by Debbie Mason
Sophie and Ava joined them by the truck, cutting off any more thoughts about the woman he was pretty sure he was in love with. If only he’d known a couple of weeks ago what he knew now…
“How did this get leaked to the press so—”
Marco turned to see what had caused Sophie to stop midquestion and for her eyes to go wide. Theia and her sisters were walking Jasper from the police station. An angry shout came from a man in the crowd gathered near the doors. It was followed by another. Things were about to get ugly.
“Get Ma in the car and take her home. I’ll talk to the chief. Get him to reschedule her interview,” Marco whispered to his sister, and then took off at a run toward the station.
He hoped to God his sister and Ava blocked Rosa’s view of Jasper leaving the building a free man. He glanced over his shoulder. He wasn’t the only who knew Rosa. They were hustling her from the truck to the car. He held his breath until he heard the car doors shut.
“Marco! Hold up!” Liam ran down the road. “What’s going on? I thought Rosa was supposed to be—” He looked at the station when the shouting intensified. “Who let Jasper out?”
“If you ask me, it looks like Theia and her sisters did.” He glanced at Liam as they ran to the station. “So you’re telling me you had no idea?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m telling you. I told your sister the same thing, but it looks like if Jasper’s guilty, we all are in the DiRossis’ eyes.”
“Walk in our shoes, amico, and tell me how’d you’d feel.” At a loud bellow, their gazes shot to the parking lot. Someone had made a move on Jasper, and Theia had inserted herself between them. The shout came from Daniel, who’d just jumped from a car. Marco’s mother’s car, to be precise. He didn’t have time to think about that because Daniel was now threatening the man who’d threatened his daughter.
The police officers, who’d been trying to hold back the crowd, must have radioed for help, as several officers, including Liam’s cousin, piled out of the station. Just in time to see Daniel knock out the man who’d threatened Theia.
Liam shrugged. “He used to be a boxer.”
“He can tell that to the cop who’s about to cuff him,” Marco observed as they approached the scene.
“Liam, get them out of here.” Aidan Gallagher gestured at Theia, Jasper, and her sisters.
As much as he wanted to check on Theia, Marco didn’t trust himself around Jasper. He turned toward the station. He had to speak to the chief and find out how the hell Jasper was out of jail.
“Marco, wait.”
He bowed his head at the sound of Theia’s voice and then stopped walking and turned.
“So that’s it. You’re just going to shut me out. Not take my calls.” She stood a few feet away from him, her hands in the pockets of her jeans, her dark hair falling in her eyes. He took a step toward her. All he wanted to do was brush the hair from face and take her in his arms. But then the press started shouting questions, reminding him why they were there.
“I was going to call you back after my grandmother talked to the chief.” His jaw clenched as he looked over her head. He lifted his chin. “How did you do it? How did you get him off?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “He didn’t do it. Colleen did.”
Marco reached out to lift her chin with his knuckle, forcing her to look at him. “No more lies, remember? Look at me and tell me how you got him off.”
Theia covered his hand with hers. “It’s not what you think. There’s more to the story, Marco. You have to talk to Rosa.”
He freed his hand from hers. “So what, you’re trying to tell me my grandmother had something to do with it? That she’s somehow to blame for my grandfather’s—”
“No, not at all. She’s the real victim in this. Jasp—I mean Colleen was trying to protect Rosa. It was an accident. It had been raining. They were down on the rocks. Antonio, your grandfather, had come looking for Ronan. As I understand it, Antonio had been jealous of Ronan for a very long time.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s not my story to tell. You have to talk to your grandmother about this.”
“I’m not going to talk to her about a bunch of lies that were made up for the sole purpose of getting Jasper off.”
“I understand you’re angry on Rosa’s behalf, that your family is in shock. But I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe what happened that night wasn’t a horrible accident. People have been carrying a lot of guilt and a lot of pain over that night for decades. Your grandmother included. It’s important that you to talk to her about this, Marco. For her sake.” She turned to walk away.
“Did Kitty know?”
Shoulders bowed, she nodded. “Yes. I don’t think she’s known for long though. She wasn’t just protecting…Colleen. She was protecting Rosa too.”
“Cara, look at me.” She slowly turned to face him. “Tell me the truth. Did Jasper kill my grandfather, or did Colleen?”
She lifted her chin. “Ninety percent of the confession is the absolute truth. Call me once you’ve talked to your grandmother and I’ll tell you, and only you, the ten percent that isn’t.”
“How do you know I won’t go to the chief right now and tell him what you just said?”
“Because I trust you. Now you have to trust me to know that while I will do what I can to protect my family, I wouldn’t do it at the expense of yours. You have my number,” she said, and then walked away.
His mother, who’d gotten out of her car, said something to Theia before continuing toward him.
“I thought you said you were no longer dating Daniel,” he said to his mother while watching Theia walk to the black limo at the far end of the parking lot. The crowds had dissipated, but the press was still crowded around the door to the station, waiting for a statement. It was a statement Marco would like to hear. But he’d get his directly from the chief, not the communications officer.
“We’re not dating, but it doesn’t mean I can’t try to help him. He’s deeply ashamed and afraid. Emotions all of us have faced at one time or another.” She glanced around before saying, “I overheard a little of your conversation with Theia. She’s right. You need to talk to Rosa. And if she won’t talk to you, ask your father. He remembers some of it, but he doesn’t like to talk about it. I think your uncle Gino does too. And Dr. Bishop. But you’d need Rosa’s consent for him to speak to you.”
“You obviously know, so why don’t you tell me?”
“Because your father made me promise I would never tell you kids. You should hear it from Rosa. Maybe it will help her exorcise the demons once and for all.”
“He beat her? Is that what you’re not saying? My grandfather beat my grandmother?”
“Keep your voice down,” she said, once again glancing the reporters’ way. “Yes, he did. The night that Antonio disappeared—died, as we now know—he put your grandmother in the hospital. She said she fell down the stairs.”
If his grandfather weren’t already dead, Marco would have been sorely tempted to kill him himself.
* * *
For the past two days, Theia had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. She’d basically told Marco she’d lied about Colleen’s confession. She didn’t feel like she had any other choice. Still, she didn’t have a clue what she’d say or do should the police arrive at the manor.
Now that forty-eight hours had passed, she felt herself relaxing. At least about the likelihood of her being arrested for falsifying evidence.
But the police weren’t the only ones who hadn’t shown up on her doorstep. Neither had Marco. Which was why she was loitering outside Sophie’s office, hoping to have a word with his sister.
“Can I help you with something, Theia?”
She yelped and placed a hand on her chest, turning to glare at Jasper. “You can’t sneak up on people like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“You’re too young and fit to have a heart attack. And I wasn’t sneaking about.” She heard the accusing unlike you
in his voice.
She groaned. “How many times do I have to tell you I did exactly what Colleen would have wanted me to? The last thing she’d want is you rotting in a cell because you accidently killed a man who routinely beat his wife. She loved you, and they owed you.”
He cupped her elbow with his hand and shepherded her into the library.
“It’s true,” she said when he closed the door. “Maybe not Colleen, but your father certainly owed you. You’re a Gallagher. The manor and everything in it should have been yours.” She sat heavily in the chair by the window.
Jasper took the seat beside her. “I don’t care about that. But I do care about Madam’s reputation. I won’t have everyone believing she’s a murderer.”
“She didn’t confess to being a murderer. She confessed to exactly what happened that night. You had no choice. You confronted him about putting Rosa in the hospital, and he attacked you. It wasn’t your fault he slipped on the rocks in the rain. I’m sure everyone in Harmony Harbor will be glad you stood up to him once the truth gets out about Antonio.”
“From what I’ve observed the past two days, the majority of Harmony Harborites are feeling less than supportive of the Gallaghers and the manor. The dining room is nearly empty. The Widows Club just canceled Wednesday Wing Night, and I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for Rosa to confirm the rumors of Antonio’s abuse. She kept it a secret while it was going on, and she’s worked hard to put the past behind her. The last thing she wants is to have it all out in the open.”
“I’d say that ship has sailed.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“I am, and I’m right about something else. This is what Colleen wanted. I felt it, Jasper. There’s no other way I can describe it. You also care about more than Colleen’s reputation. You care about Kitty. She needs you now more than ever. The Widows Club and Rosa have turned against her.”
He flexed the fingers of his right hand. “If Ryan Wilson knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay far from Harmony Harbor.”
“You haven’t seen him since the day you were released?” He’d been screaming at them from the front of the police station, livid to be denied his revenge. Theia had been nervous he might try something else. As the days passed her worry had subsided, but it was instantly renewed by the mere mention of his name.
“No. But as you know, I’ve been sticking close to the manor.”
Given the feelings in town, the chief of police had advised Jasper to keep a low profile for a while. All the Gallaghers, really.
At Jasper’s solemn expression, Theia thought a change of subject was in order. “Tomorrow’s the big day. Penelope’s and Daphne’s month of servitude is up, and I only have a couple of weeks to go.”
That earned her a small smile. “Your grandmother couldn’t be happier that you girls are voting to keep the manor in the family.”
“Well, Daphne and I have some news that we hope will make her even happier. We’ve both decided to stay in Harmony Harbor.” She’d made her decision the night she’d spent at Marco’s. With everything that had happened, she hadn’t had a chance to tell him. Now she wasn’t sure he’d care. She forced her lips to curve. Although it wasn’t that hard when she thought about her sister and the twins. “Pen’s booked one of the cottages for the entire summer next year.”
“That’s wonderful news. We’ll celebrate tomorrow.”
“Do you think Sophie and Ava will come? I haven’t seen them around.”
“No. I think it will just be your sisters, the twins, Kitty, and myself.”
“Really? I thought by now things would have begun to get back to normal. At least with Ava, Sophie, and the family. I guess I was being overly optimistic.”
“It will take some time for things to return to normal, if they ever do. But Sophie and Ava are back home with their husbands.” He reached over and patted her hand. “Give him time, Theia. Rosa has been Marco’s sole responsibility for more than a decade now. This will be difficult for him to come back from. But like Liam and Griffin, he’s been busy at work. Both the fire department and the Coast Guard are preparing for the possibility the storm may change course. It’s why I believe a small celebration would be best.”
Damaging winds and heavy rains were scheduled to make landfall fifty miles up the coast early the next morning.
“You’re right, of course.” She was talking about keeping the celebration small, but she hoped he was right about Marco too.
“You know, there’s still time to join your father and sisters on the whale-watching tour. The twins wanted Ronan Jr. and Mia to join them, so Sophie will be there. It will give you a chance to get better acquainted. Maybe find out how Marco is?”
“You’re not very subtle, you know. But I think I’ll pass.” Her sisters had begged her to go, stooping so low as to have the twins fake cry. Daniel had been disappointed too. She felt bad that her fears were keeping her from an afternoon with the boys and her sisters, and she felt even worse now knowing that Sophie would be onboard. But the thought of being that far out to sea, with the dark water and the sharks, made her stomach turn and her knees weak.
“It leaves the dock in ten minutes. Say the word, and I’ll call the captain and have him hold the boat for you.”
“Maybe next time. I have a call in to my landlord in New York that I can’t afford to miss.”
Four hours later, Theia discovered there was something much scarier than sharks and black water on the ocean that day.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Marco strode to the end of the wharf, barely able to hold himself together. Sophie, Mia, and Ronan were in the hands of a madman. A man who hated the Gallaghers so much he’d hijacked the tour boat they were on this afternoon, holding them for ransom.
Ryan Wilson had let anyone unrelated to the Gallaghers off at Bridgeport. Detectives from HHPD had been interviewing them for the past several hours, hoping for clues as to where Wilson had taken them. So far they hadn’t had a break in the case.
It wasn’t for a lack of volunteers. Anyone who had a boat was on the water searching for the tour boat. But moments ago, the Coast Guard had ordered everyone but the professionals off the water because of the turn in the weather.
The storm that been slated to reach landfall fifty miles down the coast had intensified over the last several hours, turning at the last minute so that it was now barreling toward them. Dusk had fallen, and the winds had picked up. The night would only get worse.
And somewhere out on the vast ocean were his family…and Liam’s, he thought as he spotted his best friend getting ready to board the Coast Guard cutter. Liam turned at his approach. The fear thrumming through Marco’s body was reflected on his best friend’s face.
Liam walked to him, pulling him into a fierce hug. Marco hugged him back just as hard, unable to get the words out. They’d been here before. Terrified they were going to lose Sophie and Mia in the carriage house fire. The reminder helped. They’d survived.
Marco stepped back and put his hands on his best friend’s shoulders. “They’ve gotten out of worse. They’re smart and strong.”
Liam looked away, wiped his eyes, and nodded. “I know. How’s Rosa?”
He glanced at his grandmother, wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by her friends. She looked old and beaten down. “It’s been a lot. I’m worried about her. How’s Kitty?”
“Same. It’s taken a toll.”
He didn’t want to voice his fear that this was one crisis too many for the two older women. He had to stay positive not only for Rosa and Liam but for himself. “How’s Theia holding up?”
“You haven’t talked to her?”
“Between Rosa and the storm and now this, I haven’t had a minute to myself.”
“Give me a break. You can’t take what’s going on with our families out on her.” Liam’s eyes narrowed. “Unless she was just a summer fling to you.”
“You know better.” Marco didn’t want to tell him that Rosa was being dif
ficult about his relationship with Theia. She’d made him promise not to have anything to do with her. At any other time, he would have told her to butt out of his love life. But this wasn’t one of those times. “I thought she’d be down here.”
“She was.” Liam frowned, turning as a seaplane cruised to the dock one over from them.
Marco walked to the edge of the wharf. “I think I just found her.” He tried to get a better look at the man getting out of the plane. He had a duffel bag in his hand. “I recognize him. That’s the guy she used to work for at Wicklow Developments. What’s he doing here?”
Liam swore. “Sully, Griff, I think we have a problem.” He lifted his chin at the other dock.
“What’s going on?” Marco asked, keeping an eye on Theia and Caine, stiffening when the other man hugged her. He’d been dying to have her in his arms again, and now because he’d been trying to keep the peace at home, afraid to deny his grandmother anything in the state she was in, he worried he might have lost his chance. No, he realized at the familiar suffocating tightness in his chest. He was beyond worried.
Liam’s voice penetrated his near panic. “We were instructed by HHPD not to pay the ransom. Which we probably couldn’t have come up with anyway, since Wilson is asking for half a million—”
Marco took off down the wharf before Liam got the last words out. He slowed as he reached his grandmother. “They’ll be okay. We all will.” He kissed the top of her head, tucking the blanket around her shoulders. “Take care of her,” he told her friends.
He heard Rosa and Liam calling to him, but he couldn’t stop. He had to get to Theia. She was going to play hero. Fly off on her own into the rainy night over the dark ocean and deliver the ransom to Ryan Wilson. There were people and press everywhere, slowing him down.
