by Lannah Smith
"The hotel's nearer to the hospital."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "He's such a worrywart. I'm still far along."
"They're naming the baby after me," Christopher told Rohan.
Terry sighed. "For the last time, Skull. They were only joking when they said they were naming her Femur."
That made Christopher grin.
And, as he looked at his friends, his grin became bigger, seeing how far they have become.
Happy for them too.
Leon was currently working in the investigative agency that his father owned in Boston. Their business, already successful under his father's guidance, grew even more successful, eventually becoming security to the stars and to prominent businessmen from different companies in the country. His wife, Sophia, was taking a break from teaching since it was the baby’s last trimester. But mostly because Leon nagged and nagged her to rest until she finally caved.
John too worked in his father's company as the vice-president of their R&D. It wouldn't be long when he'd take over his father as president of Steele Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, but John wasn't in a hurry. He preferred to take his time learning about their business. And because he preferred having more free time to spend on dates with Terry when she wasn't busy. Because Terry also had a company to run with her father, the CEO of the Shimizu-Evans group and with her brother.
Rohan had also been successful in starting his own software company that dealt with cyber security and software solutions. He was living with Emmy, his girlfriend who had just recovered from a terrible blood disease that almost took her life, in a house near Christopher’s. Emmy was holding a solo piano concerto in this concert hall and they all came to support her. They were proud and happy that she had kicked death’s ass and happier for Rohan.
Christopher, Leon, John and Rohan had been friends since middle school. Their friendship was strong, their bonds never broken no matter how much they argued and fought. A friendship unlike any other, built out of respect and love, they would always have each other’s’ backs no matter what.
Christopher considered Leon, Rohan and John his brothers.
But sometimes, there were times he wished they didn’t treat him as such.
Chapter 4
Christopher watched Rohan gesture Leon to the side. The worried frown on Rohan’s face didn’t sit well with him nor the darkening of Leon’s expression.
Was this about Emmy? Or Sophia?
All of Christopher’s protective instincts kicked in. But his gut instinct warned him to let them be.
He listened to his protective instincts and joined them, asking, “What are you morons whispering over there?"
Rohan instantly turned to him, saying, "You haven't found her?"
His expression immediately turned grim. Because this clearly wasn’t about Emmy or Sophia.
Damn it.
He should have gone with his gut instinct.
"No," he muttered in answer.
"I'm waiting for you to ask for my help, Skull," Leon inserted. "But you're so goddamn stubborn."
He didn’t doubt Leon would. But Christopher didn’t want to. It was something he should do alone.
“And he’s keeping something from us,” Rohan muttered in a hard tone that made his gaze cut to him.
“No, I’m not,” he denied.
“We’re neighbors, moron,” Rohan countered. “Don’t think I didn’t see those men in black suits leave your house at 4 in the morning last week.”
Leon’s eyes narrowed and he asked in a low tone, “What the hell is going on, Skull?”
Christopher drew in breath.
“There seriously is nothing going on,” he grumbled. “They’re just people who I hired to find… to find her.”
Leon closed his mouth. But it was clear he, like Rohan, didn’t believe him for even a second.
Running a hand through his hair, Christopher looked at them and admitted in a low murmur, “There’s trouble brewing here in the city.”
At his words, Rohan’s face grew tight with worry. “Trouble?” he asked.
“Trouble that I don’t want to involve you.” Christopher gave the two of them an angry look. “All of you.”
“Hire me, Skull,” Leon said softly.
He shook his head, his jaw clenched. “No.”
“You really don’t have a choice.”
But Leon was wrong. He did have a choice.
A choice to protect them from the shit he was neck-deep in right now.
shit he didn’t even know that was happening until he was told it was happening.
shit he inherited from his long dead father.
Frustrated, Skull glowered at the two of them.
And fucking hell. Couldn’t they see?
Their lives were in order. Sophia was pregnant with their first child. Emmy had just gotten better from the disease that threatened her life, making Rohan breathe easy for the first time in many years. John, who Christopher also didn’t doubt would meddle, had just moved in with Terry after taking a long to while to convince her. They didn’t his shit staining their lives.
“Let’s speak about this tomorrow,” he mumbled, glancing at Sophia, Terry and John on the velvet couch. “The concert is about to start.”
Leon and Rohan exchanged glances.
Fortunately, they nodded and let the conversation die.
Together, they all filed into the low-lit auditorium and moved to the front row. Christopher sat on the well-padded seat between Terry and Rohan. Rohan looked like he had a lot more to say but Abigail and her father soon arrived and sat next to him, engaging him conversation.
Christopher leaned back and got comfortable. Beside him, Terry had made up with John and were talking in low murmurs about going to France after Christmas. He felt his cellphone inside his suit jacket vibrate. As expected, Alec had sent him a text message, asking him if the concert had ended. Annoyed, he sent him a quick text back, telling him it hadn’t even begun. And knowing his right-hand was going to annoy him even more with more texts, Christopher turned his phone off.
The hushing crowd and the lights dimming broke into his thoughts. His gaze drifted up the stage. The curtains were parting. A piano stood in the middle of the stage where a spotlight shone upon it and a woman was making her way towards it. She was a vision in her long, white dress. Her long brown hair fell to her back in waves and her eyes were shining with excitement when she sat on the bench.
Christopher felt himself relax as he stared at her. The sight of Emilia Schuyler always did that to him.
Then she started playing.
And he felt Rohan exhale next to him and turned his head to see his friend mesmerized by the sight of his girlfriend.
An image of a young girl with long strawberry blonde hair and gray eyes flitted through Christopher’s mind in a kind of waking dreaminess. He let that image stay there. In his mind. He yawned and got comfortable on the chair. As beautiful as the music was, it was making him feel sleepy, reminding him that he hadn’t had much sleep in the past week.
Closing his eyes, he thought of her. Of that girl who had once been his.
Wherever she was, Christopher wouldn’t stop looking.
He just knew he’d find her soon.
The backstage was full of people who wanted to congratulate Emmy on her solo piano concerto as Christopher made his way into it.
Holding his phone on his ear, he muttered, “I’ll be there, Alec.”
“You said that five minutes ago,” Alec said on an impatient growl. “Their men are already—.”
“I’m just going to say goodbye to them.”
“Damn it, Skull—.”
Christopher dropped the phone from his ear and disconnected. Then he slid it into the pocket of his suit jacket and plastered a smile on his face when he saw his friends talking at the end of the hall.
Emmy was in the middle of the group, beaming, in her happiest.
And alive.
/> It was what mattered to Rohan. What mattered to all of them. She had fought hard and clawed her way out of her disease. And she did get away.
Terry saw him approaching first. Leaning towards Emmy, she gestured towards him. Emmy turned her head. When she caught sight of him, she instantly ran up to him.
“Christopher!” she shouted, throwing her arms around him to give a tight hug. “You’re here!”
He laughed and hugged her back. “Your boyfriend is not going to kill me for this, right Emmy?”
“No,” she lifted her head to look at him, “Maybe.”
They both turned their heads to glance at Rohan, who was laughing at whatever her sister was saying, holding a large bouquet of flowers.
They returned their gazes to each other again.
And laughed.
Two years younger, sweet and fucking hilarious, Emmy had always been affectionate towards him and made no bones about showing him just as she didn’t anyone else. Part of it was because she’d always been grateful, he took care of Rohan when they were younger. But another part of it was because she felt guilty for hiding many things from him. Secrets that had mattered. And she never stopped blaming herself even though he assured her he didn’t.
Emmy stopped laughing but kept smiling at him when she said, “I would have asked Leon to shoot you if you didn’t come.”
He chuckled. “Of course, you would.”
Stepping back, she pointed at herself and fluttered her lashes. “I’m beautiful today, aren’t I?”
Aiming a grin at Terry and Sophia who joined them, he said, “You’re always beautiful, Emmy.”
“My dress was made by Rohan’s mother. It’s pretty too, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And I was great on stage, wasn’t I?”
“Are you fishing for compliments?” he laughed, finally realizing her aim.
She nodded her head. “So was I?”
“He fell asleep, Emmy,” Terry cut-in in a wry tone. “He couldn’t exactly tell you how great you were if he was asleep.”
But Emmy wasn’t disappointed. Laughing, she gave him another hug again.
“I’m just glad you came,” she whispered in his ear. “Rohan has been lonely without you around.”
His arms squeezed her gently. “What about you?”
She pulled back and patted his arm. “I did too,” she confessed. “I missed you. We all did.”
Then she left him to go to her sister who was now arguing with Rohan about her new boyfriend.
“Are you feeling guilty?”
Christopher’s eyes went to Terry.
“You should be,” she said with a frown. “You stayed away far too long this time, Christopher.”
“I called,” he told her. “I was even the first person to greet John on his birthday. And the first to know about Sophia’s pregnancy.”
“Yeah, let’s not talk about that,” Sophia murmured, sneaking a glance at her husband who was talking to John a few meters away. Hand on her swollen stomach, she sighed, “He’s still mad that you found out first.”
“But I didn’t tell anyone,” he argued.
“I still can’t believe you bribed Sophia’s doctor to tell you if Sophia gets pregnant,” Terry said, shaking her head.
He glanced at his wristwatch when he said, “I keep tabs on everyone, Terry.”
“Funny but we can’t seem to keep tabs on you, Skull.”
Christopher managed not to flinch.
Turning around, he said to Leon, “You live in Boston.”
“And I live here,” John inserted, lifting a brow. “And Rohan’s your neighbor.”
“Alec’s working me like a dog,” he reasoned. “He’s keeping me chained to my desk.”
“And where exactly is this desk?” Leon muttered darkly.
He debated telling them another lie. But he decided he couldn’t do that without Leon breathing down his neck for the next few weeks so he figured he should just save time and get the fuck out of there.
“Well, I’d love to talk about this but I have to go,” Christopher declared. “Got a plane to catch.”
The disappointment and disbelief showed on everyone’s face.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” John asked.
Terry let the cursing slide when she leaned into Christopher and said, “You just got here.”
He shrugged. “Like I said, blame Alec.”
“When will you back?” Leon demanded to know.
“Don’t worry,” Christopher turned to pat Sophia’s head. “I’ll be there in Boston when Sophia gives birth.”
Sophia’s face got soft and her eyes got warm. “Promise?”
He smiled down at her. “I’ll probably be the first one to know again - ow, what the fuck, Leon!”
Leon rubbed the hand he just used to punch Christopher on the arm. “You said you were leaving,” he prompted.
He glowered at him then clapped a hand on his back.
Giving the women hugs and the men a tilt of his chin, he left the concert hall, immediately greeted by a seething Alec.
Chapter 5
My father's eyes were studying me from head to toe.
This brought chills to my spine, making my skin crawl.
His apparent calmness didn’t deceive me. Though his face was blank, his eyes were arctic cold when he met my gaze and held it. It was a look in them that made me want to hide but I met his gaze straight on. He wanted to scare me. My fear was something I couldn't give him. Not now when I needed courage the most.
My father looked like he hadn’t aged since the last time I saw him. Face still tan, hair still well-groomed and body still fit, time, unfortunately, was kind on him. He was wearing an expensive suit and even the two men with him were wearing suits. My father insisted upon it. He chose strong and good-looking men to be his personal soldiers and they were recruited specifically to make him look good. Hence, the damn suits.
I tried not to look at Dan’s way any longer. I was afraid I’d start to scream. Staring into my father’s gray eyes, eyes the same color as mine, I straightened my shoulders and tilted my chin up.
"Let him go," I made the order very softly. It was far more effective than shouting or pleading and I could tell from my father’s bewildered expression that I had caught him off guard.
“You dare order me?”
“He’s innocent.”
My father drummed his fingertips on the armrests of the chair. “Innocent? Hardly, daughter. Do you think I’m stupid not to know who this man is?” He turned to his men. “Grant’s son, is he? He looks like his father when he was younger. He’s as stupid as his father too.”
The mockery in his voice was deliberate. He wanted me to know he was aware and amused at my pitiful attempts to protect Dan. Terror gripped me so hard I could barely breathe. Of course they’d find out.
Of course.
But Dan didn't deserve this. His only sin was that he loved me too much to leave me alone. I had to save him. He had to return home to his pregnant wife. Alive.
“Let him go,” I said again and this time my tone was hard.
“Are you insane?” my father’s voice was a deadly whisper. I’d never ever dared to give him orders. Nor did I defy him before I ran away from home.
My courage was a foreign concept to my father. But I deliberately wanted to incite his wrath to take his attention away from Dan. I wanted to make him lose his temper so he’d forget about Dan. It was easily done as he had little control over it. Everyone’s eyes were on me and I knew Dan was already working his way through the binds that held him. I needed to distract them so he could escape.
“I’m not insane, Father,” I answered him, shrugging indifference. “But I do think you are.”
I knew I succeeded when he leaped to his feet, his face twisted with fury. Then he moved towards me, his men automatically stepping away to let me pass. My father towered over me, nostrils flaring, eyes almost black. Everything in me wanted to bolt out of the
room and go somewhere, anywhere. Instead, I clenched my hands so hard my nails dug into my palms and forced myself to calm.
Then he slapped me.
Hard.
Across the face.
Blind lights flashed before my eyes but luckily, I managed to stay upright. Behind him, Dan gave a muffled scream through his gag and still dazed with pain, I prayed that he’d keep quiet.
