by K J Bell
I hug him as tightly as I can, letting him know I’m right here with him. “I don’t know how you’ve handled things as well as you have.”
“Not easily,” he admits. “After she told me about my father, she said if I didn’t want to be involved in the company, it would be hers to run. I wanted nothing to do with anything my father’s name was on. It was for that reason I’ve let Sheila run the company. But only on the condition that Liv and Tug never find out. They have their mother on a pedestal. I tell myself it’s so they can keep her there, but there is also a part of me that’s afraid I’ll lose them.” His voice finally cracks, and although I don’t look up, I know he’s crying.
I have to reassure him that Liv and Tug love him unconditionally and nothing will change that. “Liv and Tug love you. You would never lose them. So they’re your cousins and not your siblings. You’re still family. It’s Shelia that should be worried about losing them, not you, Brady.”
“I’m not sure she cares. She never loved me. I was nothing more to her than a bargaining chip for her career. I think that’s why I’ve always had such a short fuse and got into trouble. I just wanted her to fucking notice me. I’ve spent my entire life trying to fill a void. That’s why I was so drawn to you. When you were around, I never felt empty.” I smile and squeeze him hard again. “I’ve hated her with everything in me since her confession. I only let her run the company because I hate my real father more.”
“That company belongs to you, and letting her have it means she wins.” I sound childish, but damn it, I’m pissed!
He shrugs against my cheek. “Yes, but it’s tainted. I didn’t want anything to do with the money at first either, but then I saw it as an opportunity to help others. I chose to invest my father’s fortune in things that are worthwhile and that piss Sheila off in the process.”
I lift my head up to see his eyes bright. “The Center?”
A huge smile stretches his face. “Yep. After I found out, I spent some of it on frivolous things. Got into a little trouble partying. Ironically, at one of those parties, I met Rodrigo. I couldn’t think of a better way to stick it to my father or Sheila than investing in a center that helps poor unwanted children in Mexico.”
I smile, and my fingers trace along the script of his tattoo. “Brady, what does this say?” He shifts uncomfortably, and I wish I never asked. Things are so right between us. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. It’s Latin. It says, ‘Once a man is broken, only love can pick up the pieces and glue him back together.’”
My heart squeezes. I’ve thought he was broken before too, but it bothers me that he believes it. And that he has for so long. “Brady, you’re not broken.”
He smiles and presses his lips to my head. “Not anymore.”
I draw a line over the wings on the angel tattoo. “Is this your mom?”
“Yes. I saw the design in my friend’s shop, and it spoke to me. I had to get it.”
“It’s beautiful,” I say. I bet this one riled Sheila when she saw it. Good. “What about the door? What’s that one all about?”
He groans. “It’s stupid.”
“Why’d you get it then?”
He laughs hard, closing his arms around me tightly. “I was drinking unsupervised.”
Now my curiosity is maxed. “Come on. It obviously means something.”
He lets out a long sigh. “It’s the door to my heart. Locked away.” He laughs. “See, it sounds lame.”
“Brady, it’s not lame,” I insist. “And who does the hand belong to?”
“Well, it belongs to the unknown girl who was going to come along one day and unlock the door. I guess now she has a name.”
I can’t help it. I laugh. “Okay, you’re right. Totally cheesy.” He tickles me. “I’m kidding, Brady. I think you’re a very passionate person, and I love that you put such thought into each tattoo. It’s sweet.”
He shrugs. “Whatever.”
“Well, something good came out of all of this. With your help, Rodrigo does amazing work, no matter your motives.”
“True. My father’s money helps Rodrigo pay for things he otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.”
“I’m sorry for thinking you could ever be into something illegal. You just seemed so out of sorts, and Harrison planted a seed.” I approach the subject of Harrison cautiously.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
I bite my lip, not sure if I should tell him or not. He’s been lied to so much, and the only way things will work with us is honesty, so I fill him in. “He told me that Vanessa was concerned about the money you suddenly had and started asking questions. He thinks you killed her to keep her quiet.”
His body tenses, and his eyebrows scrunch up to his forehead. “He’s wrong. I did tell Vanessa about the money,” he admits. “It was about a week before the accident. She was furious with my mother. She even wanted to confront her. She thought I should take over the business and remove my mother from the company. I swear to you, Tori, on my mother’s grave, her death was an accident. I loved her.”
“I know it was an accident, Brady. That’s why I quit the Bean. Harrison wouldn’t stop pressing, and I couldn’t take it anymore. And I agree with Vanessa. You should take the business away from that bitch.” I sound harsher than I mean to.
Brady sits up and hops off the futon, pulling me up with him. He throws my clothes at me and starts getting dressed.
“What are we doing?”
“We are going to take a shower, and since I’m spilling my guts this morning, I think it’s time I explained everything to Harrison.”
I freeze for a moment, staring at him.
He notices. “What?”
“I’m proud of you, Brady.”
Brady
The house is quiet as Tori and I make our way up the stairs to her room, stopping on every other stair to kiss. Once in her room, she picks up her phone and the troubled expression on her face alarms me.
“What is it?”
She frowns and holds her phone out to me. I take the phone from her and when I glance at the cause of her distress, I’m over come with rage. Missed calls and texts from Jake fill her entire screen. Without reading them, I turn for the door, ready to go after him. Her hand on my arm stops me.
I take a deep breath and turn to her.
“What does he want?”
She looks down but doesn’t answer.
“What? And don’t lie to me,” I snap. My voice is firm and her eyes grow wide. I didn’t mean to startle her, but I know she’s holding back.
She frowns. “I wasn’t going to lie, but I don’t want you to be upset. You have enough going on.”
My anger is about to boil over, and then I realize Tori is not Sheila. She’s not hiding this for selfish reasons. “It’s because of what I have going on, that you need to tell me. Not saying anything is the same as lying and I can’t handle it.”
She looks up and meets my gaze before she hesitantly says, “He claims he wants me back.”
“That fucker! I’m going to kill him.”
“Don’t please,” she says. “Hurting him won’t change anything. Promise me, Brady. He’s not worth the trouble.”
As I consider her request the phone rings. A smile creeps up my cheeks as I swipe the screen on her phone, and hold it to my ear.
“Hey gorgeous,” Jake says. “Since you answered, does that mean you’re going to give me another chance?”
He’s one lucky son-of-a-bitch. If he was here, even Tori wouldn’t be able to stop me from hurting him. As it is, I’m fighting the urge to put my fist through the wall. “Jake this is Brady.”
“Oh,” he says, and then is silent.
“Tori is with me now, so stop calling her!”
“What do you mean, she’s with you?”
“I mean, she’s mine, and if you come near her, you’ll live to regret it.”
“That’s bullshit!” Jake shouts. “Tori would ne
ver go out with you. She hates you.”
I’m going to enjoy pushing this knife in deeper. I look right into Tori’s eyes as I speak. My hand strokes the side of her head. “No, she loves me. In fact, she loved me when she was with you and if I hadn’t been such an idiot, I would have taken her away from you, because you never deserved her.”
“Fuck you, Brady. You’re lying. Put Tori on the phone.”
Tori flinches when she hears his voice bellow through the phone and she shakes her head frantically. That’s it. I’m finished with the juvenile game playing. “Listen up, you sorry piece of shit. I’m only going to say this once. I know what you did to her, and the only reason I haven’t killed you is because it would hurt Tori, and I promised I wouldn’t. But I swear to you, if you come anywhere near her, or call her again, you will pay. Am I being perfectly clear?”
“Fine, I’ll leave her alone for now, but when you hurt her, I’m going to be there for her.”
I glance up at Tori’s wide eyes and smile.
“I guarantee that will never happen… By the way, Jake…Tori had her lips around my cock this morning and it was fucking incredible” I end the call without waiting for his reaction.
Laughter erupts from Tori as I set the phone down and tackle her to the bed. I was worried I’d pushed my luck, but she shows me how grateful she is by rewarding me with her mouth.
***
I silently question my motives for being here. Is it to convince Harrison Vanessa’s death was an accident and explain what happened, or to let him know that Tori is with me now? Perhaps it’s both. Not matter my reasons, Harrison should know the truth. He deserves it.
When he looks up from behind the counter, his anxious eyes meet mine. “What can I get you, Brady?” His voice is shaky as he tries to mask his anger toward me.
“I didn’t come here for coffee, Harrison. I was hoping we could talk about Vanessa.”
“Doesn’t that break the contract?” he asks condescendingly.
I’ve only been here two minutes, and I already want to punch him. I stay calm and remind myself why I’m here. “The contract is voided. I already had my attorneys shred it. Your family can speak freely about Vanessa and the accident.”
“Isn’t that going to piss your mother off?”
I can’t help my laughter. “God, I hope so. Look, I came to talk. Obviously I’d like to do that in private. Tori told me what you think of me, and I would appreciate the chance to explain. It’s long overdue, and you deserve to know the truth. You’re a good guy, Harrison. If you have a chance, please call my cell, and I’ll meet you wherever you want.” I turn toward the door, prepared to leave.
“Brady, wait. I can take a break now. I’ll meet you outside in five minutes.”
While waiting outside for Harrison, I think back to my morning with Tori and how beautiful she looked when I left her. My spirit soared to the stars after removing the weight that has paralyzed me for far too long. Telling her everything makes me look at her in an entirely different way. For the first time in my life, I’m hopeful and looking forward to the future, a future that includes the woman I love and a life without secrets.
Harrison is noticeably irritated when he comes outside. He nods toward the beach, and we walk until we reach a sidewalk table outside a sandwich shop. He takes a seat and glowers at me. “You’ve got ten minutes.” His teeth are clenched, and his hands are twined together, resting on the table. I can feel the anger rolling off of him. This is going to be an intense conversation.
Pulling out the plastic chair, I nod and have a seat. “I didn’t kill Vanessa.”
“I’ve heard this before, so if that’s all you came to say, I have to get back to work.” He starts to rise from his chair, but I hold my hand up, and he sits back down.
“I told Vanessa where the money came from, Harrison.”
“If only she were here to confirm that.” His acerbic tone is not helping things. I can’t blame him for not trusting me. Hell, I wouldn’t believe me, either. If Vanessa had been Liv or Tori on that bike and Harrison had been driving, I’d probably be in jail for murder.
“Come on, Harrison. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Do you honestly think I would kill her?”
He leans over the table, glaring at me. “I don’t know, Brady. You’re not the same person you were when we were kids. The only thing I’m sure of is that my cousin is dead after she asked questions about your sudden influx of wealth, and you paid her family a lot of money to keep them quiet.”
“My mother paid your family,” I remind him.
“It was your money!” he snaps.
“I didn’t kill her!” I realize we’re shouting, and look around to see if anyone has heard us.” No one is staring at us and I politely ask Harrison to keep it down.
Voice quieter now, he says, “I know the steering on your bike stuck and you lost control. I’ve heard the explanation.”
I remain calm, and ignore his cynical tone. “Look, I get that it’s hard to believe. It was hard for me to believe also, but I researched it later, and that make of bike is known to have steering problems. It’s even been recalled since then.”
He throws his hands up and falls back against the chair. “That’s awfully fucking convenient, Brady.”
For Vanessa alone, I decide to tell Harrison everything. As much as he pisses me off, he loved his cousin, and he’s just seeking answers. I start with my birth mother and father, revealing everything to him, right up to where Sheila became CEO and president of Gibson Capital. I let him know that I told Tori everything and she shares Vanessa’s opinion about Sheila. I tell him about how this morning she convinced me to finally take over the company that is rightfully mine, or at least remove Sheila from her position. He laughs and jokes how Tori and Vanessa have a lot of the same traits, how they’re both spunky and tenacious. I agree, and tell him how angry Tori is, and how Sheila better pray Tori doesn’t speak to her before I do. He listens without interrupting, and hangs on to every word. When I finish, his eyes are huge and his mouth is partly open. “So there you have it. That’s the honest, ugly truth, Harrison. I didn’t kill Vanessa. I loved her. The money was offered because Sheila is crazy and obsessed with not allowing anything to damage the reputation of Gibson Capital or take it away from her. The woman would stop at nothing to stay in power. You have to believe me.”
He suddenly scoots his chair back and stands. His anxious manner is unnerving. “Brady, where’s Tori today?”
“She’s at my house.”
“Is Sheila home?”
“She was coming in on a red-eye flight this morning. She landed at eight. I guess she’s back by now. Why?”
“Brady, we need to go to your house right now.” He’s adamant. “Vanessa went to see your mother two days before the accident.”
Chapter 35
Tori
I stroll down the hall toward the kitchen for a cup of coffee, still blushing over my morning with Brady and beaming with pride. He’s finally going to stand up to her. He’s on his way to make nice with Harrison, and I’m proud of him for that too.
Life is good, and nothing can come between us.
I stand in the kitchen doorway, and notice Sheila is home. Her luggage is next to the door, and her back is to me. She’s speaking to someone on her cell, and I stop cold. She doesn’t hear me and continues her conversation.
“No, Nate. I’m not worried. Brady isn’t going to tell her anything… So what, it’s not like he has real feelings for her. He’s thinking with his dick again…I know that’s what I said about the other one…well, if it happens, then I guess Tori will suffer an accident, too.”
I hold my hand over my mouth. Shock and anger course through me, and I gasp loud enough for her to hear me. She spins around and narrows her eyes when she sees me. “Nate, I’m going to have to call you back.” She sets her phone back in her purse. Never taking her eyes off me, she smoothes her palms down the sides of her black pencil skirt. I can tell she’s tryi
ng to intimidate me. It might be working. Man, this bitch is ice cold. She’d have to be to sleep at night after the years of conniving and deceit.
I’ve finally reached an inevitable crossroads with her. Which direction do I choose? Turn and walk away silently, or confront her? I have to make a decision, and I have to do it now. Confronting her is a decision that will impact the lives of all of us. Am I prepared to do what Brady’s avoided for so long? Am I strong enough to do it? Someone needs to be.
“It’s not polite to eavesdrop, Tori.” Her heels click against the tile as she walks to the other side of the island and stops at the sink to wash her hands. She dries them off on a dish towel and then leans on the island, glaring at me. “Is there something you needed?” Her voice is sweet and controlled.
Anger turns to bravery, and I decide to confront her. “You killed Vanessa.” She doesn’t confirm it, and now I’m not sure I heard her correctly.
She picks up the dish towel and lets it fall back to the counter almost immediately. “Oh, Tori. You think you’ve figured something out, don’t you?” Her voice is even and calm, but her body is stiff and her eyes are like ice. She’s done this before, and she’s damn good at it.
I cling to courage, and continue the confrontation. “I know who Brady’s father is. I know you used the affair his father had with your sister to further your career, despite what it would do to an innocent baby.”
She waves her hand dismissively, her bangle bracelets clanking together. “Oh, please, Brady never wanted for anything.”
I keep my eyes on her and walk to the island. She studies me as I stand directly across from her. I lean forward, glaring hatred at her. “He did, though. He wanted your love. No matter how much you pretended, Sheila, he’s never felt loved.”
Her fingernails roll across the counter continuously, and her eyes pull to the ceiling, like I’m boring her. It takes all the restraint I have not to leap across the counter and choke her. Finally her frigid stare returns to me. “Love was something I refused to offer Mona’s child. Brady is a grown man. He’ll get over it.”
