Lessons Learned (The Gifted Realm Book 2)

by Jillian Neal

  “We aren’t in trouble, Grandpa,” Will rolled his eyes. “We’ve been married for several years now. I just got promoted. I’m one of the senior VPs of the Senate Bank now. Brooke has been teaching school since before we got married. This is exactly how we wanted it!”

  “Boy,” Grandpa Haydenshire growled, “You call me when that kid comes out of her, and she’s crying and the kid’s crying, and you don’t know what the hell to do, and then we’ll talk about who’s in trouble!”

  Mrs. Haydenshire sighed and gave a distinct eye roll. “We’ll certainly be there to help Will and Brooke after the baby arrives, and I’m certain Mr. and Mrs. Bethencourt will be available to help, also.” She smiled kindly at Brooke, who nodded her agreement.

  “Humph,” was Grandpa Haydenshire’s reply.

  “These burgers are delicious, Governor,” Adeline tried to sweetly soothe the table. Logan stared at her with rapt adoration.

  “I take it the butter churnings still sweet then, Logan?” Grandpa Haydenshire quipped as he plunged his fork into his potato.

  Logan’s eyes goggled as blood pooled rapidly in his cheeks.

  “Gonna sour, trust me, just like Korea, boy, mark my words.”

  Governor Haydenshire shook his head. “Dad, Adeline is Logan’s girlfriend. She’s not a war. Now would you please pipe down?!”

  Rainer and Logan shared a knowing grimace.

  “Wasn’t a war…. a conflict. That’s what they told me down in my foxhole in Busan.”

  “Dad? You are Gifted. You were not in a foxhole anywhere. You were in a cushy office in Seoul, with the Gifted Army, trying to save our soldiers.”

  “You think just because you’re a Governor now, son, that you know where I was before you were even born?” Grandpa Haydenshire shot back angrily.

  “No, Dad, I don’t. I would just like for you to stop insulting my children and their dates.”

  “Insulting?” Grandpa Haydenshire huffed. “Son, someone in this sea of shit that we call the world needs to tell these kids what life is really like. It ain’t a freaking daisy festival, as much as you two would have them believe. That one’s gonna turn,” he stabbed his fork towards Adeline. “I can see it in her eyes, and you better all get your waders on and stop shoveling the shit around. You need to get yourselves out of it!”

  Adeline looked utterly astonished as tears welled in her eyes.

  “What does that mean?” she hushed to Logan.

  “Nothing,” he glared hatefully at his grandfather. “It means absolutely nothing!”

  Everyone’s heads shot upward as another fierce knock sounded at the oak front door.

  The Governor tossed his napkin on his plate and stomped to answer the door.

  “Governor, I’m really sorry about this, but we need to speak to Adeline Parker and to your sons.” Rainer heard as the Governor stepped back, and three Iodex officers stepped inside the farmhouse.

  Vindico’s Agusta roared up a moment later. He entered the house as well.

  “What is going on, Daniel?” the Governor demanded.

  “I’m sorry, Governor Haydenshire. I went down to the McLean precinct, or I would have beaten them here,” he gestured to the officers that Rainer had never seen before. He assumed they worked for McLean instead of for the Senate.

  “They’re here to do one of the tests,” he sighed uncomfortably. “And, uh, Candy Parker has alleged to her lawyer that you and your sons were supplying Adeline with drugs and money for drugs in exchange for…” he choked.

  Rainer had never seen his boss so uncomfortable. It was almost as shocking as what Adeline’s own mother had told the police.

  “That is insane, Dan, and you know that!” Governor Haydenshire appeared ready to throttle someone.

  “Of course I know that, but we have to investigate this. If I don’t do everything by the book, when she goes to trial it could look very bad for her, and it could jeopardize Logan’s job. This is a Non-Gifted court trial. I don’t have the pull I normally would and neither do you.”

  Governor Haydenshire’s fingers located his temples and he began to rub. “What do we need to do?” he sighed.

  Garrett stood with a fierce scowl. “Are you kidding me, man? No one here is sleeping with Adeline, save Logan, and trust me, he isn’t doing that for drugs!”

  “Adeline no sleeping,” Keaton announced from his high chair as he popped a tiny bite of cheeseburger in his mouth.

  Adeline began to sob as Logan glared at his brother.

  “What? That’s totally true!” Garrett scoffed.

  “It was a little crude, Garrett.” The Governor pointed out.

  “Adeline, sweetheart, why don’t you and Logan go on into the living room and see what they need, and we’ll finish up then we can do whatever needs to be done, Daniel,” Mrs. Haydenshire soothed.

  “Come on,” Logan guided Adeline into the living room as uncomfortable silence drowned the room.

  “See, son, I told you. She’s not just gonna sink Logan, she’s gonna capsize the whole ship,” Grandpa Haydenshire sneered.

  “Dad,” the Governor drew a deep breath, “For the love of everything good in this world, please, just shut up.”

  Vindico instructed the officers who had come to collect a urine sample from Adeline to try and be discreet, as Adeline was mortified.

  He and two of the other officers worked their way through the Governor, Rainer, and all of the Haydenshire men. They all vowed adamantly that they’d never slept with Adeline, nor had they ever given her money for drugs.

  Adeline continued to cry throughout the entire process.

  The officers apologized repeatedly for their inquiries. They insisted that being thorough now would save Adeline when it came time for her trial.

  When her mother, Candy’s, apartment had been raided, back at the beginning of June, Candy had vowed that all of the drugs in the apartment belonged to Adeline. Candy had been taken in for prostitution and drug possession, and was high at the time of her arrest.

  Vindico had fixed it with the Non-Gifted courts to make it appear that Adeline had been arrested on suspicion and then released.

  Adeline had agreed to random drug testing to prove her innocence. Rainer suspected, however, that she never expected someone to show up for a sample, at the farmhouse, in front of Logan’s entire family.

  Almost two hours later, Vindico made yet another apology and did finally accept Mrs. Haydenshire’s insistence that he eat.

  “You see there, Logan? That’s precisely what happens when you try to put your leash on a stray cat,” Grandpa Haydenshire spat.

  That did it. That was the proverbial straw. Adeline burst into heaving sobs and raced out the front door.

  “Adeline!” Logan shouted as he sprinted after her.

  “Logan, wait,” Rainer rushed out the door with everyone staring after them, for a long, drawn moment before every other Haydenshire child, save Keaton and Henry, followed in his wake. They caught up to Logan and Adeline a second later.

  “Come on, Lo, you know what an ass he is!” Will tried. Adeline was sobbing inconsolably.

  “I’m….so…sorry,” she managed in a convulsive shudder. Logan pulled her into his chest.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong, Adeline. We’re so sorry you’re having to go through all of this and that Grandpa is so mean,” Emily vowed.

  The pause in conversation afforded everyone the opportunity to hear shouting from inside the house.

  Garrett shook his head with a smirk. He summoned and caught the fluxing waves of sound spilling from the house. Will amplified for him.

  “You see that, Dad? Those are the kinds of kids we raised, whether we gave birth to them or not,” Governor Haydenshire bellowed, “the kinds of kids who are there for one another, no matter what! You hurt one of them, then you’d better hope you have your beloved army, because they’re all out for revenge.”

  Connor and Patrick smiled and nodded. Levi winked at Adeline kindly. “That is what happens
when a home is filled with love, instead of war stories and constant competition, when children feel like they’re listened to and that you care about what they have to say.”

  “Well, you may not have liked the way we did things, Stephen, but you seem to have done all right for yourself, Governor,” Grandpa Haydenshire huffed.

  “Now, I guess I’m sorry if Logan’s too weak to hear the truth, though I’d say that’s entirely your fault for always painting things up roses instead of giving them the truth, but that girl doesn’t know whether she’s washing or hanging on the line. You can’t just take in every stray cat one of those boys finds that’s willing to lay down for him!” Grandpa Haydenshire shouted, and Garrett dropped the cast.

  Everyone was absolutely stunned by the assessment. Logan let his eyes close for the length of one heartbeat.

  “Out! Get out of my home!” they heard Governor Haydenshire bellow as the front door swung open. Despite all the rude and boorish things that Grandpa Haydenshire had said over the years, this was the first time the Governor had ever thrown anyone out.

  “Could you all just give us a minute,” Logan pled.

  With sympathetic nods, everyone found somewhere else to be.

  Broken

  Rainer scrubbed and rinsed dish after dish. He handed them to Emily to load into the dishwasher. No one spoke. Governor and Mrs. Haydenshire were whispering heatedly in the Governor’s office, just off of the dining room.

  Logan and Adeline had driven off in the Accord, hours ago, and, though Rainer, Connor, Emily, and Garrett had all texted repeatedly, no one had heard from them.

  Levi, Patrick, and Will all stalked solemnly through the kitchen door. Everyone’s heads lifted hopefully, but the morose expressions on their faces told them that they hadn’t located Logan and Adeline. The trip to the guesthouse, then to some of Logan and Adeline’s favorite hangouts, had turned up empty.

  Rainer wasn’t surprised. He knew they were in Logan’s car, somewhere, talking, more than likely on Haydenshire property.

  Tears sprang to Emily’s eyes. Rainer dried his hands and pulled her to him. He kissed her forehead before he grabbed the next plate.

  “I think we’re gonna…” Will pointed out the door. Brooke had been asleep on the couch for a while. She seemed too tired to go on. “Text me when they get back.”

  Once the dishwasher was loaded, Rainer sank down on the bench seat by the Haydenshires’ kitchen window and pulled Emily on to his lap.

  “Maybe we should go home. I mean, that’s probably where they’ll come,” Emily urged pleadingly.

  Connor promised to let them know if Logan and Adeline showed up at the farmhouse.

  Suddenly, a shrill ring from Garrett’s pocket had everyone hopeful.

  “Haydenshire,” he answered quickly. “Yeah,” Garrett nodded as everyone waited with baited breath. “Tell them to wait right there. I’m on my way.”

  He grabbed his keys but then stopped just as abruptly. “Yeah… okay… no, I understand. Do you know where they were headed?”

  “Yeah,” Garrett nodded again. “No, man, I appreciate you calling. I’ll be in at the end of the week for a few hours.” With that, he hung up the phone.

  “They were at the station. Adeline wanted to see her mom,” he explained as he shook his head. “Logan went with her, but he asked Fitzgerald not to call me ‘til they left.”

  “Where are they now?” Emily demanded.

  Garrett reached and tousled her hair affectionately. “I don’t know. Logan wouldn’t say.”

  Rainer’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He read the text and then showed it to Emily.

  We’re fine I’ll c u @ work Monday.

  Emily yanked the phone out of Rainer’s hand.

  Where r u?? she texted frantically.

  Give Rainer back his phone Em, was the reply.

  Rainer drove the Hummer back to the guesthouse. Emily was nearly asleep when he parked.

  “Come on, baby. Let’s go to bed.” He helped her out of the car. She let him lead her into the house. They changed clothes and crawled into their bed, a warm sanctuary from the hollow emptiness that filled them both. He wrapped her up in his protective embrace.

  Not knowing Logan’s whereabouts wasn’t something Rainer ever remembered experiencing before.

  “They’re all right, right?” Emily begged. Rainer nodded and clung to her tightly.

  “Yeah, baby. Logan won’t let anything happen to her.”

  “It’s not her I’m so worried about,” Emily fussed just before she fell asleep in Rainer’s arms.

  Monday morning, Rainer left for work two hours early, at Emily’s insistence. He called her as soon as he parked the Mustang and walked into the Iodex office.

  “Yeah, he’s here.” He felt his own breath coming easier as he stared at the back of Logan’s head. He was seated at his desk. “I’ll call you after practice.”

  “Where the hell have you been? You scared us all to death!” Fury filled the space that despair had vacated.

  Logan raised his head. He looked horrible.

  “What happened to you?” Rainer was horrified as he took in Logan’s swollen red eyes and desolate stare.

  Logan swallowed as Rainer grabbed the chair from his own desk and rolled it right in front of Logan.

  “Uh,” Logan seemed too distraught or too exhausted to formulate an answer. “Let’s see here.” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “She wanted to see her mom. So, I took her, not that it got us anywhere, but I figured she had a right to ask her mother why she was doing this.” He swallowed back another round of tears.

  Thankful that no one else was in the office yet, Rainer placed a reassuring hand on Logan’s shoulder to try to hold him up. He was on the verge of collapse.

  “So, uh, after that, we went to Great Falls to talk for a while.”

  Great Falls was a waterfall park near the Haydenshires’ property. It was a common hangout for teenagers who wanted to park. Rainer had been there with Emily several times.

  “Then,” Logan shook his head in utter disbelief. “Sunday, she kind of freaked and decided she was moving back into her mother’s old apartment,” he finally managed to force the words from his throat.

  “What?!” Rainer was completely astonished. “But her stuff is at our house.”

  Logan shook his head. “We were there yesterday, when you went back to Mom and Dad’s. She packed all her stuff.” He tried desperately to blink back the tears that began trickling down his face.

  “Wait, why didn’t you call me if she wanted to move? I would’ve helped you talk her out of it.”

  Logan’s body gave a convulsive shudder. “She broke up with me.” He finally succumbed to the tears that had been threatening to overwhelm him.

  “What? What do you mean she broke up with you? She’s crazy about you! How did she get to work? What about all the stuff you’ve done for her?” Rainer was furious. Logan was his best friend, and he deserved a hell of a lot better than this.

  “Yeah, that’s why she broke up with me, according to her anyway.” His explanation was strangled off by his emotion.

  “Wait,” Rainer drew a deep breath and forced himself to think. “So, Iodex shows up at the house Saturday night. They interrogate all of us about whether or not we’ve traded Adeline drug money for sex, but you said she freaked Sunday. What happened between Saturday night and Sunday?”

  Logan studied Rainer for several long minutes.

  “Logan. Tell me, please; we’ve been best friends since we were born. I want to help.”

  “She’s a couple of days late, but I didn’t know that until Sunday,” Logan finally murmured. His voice was distant and weak.

  Rainer’s mouth fell open, but he wasn’t able to make audible sound as he shook his head in disbelief.

  “So, between Grandpa calling her a stray cat, and my entire family being questioned about her, and her thinking she’s pregnant, she decided that she’s going to ruin my life. She just kep
t saying that she isn’t good enough for me or my family, so she moved out and told me not to come back.”

  “But,” Rainer shook his head. He couldn’t decide which question to ask first. “But, if she’s pregnant, don’t you have a right to know that?”

  “According to her, I don’t deserve to be saddled with her and all of the problems she causes, so if she is then she’ll either give the baby up for adoption, or raise it herself and never tell anyone whose it is,” he stated the utter absurdity of her decision.

  “Why did you let her move out?”

  Logan glared at him hatefully. “I’m not going to make her live with me if she doesn’t want to. I’m not a tyrant!”

  He drew a deep, steadying breath and attempted to make the images a little clearer. “She’s a healer, and you probably don’t know this since Em’s a Receiver, but healers have to be casted,” his voice edged towards embarrassment, “Every single time, because her body heals itself so rapidly.”

  “She thinks she forgot a few weeks ago, and now she says it’s all her fault, although I repeatedly pointed out that she didn’t get herself pregnant. All of Grandpa’s shit about Brooke and Will drove her over the edge. She was supposed to start Friday. She didn’t realize she was late until Sunday morning. I guess she forgot about it, or whatever.”

  “Man, I am so sorry,” Rainer shook his head in the fervency of his concern.

  Logan nodded, and clenched his jaw. His eyes shut tightly. “I slept in the parking lot of the apartment complex last night,” he admitted.

  “Logan…” It physically hurt him to watch his best friend fall apart.

  “I’m not leaving her there alone. Not after what happened graduation night. I stayed until Brad picked her up for work,” he choked and began crying again. Rainer shook his head in horror.

  “Man, that’s rough.” It was just too much. He couldn’t stand the image of Logan sitting in the car, staring at the derelict apartment that had housed Adeline’s mother’s prostitution business.

  She was the one who sold her body frequently for drugs. It was never Adeline. All Adeline had ever done was try to take care of her mother, up until the night she was attacked.