by J. S. Cooper
“I wanted to think of someone else before myself.” I shrugged. “I feel responsible for everything,” I sighed. “I just wish I’d been able to tell Meg everything when she tried to leave yesterday.”
“You got her to stay though.” Brandon looked hopeful.
“Because she has no idea who I really am.” A deep fear settled inside of me. “If she knew who I really was—”
“It’s not you.” Brandon’s voice broke. “It’s me.”
“She was asking about Nancy. She wants to find out where she is.”
“It’s weird that she just disappeared.” Brandon looked worried. “You don’t think...” He stared at the ground in anguish.
“I don’t know,” I said, answering his unasked question.
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head, wishing that this weren’t the one time I didn’t have an answer. “People have died because of us. I don’t want anything else to happen. I keep going over it. I keep thinking in my head, ‘What can I do? What can I say? How can I tell Meg everything and not have her think I’m a monster?’”
“I never thought I’d see this day.” Brandon gave me a surprised look.
“You mean, the day when we would be in the same room again without killing each other?”
“No, I meant I never thought I’d see the day that Greyson Twining was in love.” He sat back and cracked a small smile. “Though I suppose it hits all of us unawares.”
“I guess this is the irony of life.” I jumped up, unable to keep still. “Live your life without love and then when it happens, when it finally hits you and creeps up in your heart so tightly that it feels like you can’t breathe, it gets snatched away. Just like that. So easily. As if it were nothing.”
“Meg loves you. I can see it in her eyes.”
“But will she still love me when she knows everything?” I looked at him with bleak eyes and he turned away from me.
“I wish I could say she would. But I don’t know. I don’t know if Katie will still love me once she finds out.”
“What did we do, Brandon? My God, what did we do?” My voice cracked, and I sat there wondering how we ever could have done what we had. “Are we monsters?”
“You were just protecting me,” Brandon sighed. “All these years, I’ve been blaming you for everything that happened. I’ve hated you for so many reasons, but really, ultimately, it’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
“I don’t know what to say. All I know is that we’re in some deep shit, and if we don’t figure out who’s behind it and what’s going on, then we’re really going to pay.”
“It can only really be one person, can’t it?” Brandon closed his eyes and his face went white. “And I can’t say I blame her either.”
“It’s your choice.” I looked down at my desk. “Whatever you want to do, it’s your choice.”
“We should contact her right? See if it’s her?”
“There’s an email address at the bottom of the letter,” I sighed. “[email protected].”
“That’s helpful.” Brandon laughed then as he shook his head. “There are so many women both of us let get away.”
“If you mean fucked and never spoke to again, then yes.” I laughed. “Though I don’t know if that means shit.”
“Who knows what they are thinking?”
“I don’t understand women,” I sighed. “Sex doesn’t equal love or a relationship. Shit, it doesn’t even equal sex the next night.”
“Let’s not argue the details.” Brandon stood up. “We both know men and women are different. We had a duty. We had an obligation. I just wish I’d realized that earlier.”
“I thought—”
“Shit, Greyson. We can’t keep passing the buck. At what point do we take responsibility for our own actions?”
“I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” I shrugged. “The last thing we need is for someone else to die.”
“Are you talking about murder?” Brandon’s eyes met mine and I saw the grim expression on my face reflected in his gaze.
“When people are desperate, there’s no discounting what they would do.” I picked up a pen and twirled it in my fingers. “When it comes to love, some people will do anything.”
The room went quiet as we both thought about the letter and what we had to do next. It felt surreal being in this position again. I was ashamed of my role in what had happened with Maria. I was ashamed and devastated. I knew that if the truth were to come out, it would essentially be the end for both of us.
“Well, well, well.” Patsy walked into the office with a small smile on her face. She stared at me for a second and then looked at Brandon. “What’s he doing here?” She almost spat out the words, hatred in her voice.
“I do still own the club.” Brandon gave her a cutting look and her face grew red.
“Well, you co-own the club.” I spoke up and Patsy gave me a look of thanks. Ever since Maria had died, Patsy had never seemed to look at Brandon the same way.
“I wish you’d buy him out, Greyson.” She came up to the desk and brushed something off my shoulder. I wasn’t sure if there had been something there or if she’d just wanted a chance to touch me. I stifled a sigh as she looked up into my eyes with a look of adoration.
“Greyson, I was hoping we could chat for a few minutes.” She looked at me seriously.
“You know he’s dating Meg now, right?” Brandon spoke up.
Patsy turned around then and looked at Brandon for a few minutes before speaking. She took in the grey bags under his eyes and his disheveled hair. She took in the worry lines on his face and the almost imperceptible air of worry that hung around him, and then she started laughing. Only her laugh sounded like a cackle and she looked at Brandon and then at me with a haughty, snide look.
“I never thought I’d see the day when both of you were brought to your knees.” Her voice sounded evil with pleasure, and I had a feeling that she wasn’t talking about our love for Katie and Meg.
“What did you do?” Brandon walked over to her and grabbed her arms. “What the fuck did you do?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She pushed him away from her, but I could see that she was trembling. “I think the question you should ask yourselves is what the fuck do you think you did, both of you.” She looked at me then. There was such a look of hatred and pain in her eyes that I flinched. “If you only knew how much I loved you.” She shook her head. “The things I did.”
“Did you send us the letter?” Brandon’s voice was angry, and I could see that his fists were clenched.
“What letter?” She frowned and looked at both of us strangely.
“Nothing.” I gave Brandon a look. “Is there anything else I can help you with, Patsy?” I took a deep breath, not wanting her to see how much she was annoying me.
“All children should be loved,” she mumbled under her breath, her eyes hard.
“Sorry, what?” I stepped towards her and she backed away from me.
“Nothing.” She looked at me with empty eyes and I felt my heart racing. What was she talking about? “You love Meg?”
“Yes.” I nodded, knowing I was hurting her, but I had to tell the truth.
“I see.” She looked from me to Brandon and walked to the door. She paused and looked back at us, and there was a glow in her eyes. “Life is funny, isn’t it? Murderers seem to get away with everything.” She stopped for a second and looked at the ground and then looked up at us and smiled. “But life doesn’t always go the way that we intend it to, does it?” And with that, she walked out the door, leaving Brandon and me staring after her, wondering what she was going to do.
Chapter 5
Unknown
I watched them as they sat at the table waiting for me to show up. The power I felt as I observed them both had been expected. The sorrow I felt about the potential devastation I was going to inflict hadn’t. It felt odd staring at them, these me
n who were so handsome and collected, so calm and cool. I was about to shake things up a bit. I was about to bring a hurricane into their lives. And I didn’t care if there were any tragedies. Brandon and Greyson didn’t deserve happily ever afters, and I was going to ensure that neither of them got one, no matter what the little voice in me tried to tell me. I was out for bloodshed, and I was going to enjoy watching each one crumble with every move I made.
My heart broke as I stared at him. He was so tall and so confident. It was weird looking at him, not really knowing him, but knowing everything about him. He was my father. My father. It felt weird even thinking it. It didn’t make sense to me. First, I discovered the truth about my mother, and then I found out about my father.
When I’d received the email from Greyson, I’d been scared. I hadn’t expected the letter to work or to scare them. How could a letter scare men as powerful as they were? I stood in the shadows, waiting, watching. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Greyson. He looked so handsome, so dignified. I understood why someone could love him so much. I understood why someone could lose her head over him. He was that kind of man, had that kind of charisma and character.
I was about to step out of the alleyway and go and join them when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Don’t meet them,” she hissed into the phone at me. “You need to leave.”
“What? Why?”
“Just leave. Now is not the time to reveal yourself.”
“But I thought this is what we want.”
“It’s not enough.” Her voice was angry. “They need to pay.”
“I thought my coming out and telling the world I was his daughter was enough? It would destroy his relationship and the backlash to everything that went on would ruin their lives? I thought that’s what you wanted?” I spoke quietly, my eyes never leaving the table. I wanted to go over and speak to him. I wanted to say hello.
“That’s not enough.” She shook her head. “He didn’t care then and he won’t care now. There needs to be a greater retribution.”
“I don’t understand.”
“They did more than take our kids from us. They are murderers. They made people murderers.”
“What?” My heart dropped at her words. I didn’t understand what she was saying.
“When everything is taken from you, you are left with nothing.”
“You have me now,” I whispered, scared and unsure. None of this was feeling right anymore.
“They have to pay,” she spoke into the phone, but I could tell her mind wasn’t with it. “They will pay.” She hung up then and I stood there for a few minutes with tears streaming down my face.
I had to listen to her. She was the one who had told me the truth. I watched as the two men waited for me, both of them looking stressed. I ran my hands across my temple and then walked back down the alleyway, my stomach feeling empty. Today was not going to be the day I revealed myself to my father. I felt incredibly sad and relieved at the same time.
Part III
Two Weeks Later
Chapter 6
Greyson
“Do you have all your stuff packed up?” I pulled Meg towards me and she laughed. “Do you find my kisses funny now?”
“No.” She leaned up and kissed me. “I just think your question is funny. I don’t have much here, so there’s not much to pack up.”
“I didn’t even think about that.” My hands found their way to her butt cheeks and squeezed. “I forgot you only came with a small bag.”
“You mean you haven’t noticed I’ve been wearing the same three outfits?” She laughed at me and made a face.
“To be honest, I don’t really care about the clothes you’re wearing.”
“Greyson.” She pushed herself against me. “I swear all you think about is sex.”
“Well, of course that’s not true.” My hand made its way up to her breast. “I think about other things as well.”
“Uh huh,” she moaned against my lips as I pinched her nipple. I kissed down her neck and made my way to her breast, biting down and sucking on her flesh. “Greyson,” she murmured as I kissed her.
“Yes?” I muttered, my mind focused on taking her nipple in my mouth.
“Why are we going to Brandon’s house?” She ran her hands through my hair and I continued kissing her, even though warning bells were going off in my brain.
“I told you why.” I looked up at her. “I want us to get a place together.” That wasn’t a lie. I did want us to get a place together.
“Why can’t we just stay at my apartment? Why do we have to go to Brandon’s?”
“I just thought it would be fun. I know Katie has been missing you.” I looked away from her then. That wasn’t the complete truth.
We were going to stay at Brandon’s because he lived in a safe environment and had hired security. I didn’t want to tell Meg that though since I hadn’t told her about the death threat Brandon and I had received. I flinched as I remembered the note and the single bullet I’d found on my desk the day before. The note had been simple and brief:
To the founders of the private club,
A life for a life? Who do you love?
“What are you thinking about?” Meg’s voice was soft as she reached up and tilted my face to look at her.
“Nothing.” I shook my head and forced a smile on my face. “I’m just hoping the four of us don’t kill each other.”
Meg laughed and kissed me on the lips. “I’ve lived with Katie before, so I know we’ll be fine. I’m not so sure about you and Brandon though. You guys still seem pretty tense.”
“That’s why I want us to stay with him instead of at a hotel. I’m hoping we can mend our relationship.” I kissed her back hard and closed my eyes, not wanting her to see the fear that was brewing inside of me.
The bullet and the note had hit me to the core. I’d been waiting for something to happen, so the last two weeks had been torture. Brandon and I had waited at the diner for three hours for someone to show up. A part of me had held on to the hope that whoever was behind everything was calling our bluff. Maybe they weren’t really serious. Maybe whoever it was hadn’t meant anything, but I’d known that was just wishful thinking. As soon as she’d shown up at the club, I’d known my life was going to change. I knew everything was going to come out into the open. All of my secrets would be brought to light. It was as it should be. It was something I’d been waiting to happen for the last ten years. Some part of me had always known that true love wasn’t in the cards for me. A wife and a family hadn’t even been a part of my psyche. How could they be? Men like me didn’t have happy families. Men like me didn’t deserve them.
“I hope so too. You guys were best friends. I know it’s horrible that Maria killed herself, but you can’t blame yourselves for the rest of your life.”
“I know.” I nodded. “I just want us to get our friendship back.” And our lives.
“I want that as well. That’s why I agreed to go.” She hugged me tight. “You’d tell me if there was anything else going on, right?”
“Of course.” I nodded. “There’s nothing else.”
“Why do I think you’re not telling me everything?” She took a step back and sighed. “I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, Greyson, but I can tell something is off.”
“Meg—” I started, but she cut me off.
“Don’t Meg me.” She shook her head. “Nuh uh. Tell me, Greyson. Since yesterday, you’ve been acting funny and you haven’t taken your eyes off me.”
“That’s because I—”
“Nuh uh, don’t go there.” Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me the truth.”
I took a deep breath and pulled her towards me. I knew I was going to have to tell her part of the truth. Meg was too smart for her own good. “We got a death threat at the club yesterday. We don’t know who they are targeting or why, but I think it’s best for us to move out while we figure it out.”
“Do you think it’s the
same person who took Nancy?” Meg’s voice fell to a whisper and her face paled.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I just don’t know.”
“What did the private detective say?”
“He said that right now we’re the ones in danger and we need to leave until we figure it all out.”
“And find Nancy, right?”
“Yeah.” My voice felt stilted as I lied. I was scared to find Nancy. I was scared that she was another casualty in the club. She was another piece in the puzzle that was threatening to ruin everything for me. “Or if you want, we can just fly away from here. Move to Hawaii or Rome and just live our lives in a different sort of paradise.”
“Why would we do that? We can’t let some idle death threats scare us.”
“I don’t know what David is capable of.” I could hear the panic in my voice. “He’s crazy.”
“I can’t believe he just disappeared. I bet he took Nancy.” Meg looked annoyed with herself. “I always knew something was off with him. I should have confronted him. I just didn’t think he could have done anything. He looked so innocent.”
“He probably took her as some sick sort of fantasy. If he can’t be with her sister, he wants to be with her instead.” My words felt wooden coming out of my mouth, and I felt a fire burning up inside of me.
“He’s a sicko.” She nodded. “I didn’t get the sense he wanted her though, but what do I know? I thought he was hooking up with Patsy.”
“That doesn’t mean much.” I shrugged.
“Don’t remind me please.” Her eyes filled with jealousy.
“Remind you of what?”
“That you had sex with Patsy.”
“It meant nothing.” I ran my hands through my hair. “It was a mistake.”
“She loves you, you know.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
“I can see it in her eyes. I bet she’s the one who sent the death threat and I bet it was addressed to me, wasn’t it?” She frowned. “That bitch wants to kill me for sharing your bed.”
