All We Ever Needed

by D. A. Young

  There was security everywhere, so she didn’t feel worried as they walked. She remembered Holt mentioning stables and went to check them out. With her business in high demand, Kat hadn’t gone riding in forever. She planned to rectify that before leaving Sweden. She entered the stables, and there was a door to her left that was cracked open. Kat knocked to make whoever was there aware of her presence.

  “Hej? It’s Kat Brammer.”

  There was a scuffle and then it swung open. It was Jefferey, the butler. She was surprised to see him away from the house. He greeted her with a nod but said nothing. His eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed agitated.

  “I wanted to take a look at the stables if that’s okay, Jefferey? I won’t stay long.”

  He covered his mouth and turned his head away with a slight cough. Kat stiffened. Was that liquor she smelled? She was unsure. Even though this wasn’t her house and she had no say in how things were run, she doubted the Falks would approve of drinking on the job.

  “Jefferey, is everything ok?”

  Again, he nodded and pushed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. His face turned away and he replied, “Yes, madam. A little under the weather but still able to work. Enjoy your visit. Falk stable has some of the finest animals you’ll ever encounter. If you’ll excuse me, I have to start my duties now.”

  He left her and Kat took Jules for a tour. Cleo found her still there an hour later. “Surprise! I was able to get away a little earlier today. I thought I’d come join you?”

  “Yes, please. How was work today?” Kat smiled as she handed Jules to his mother.

  “This is a busy time for the foundation. We’re preparing to break ground on the new children’s center next week. I feel like I’ve been on autopilot for the last couple of months. Putting one foot in front of the other.” Cleo sat down on a nearby bench and Kat joined her.

  “I have a confession that’s been troubling me. I don’t know how to say it to the family without offending them. I’ve practiced saying it aloud, and it feels horribly disloyal.”

  “If it’s bothering you this much, I’d be happy to lend an ear as long as you understand that my loyalties are with my husband, and we have no secrets between us.”

  Cleo smiled her understanding. “I miss saying that. My husband. I hate living here now. There are too many memories and knowing that my husband’s death was a prank Ivar wanted to play on Holt was the breaking point. I used to consider him my second grandfather-figure. I had no idea people could be so cruel.”

  Apparently, Ivar hacking his own daughter’s foot off wasn’t a strong enough clue, Kat thought. “Where would you go?”

  “Most likely, back home. I love everyone here but…Holt has banned my brother from Falk properties, and my father isn’t exactly welcome either. Ras said he did nothing to provoke him—”

  “Then your brother is lying,” Kat interrupted her coolly. “My husband isn’t a spiteful man. He’s a well-intentioned one. I know your brother was Otto’s best friend and they didn’t treat him nicely. Was your brother impartial or did he take sides?”

  Cleo blushed prettily. “I’ve upset you.”

  “Not necessarily. I’m just not going to let anyone bad-mouth my husband. Your reasons for wanting to leave sound perfectly valid to me. Bring them to the family and be direct about it. Given the current climate, I wouldn’t be surprised if those feelings weren’t mutual.”

  “You’re right. I’m scared that Ivar won’t let me continue to make a difference by continuing with the foundation if I do. My work is all I have. Daniel has been busy picking up my slack in my absence. I want to be front and present and make…” Cleo smiled brightly, allowing Kat to see her resilience, “my husband proud.”

  That was as good a reason as any for Holt to take up her case, Kat thought. “Talk to Holt. I’m sure he’d be willing to listen to what you have to say. It’s for a good cause.”

  Cleo was instantly relieved. “Thank you for listening. Would you like to have lunch mid-week? I know a lovely café down by one of the marinas? I’d love to hear all about you and your fascinating career.”

  “I don’t know about fascinating, but it does inspire me. I would like that, thanks.”

  Jules squealed his approval and the women laughed. “I think he’s trying to tell me about his adventures today. What else have you seen of the grounds, Kat? It’s been a while since I’ve been out. Would you mind if I joined you two?”

  Kat smiled. “The more the merrier.”

  ***

  On day four of Kat’s visit, Holt made a seemingly spur-of-the-moment choice to take her sailing at breakfast. He included the entire family, save Ivar, due to his bedrest. After living with the family for three months, Holt had their schedules down pat. Only the siblings were predictably available, and they took Blaise’s speedboat. Holt had swept Ivar’s study top-to-bottom and found nothing. He was growing frustrated and pissed. A combination like that resulted in mistakes, which he couldn’t afford. Since finding out about Samuelsson, Holt had ordered Darby’s men to surveil his place round-the-clock. He’d even brought more in to work undercover at the foundation as the nightly cleaning crew. They’d scoured the place, Samuelsson’s office, and phone records, personal and business. The result was the same across the board: nothing.

  Too much nothing was a blatant red flag.

  It was time to bring the recruits in. Magnus was arriving tomorrow afternoon. He was to check in at the hotel Holt had previously stayed in.

  Kat’s head kept whipping to and fro as they surged through the maze of islands in Stockholm’s Archipelago. She leaned back against Holt, enjoying the boat’s power and the scenery. The environment was forest mixed with rugged backdrop, narrow straits, and islands that varied in size. Some were big enough to populate small communities or a single farm while others were tiny enough to contain only a single tree.

  Kat spied a moose, some deer, and Holt pointed out a red fox to her.

  “In the summer, they swim between the islands,” he explained. “There’s an abundance of wildlife in the archipelago. Wait until summer. The birds that migrate here are a sight to see. There are at least two types of eagles, loons, Canadian geese, ospreys to name a few. You’ll even see seals.”

  “This is surreal, babe. We have to do this again before we leave.”

  “It’s a trip,” Holt agreed. “I was thinkin’ we could rent one of them little cabins for a weekend and go hikin’. I’ve always wanted to but never got around to it.”

  Blaise took the boat out in open water and did circles with it, literally showboating. “He’s such a speed addict. We might have to get one and give him a run for his money. What do you say, darlin’?”

  She faced him, staring at her reflection in his Prada Navigator aviators. Holt wore his wealth extremely well when warranted and traversed easily between Stockholm and Whiskey Row. Today, he was wearing a black bomber jacket over a black cashmere V-neck sweater and gray slacks with black calfskin boots. Kat knew he didn’t keep anything casual here, so she’d followed his cue when packing.

  “You want to get a boat?”

  Holt tucked her curls behind her ear. “I wouldn’t mind. As long as everythin’s good back home and my vacation time doesn’t interfere with the fellas’ requests for time off, we could take it and see some of Europe. What do you think?”

  Kat laughed at him. She was now fully aware of her husband’s net worth. He’d added her to all of his accounts the morning after their wedding night while she’d slept. Holt casually informed her of his move while on the jet as he placed his laptop in front of her. As he pointed out where her electronic signatures were required, Kat’s eyes couldn’t help but slide and focus on the column that held the balances to their multitude of accounts. She thought she’d have to pick her eyeballs up off the floor.

  “You’re rich,” she announced stupidly. “Like rich, rich!”

  “I know how you feel about me payin’ for your expenses. I respect that. But yo
u’re my wife, Kat. And as your husband, I want to spoil you and shouldn’t be made to feel like a criminal or sexist because I want to take care of you in every way. I take comfort in knowin’ that I can have your back at all times. What’s mine is yours. Deal with it.”

  He sat down across from her with an ‘and what?’ expression, waiting for her to complete the forms. Kat wanted to give him crap, just for being bossy. That was until she noticed the automatic donations to various charities for the environment, wildlife, veterans, and women’s shelters. She signed without protest. For Holt to be concerned about his work schedule and those of his friends and business partners when he clearly didn’t have to work at all, spoke volumes about his character. When Kat handed the laptop back, he was visibly relieved.

  “Thank you, love,” he’d said as if she was the one doing him a favor.

  “I think it’s cute that you’re asking like your mind isn’t already made up. You enjoy it here more than you led me to believe. Admit it.”

  Holt grinned at her and leaned in for a kiss. He tried to keep it tame in front of his cousins. It was an unlikelihood given his all-consuming level of love for Kat. His wife’s taste combined with the petal soft-ripeness of her mouth had him forever shook. Her lips meshed with his, and her nails sank into his beard as Holt’s hand tightened on her hip and pulled her into him. They’d made love lazily this morning. Every kiss and touch prolonged to tide them over until they’d return to their room late in the afternoon. Holt wasn’t going to last until then.

  “Get a room or jump in and cool off, kusin!” Blaise’s shout interrupted them. They unwillingly broke apart with a laugh.

  “I never said that I didn’t. I simply love it even more with you here, darlin’. Now, I can show you Sweden the way I once offered to.”

  “It is as beautiful as I imagined.” Kat scanned the spacious ten-seater. “Would the boat be comparable in size to this one?”

  “Nah. I’m thinkin’ about somethin’ bigger to accommodate our entire family when they come to visit.”

  Holy shit. What the hell? What he really meant was a yacht.

  “Let’s do it! D.J. would love being out on the water. I swear my baby is part fish.”

  Blaise’s antics had mussed his sister’s hair, and she was pissed-off.

  “Idiot! Cut it out!” she shouted at him, taking one of her pumps off and throwing it at him.

  Blaise caught it and dangled it over the water. Thea rushed him and tried to get it back. They started laughing as he played Keep Away with it.

  “Have they always gotten along?”

  “Yes. Matty’s death has brought them even closer together. This is the first time since the night of the bombing that they’ve been this relaxed.” Holt took his aviators off and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And now, I have to rock their world again.”

  “It’s awful, but they need to be aware of the danger around them.”

  “And what I need to do is convince them of your belief that personal justice needs to take a backseat.” Holt frowned. “Wish me luck, baby. Hey, I need to speak with y’all for a second.”

  Thea slanted a wary look at her brother. “Concerning what?”

  “Matty.”

  Blaise cut the engine and took his sister’s outreached hand, presenting a show of solidarity. “Has there been a development?”

  After the bombing, Blaise and Thea had been inconsolable with grief. They declared Ivar dead to them and had not seen him since the memorial. They wanted to leave the estate; yet, Holt managed to talk them out of it. Blaise wanted revenge. Holt managed to persuade him and Thea to devote their energy to the company instead. He’d do what needed to be done.

  “There has. Please sit down.”

  “I planned on takin’ Kat on the water soon, and I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone. I couldn’t take the chance of the house bein’ wired.”

  “What?!” the siblings exclaimed.

  “Bojku found me.”

  Holt launched into an explanation of what occurred, and by the time he was done, Thea was crying and Kat comforted her. Blaise was on his feet, spinning in circles, much like he’d maneuvered the boat. His eyes brimmed with rage and grief, and Holt got to his feet and reeled him in. He could feel the volatile emotions swirling and trying to tear Blaise apart as his sister’s heart-wrenching sobs broke him. It was the same way Holt felt when Hamish left. The reason why he’d split every piece of wood envisioning Samuelsson’s arrogant face. The air reeked with violence and despair.

  “He dies!” Blaise screamed into Holt’s bomber jacket, pushing into his older cousin, silently begging him to help him shed his emotional load. Suddenly, he wasn’t a man anymore but a kid needing his big brother. But Matty was gone. Otto, too. Holt was now his only big brother. Blaise wrapped his arms around him and held on. He had to. His family was disappearing every time he blinked. “By my hand! He took them from us! We let him in!”

  “He’s in our space! Smiling at us!” Thea fumed, lifting her head to Holt accusingly. “Holt, he has access to the foundation’s account!”

  “I’ve got Magnus and Graham trackin’ it as well as Samuelsson’s financials. If there are any red flags, they’ll catch them,” he assured her. “Blaise, I get where your head’s at. Believe me, if I had my way, he’d already be stripped of his skin.”

  Kat stared out at the waters, her stomach lurching at the visual his words conjured up. She’d had no pretenses of who her husband was before marrying him. It didn’t make her love him any less when he revealed another facet, but sometimes, it was a bit unnerving.

  “Then why isn’t he?” Blaise jerked out of his cousin’s hold to brace himself against the side of the speedboat, head hung, staring into the blue depths of the lake. He knew he sounded like a petulant child and couldn’t help it. “What prevented you from making it happen, Holt? I know you’re not scared of anything! You’re the Woodsman for fuck’s sake!”

  “It’s a little more complicated than just us,” Holt replied carefully. “Samuelsson’s been doing this for years. Who knows how many more victims he has out there? Or where they’re located? The families that are waitin’ for information deserve answers too.”

  Blaise didn’t reply.

  Thea gave Kat a grateful hug and extracted herself from her arms to join her brother and lean against the boat. Her cries had been reduced to sniffles as she came to terms with the real reason Matty had died. It made her even prouder to have known the honorable and brave man she’d been privileged to have as her big brother.

  “I’m afraid he’s right, Blaise,” Thea acknowledged dully. “I like it even less than you do but remember how crazy we were seeking answers. We got ours. As painful as they are, we do have them. It wouldn’t be fair to not give other families the closure they also deserve.”

  “Christ, Thea! You think I don’t know that?” Blaise tipped his head back. He pivoted around to mimic her position, staring at their cousin. “What do you need from us?”

  “I need you to keep your eyes and ears open. Go about your business as normal but play it cool. No changes in routines. Hamish claims that Matty left evidence behind. Can you think of anywhere he might have stashed it?”

  “No. Should we ask Cleo?”

  “I don’t know what she can and can’t handle at the moment. Matty’s death was hard on her. She has to work with Samuelsson. I’m scared that if we tip our hand without clear and concise evidence, he’ll disappear and clean house on everythin’. I’m goin’ to meet with the private investigator this afternoon. He’s been out of town for the past week. His secretary says he’s back today.”

  “Why don’t I take Kat out while you do that? Feel like doing a little damage to his credit card?” Thea joked, unaware of the touchy subject between husband and wife. Her eyes raked Kat over, approving of her boyfriend-cut mustard blazer, white button blouse, and black leggings tucked into her favorite black stiletto ankle-boots.

  “She’s got it if she needs to use it,
” Holt answered for Kat, leaving the choice up to her. “Have fun. Bring me back somethin’ good.”

  “Thanks, babe. Any requests?”

  “Yeah, somethin’ spicy-sweet and sexy and black and Russian with a sassy mouth. That queen shit.” He kissed her smiling mouth briefly. “You know it’s my fuckin’ weakness, woman.”

  ***

  He met with the private investigator that Matty had hired and turned up nothing new. He reiterated the same information Hamish had shared with Holt.

  “You don’t have any backup for the photos?”

  The older man smiled, reminding Holt of a walrus with his bald head, jowly face, and thick, saddle bar mustache. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Brammer. Mr. Falk only hired me under the condition that he’d be able to keep the RAW file on a USB, and that I destroy everything else. If you’d like me to restore it, I can try, but it’s a costly process.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

  “Yes, of course. I was sorry to hear about his death.”

  That night, after making love, Kat was lights out, triggering Holt’s guilt. He was taking his volatile emotions out on his beautiful wife. Not that Kat had protested when he put her ass in the air and wore it out. She’d loved it all and came three times before Holt poured his soul into her. It took him a little while longer to fall asleep, but when he did, he dreamed of memories with Matty and Otto.

  One in particular stood out.

  ***

  Past

  “What are you readin’?”