me talk to her Uncle David. I need to make this right.”
“Okay, sweetie, but call me back. You need to know all of it. It’s more complicated than you think.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, isn’t it always.” I hung up the phone and spoke to my Mom. We were both crying, I kept apologizing for bringing him into our lives and she was crying I think because it dredged up so many memories.
“Talk to him, first Eryn,” my mom managed to get out in-between my sobs, after I told her I was going to tell him to shove it. “Hear his side of the story. I’ve found there are usually three sides to every story and somewhere in-between, lies the truth. You know that.”
“I love you Mom. I’ve got to go.”
I’d gotten a text that Pike was on the way up. I quickly cleaned my face. I didn’t want that bastard to see any evidence of my tears. I did not cry over men, certainly not worthless lying ones. I heard his booted foot falls pounding down the corridor, like he was hurrying. Good. The sooner the better, to get this over with. I ignored the way my heart raced knowing he was near.
The door was open and no one was at what would have been Babs’ new area. I’d already sent the temp off for an early lunch. I wanted no one around to see him, because I knew he would show up. I sat behind my desk when he came rushing into my office.
“Eryn,” he began.
I ignored the anguish in his voice, the pain I thought I saw in those ice blue eyes. He was just upset because his lies had been found out. I shook my head to dispel what my senses were telling me. I couldn’t trust them. I couldn’t trust him. “I have one question for you,” I responded.
“No, baby please.” He came around to the other side of my desk and dropped to his knees. He tried to grab my hands but I pulled them away from him. Then he just settled to touching my knees.
“Please don’t touch me. I—I don’t want you to touch m-me.” I hated the way my voice broke. Gunns don’t show weakness. I steeled my resolve. “Get your hands off me.”
He shook his head and tears, real honest to God tears spilled from his beautiful eyes.
I shook my head, lies. All lies. “Did you know?”
He was out right crying now, not trying to hide the tears, but he also hesitated before he answered me. He shook his head, then whispered that one little word that changed everything, “Yes.”
I slapped him then. I’d never hit anyone in my life. Not even my cousins when we were younger and they were being jerks. My palm stung but I ignored it, harnessing the pain, choosing to shove the paper I’d just printed out toward him. “Sign this.”
He blinked. “What?”
I pushed it toward him again, along with a pen. “Fucking sign it!”
He glanced down at it. “What? What is this?”
“Your agreement for me to withdraw as your lawyer.”
“What?” He shook his head, in fact his entire body shuddered. “Baby no, please baby no. Don’t do this. I won’t sign anything. I’m not giving you up. No fucking way. Not as my lawyer, not as my life. You are my life. We belong together. Don’t do this, let me explain.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Fine, explain why you’ve been lying to me all this time. How lon
g have you known? Have you always known. God, I feel like such a fucking fool.”
“No angel. Never that. You are not a fool. I am. I was. I’m sorry. I fucked up. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“Did you know that first time I’d taken you to meet my mom, when I…when I showed you the pictures of my dad. Did you fucking know then?”
“Baby, please.”
I pushed away from him then stood up, moving around the table before he could catch me. His hand reached out toward me but I evaded him. Shaking my head. “Sign the paper or not Pike, I really don’t give a good damn. We are done. Now, get out before I call security to have your ass hauled outta here.”
He stood up then, tears still streaming down his face.
They were trailing down mine now. I couldn’t keep it together. The pain. My heart. Broken.
“Please. I’m begging you. Don’t do this. What happened was in the past. It had nothing to do with you or me. It’s got nothing to do with us.”
“What! How can you say that? It has everything. I grew up without a father because of your mother’s actions. NOW GET OUT!” I screamed it.
Suddenly, I looked up and my cousin Dorian was there and so was Fred.
“Pike, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the building,” Dorian said. “We’ll forward all of your files to you and Sol.”
Pike just continued to shake his head. “It’s all just a big ass misunderstanding,” he tried to explain.
“Yeah, that’s right. One I’m finally beginning to understand and set to rights. Now, please leave,” I barely got out.
He brushed the tears from his face. “This isn’t over Eryn. No fucking way.” Then he walked out of my office and out of my life.
I would have crumpled to the floor if Dorian hadn’t been there to catch me. I didn’t even bother to go back to my condo. I couldn’t face the place. Couldn’t face him again. I just took a cab to the airport and headed for the family house in Corolla Light, North Carolina. I texted my mother to let her know I was all right, but I told no one where I was, turning off my phone to make sure they wouldn’t be able to track me.
The Prison Guard's Son: Young Guns Book One Page 14
