Air whooshes out of my mouth in grateful relief. “It is, Mom.”
She pulls me into a hug, and I don’t resist, sinking against her, wondering when we last hugged with such genuine affection. I’ve missed her. More than I’ve cared to admit to myself. She’s gone about everything all wrong, but she acted out of love. She sacrificed herself for me and my dad, and that’s all that matters. Any lingering hate in my heart disappears.
“One more thing.” I shuck out of her hold. “Do you have the evidence proving Sinner and The Sainthood murdered Daphne Leydon?” I suspect I already know the answer.
She shakes her head. “If I’d found it, I would have already entrusted it to the FBI. I have no idea where it is or who has it.”
Like I thought. Well, damn it all to hell. We were really hoping the mole had some intel.
“We should go now.” Lincoln stands. “I have your bag from the house in the car, and we can get whatever else you need when we’re abroad.”
“Take Giana to the car,” Diesel says. “I need a word with Lo and the guys.”
“I need to use the bathroom,” Mom says, and I tell her where it is. Lincoln goes with her, and I purse my lips, watching him place his hand on her lower back as he leads her to the downstairs bathroom. He’s awfully protective, and I’ve noticed how he hasn’t taken his eyes off Mom the entire time we’ve been here.
Is it guilt? Responsibility? Or am I right in suspecting it’s more?
“What’s up?” Saint asks, yanking me out of my head and back into the moment.
“I’m wondering why the FBI didn’t tell me about this agreement with Giana. It makes me nervous. I helped broker the deal with Trey, so why would they keep this a secret from me? It makes no sense.”
“Would this have anything to do with those Homeland files?” I ask.
“I doubt it, but at this point, who the fuck knows.” Diesel rubs the back of his neck. “And we’ve still got that DEA asshole threatening us.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Bry stiffening.
“I thought you were going to fix that?” Saint huffs out, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.
“I met him earlier, and his assholishness hasn’t dialed down. He’s still refusing to play ball, and I’m all out of patience.”
“I say we grab him, force him to tell us, and if he won’t cooperate, we put a bullet in his skull,” Galen suggests.
“He’s a loose end we need to tie up,” Diesel agrees, as Mom and Lincoln return. “I’ll call you later to set that up.”
“Walk me out?” Mom asks, and I trail her outside.
“Are we going to be okay?” she asks as Lincoln climbs into the passenger seat of Diesel’s Land Rover.
“I don’t know, but I hope so. It’s what I want.” Which is a huge step forward for me.
“I never meant for it to happen like this. Please say you believe me.”
“I do. I believe you.”
“I don’t deserve your graciousness, but I’m thankful for it.” She sweeps hair off my face. “Trey would be so proud if he could see you now, Harlow. He loved you so much. I adored the close bond you two shared. Seeing him with you always made me love him even more.” Her lips twitch. “Although, I’m not sure what he’d say about your four new husbands.”
“I’m sure he’d want to kick their asses, but once he saw how good they are to me, he’d be onboard.”
“They are good to you, and I trust them to make you happy and to look after you.”
“You’re not mad?” I tilt my head to the side, wondering if she’s being truthful or she just doesn’t want to leave on a sour note.
“I’m not going to criticize your decision, because you know when you know. You should never deny your heart.”
“I love them, and I know what I want.”
She reels me into a hug. “If there’s anything good to come from this sorry state of affairs, it’s that you have found your future. I look forward to getting to know them better when this is all over and done with.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Giana, we need to go,” Diesel reiterates, coming up behind her.
“Be safe, honey. You are everything to me.” She kisses my forehead. “I’m so proud of the young woman you’ve become, and I love you so very much.”
“I love you too, Mom. I might not approve of how you went about things, but I know you did it for me and for Dad.”
She hugs me one final time before getting into the car.
“Don’t worry. She’s in good hands,” Diesel reassures me. “We’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you for this.”
“No thanks are necessary.” He jangles his keys in his hands. “I’ll call later, and we can talk about the DEA agent, but I also wanted to let you know my boss has approved the plan for the commissioner.”
“He has? I honestly didn’t think he’d go for it.”
“He understands it’s our best chance of getting to the bottom of this. Whoever has that evidence hasn’t come forward so far, and he believes this might be the push they need to come clean.”
“I hope he’s right. And he’s seriously okay working with us on this?” I expected him to balk at the notion of trusting an eighteen-year-old sharpshooter and the offspring of the man he wants to take down.
“He trusts my judgment, and giving him those files went a long way toward securing his loyalty. He was delighted to get them back. The head of Homeland Security is a friend of his.”
“Well, that’s good. I suppose.”
“It is. There’s no way you could’ve pulled this off without VERO’s help. My boss is going to speak to the commissioner this week. Let me know when Sinner has put the plan in motion.”
“Will do.”
He opens his arms, and I hug him briefly. “Mind yourself.”
“You too,” I tell him, waving them off before retreating inside the cabin.
I lean back against the closed door, rubbing my tired eyes. It’s been a long, exhausting day.
“Lo?” Saint calls out.
“I’m coming.” I push off the door.
“Not yet you aren’t,” Caz retorts with a chuckle.
“Have I ever told you I love your one-track mind?” I quip, stepping into the living room.
“A time or ten,” he replies, swatting my butt as I pass.
“We need to talk,” Bry says, and I pick up a thread of anxiety in his tone. He’s standing against the wall with his legs slightly spread and his arms folded across his torso. His face is stretched tight, highlighting the prominent scar that runs from the corner of his eye into his hairline.
“So, you’ve said,” Galen drawls, eyeing him suspiciously.
“What has you on edge?” I ask, plopping down on the couch alongside Theo.
“It’s about this DEA agent.”
“What about him?” Saint asks, sitting up straighter and outright glaring at Bry.
“How is he involved? I don’t get why he’s a threat,” Bry asks.
“He has a video of me killing Luke McKenzie, and he’s threatening to use it to take me down,” I say.
“Not just you,” Theo adds. “You weren’t the target. We were.”
Bry gulps hard, and a host of emotions flits across his face.
“Spit it out, Bry. What don’t we know?” I ask.
“If I got the video, would you lay off him?”
Saint opens his mouth to speak, but I silence him with a look. I stand, walking over to Bry.
“How would you be able to get that video? And why do you care?”
He drags his hand back and forth across the top of his head, and his tongue darts out, wetting his lips.
“Bry.” I’m pretty much all out of patience by now.
“Because he’s my brother. That’s why.”
CHAPTER 30
Caz
“I KNEW YOU lied to me before,” Lo says, fixing Bryant with a wary expression. “You told me during training that you had three
brothers, yet earlier, you said you had two.”
“I wasn’t lying when I said I have two adopted brothers. That’s the truth. But, Howie—the DEA agent—he’s my biological brother.”
“Start explaining,” Saint snaps, and I can tell by his tone he’s ready to rip Bryant Eccleston in two.
“I was adopted when I was a baby after my mom committed suicide. My father died from cancer while my mom was pregnant with me, and after she lost my older sister a few months before I was born, she lost the will to live.” He shrugs. “Or so Howie tells me.”
“Why didn’t your brother assume guardianship?” Theo asks.
“He was in his early twenties and not capable of minding a baby.”
“Wow. That’s a big age gap,” Lo says.
“I was a surprise or a mistake.” Bryant shrugs casually as if it’s no biggie.
“That’s no excuse for your brother not stepping up.” Galen’s tone is scathing, but I’m not surprised. He was brother, mother, and father to his little sister before she died, because his parents bailed, and he didn’t hesitate to be there for her even though he was only a kid himself.
“He’d just enlisted in the military, and he ended up overseas for years,” Bryant explains in a defensive tone. “I didn’t realize I had another brother until two years ago when Howie found me.”
“What does he have against The Sainthood? What is he after?” Galen asks.
Bryant walks over to the couch, sitting down on the arm. “What does everyone want?” He arches a brow.
“His beef is with Sinner,” Lo surmises, and Bryant nods.
“Why is he holding that recording over our heads then? That’s got nothing to do with Sinner other than it’d bring heat on the organization if it got out,” Saint says.
“I don’t know. He told me nothing about that recording, but I’ll find out. I promise.”
“I want you to set up a meeting,” Saint adds. “For tomorrow or Monday. This can’t wait.”
“Consider it done,” Bryant says, bobbing his head.
“Your brother wanted you to get close to The Sainthood to help him. That’s why you switched allegiances,” I suggest.
“Yeah. I couldn’t give a fuck about either crew, to be honest.”
“Why does your brother hate Sinner? What did he do to him?” Lo asks.
Bryant’s eyes darken. “Sinner killed our sister.” A muscle pops in his jaw.
Heavy silence lingers in the air like fog. It’s no surprise Sinner has picked up so many enemies or that they’re gunning for him now. It was only a matter of time before someone made him pay.
“I’m so sorry,” Lo says. “Do you know why?”
“She was a hoodrat. Sinner took a shine to her. Got her addicted to drugs, and it all went to shit then. She fell apart, and Sinner wanted her gone. Howie thinks Sinner was worried she might blurt something, because she’d been around him enough to be privy to a ton of shit that had gone down. So, he silenced her.”
Saint shifts uncomfortably on his seat, and his lips pull into a grimace as he lowers his gaze to the floor. Lo looks at Galen, and they share a silent communication. Theo sits up straighter, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “If this happened eighteen years ago, why is your brother only seeking vengeance now?”
“At first, it was because he was overseas for years with the military, and he buried himself in work to forget his pain. I’m not sure when that changed. When he decided he wanted revenge, but at some point, he hired a couple guys to go after Sinner, but both of them failed. He realized he’d have to take care of it himself and that he needed to be smarter about it. He wanted justice for our sister, and killing Sinner, without him admitting to the crime, wouldn’t avenge Jess’s murder. So, he came home and got a job with the DEA. He’s building contacts and utilizing the resources at his disposal to find anything he can to use as leverage to force Sinner into admitting the truth.”
“If he thinks that recording is leverage, he’s sorely mistaken,” Lo pipes up. “Sinner doesn’t give a fuck about me. He’d probably thank your brother for getting me off his back.”
“And there’s little love lost between me and my father,” Saint grits out. “If your brother releases that tape, Sinner will make us take the fall. He’ll say we acted independently of The Sainthood.”
“Maybe Howie thought it might work because Lo is Giana’s daughter,” Bryant suggests.
“It still doesn’t explain why he didn’t tell you about it,” I add.
“We need to talk to him. Face to face,” Saint says. “It’s the only way we’ll get answers.”
“I’ll set it up,” Bryant says. “Howie is very…dogmatic, but when he learns we share the same goal, that we all want to see Sinner punished for his crimes, I think we can find a way to work together.”
“This could end up being a good thing,” Lo says, looking deep in thought. “We already have VERO and the FBI onboard, and Diesel said the head of Homeland Security will be thrilled to get those files back. If we can get the DEA on our side too, and we all work together, we’ve got to find that evidence.”
“One would think so,” Saint says, lifting his chin. “But I’ve learned to never underestimate my father. That’s something none of us should ever forget.”
_______________
We leave the cabin at eleven a.m. the following morning to make the journey back to Prestwick. Galen is expected at his mom’s house for dinner, and Lo has roped all of us into attending because she has a surprise for Galen, and she wants everyone there to see his reaction.
She hired a landscaping company to tidy up the gardens and restore the maze to its former glory, and they have been working around the clock this week to get it finished for today. Lo even spoke to Mrs. Murphy, Alisha’s babysitter-slash-housekeeper, making her promise not to breathe a word to Galen. She also enlisted her help in keeping him away from the house this week.
I know that maze is important to Galen and Lo, and I can’t wait to see my buddy’s face light up when he realizes what she’s done.
We pull up to the monstrosity that’s been in Galen’s family for generations a couple hours later, and a nasty shiver works its way through me as I glance at the house. Thick ivy crawls up the front façade of the old two-story gray-bricked house, adding to the overall creep factor of the place. This house always gives me a mad case of the heebie-jeebies, and I generally avoid spending much time here.
I help Lo out of the back seat and stretch my arms up over my head, loosening my taut muscles while fighting a yawn.
Mrs. Murphy opens the door with a flourish and a warm, inviting smile. “I’m so glad you could all make it. Your mom is delighted,” she tells Galen, stepping aside to let him in.
“I doubt that,” Saint mutters under his breath. “If Alisha is sober, I’ll eat my dick.”
“Do you always have to think the worst of her?” Theo asks, placing his hand on Lo’s back as we step inside the mausoleum.
“I’m not a total prick,” Saint says, lowering his voice and stepping back as Lo walks up beside Galen, holding his hand as they talk with Mrs. Murphy. “I know my dad and my uncle fucked up Alisha’s life,” Saint continues, “but there comes a point when a person has to take responsibility for their own actions.”
I’m more in agreement with Saint than Theo on this topic, because I can relate. For so long, I blamed my deadbeat father for my mother’s actions. Yes, she’s downtrodden, because he treats her like shit, but she has choices. There are always choices. And she chooses to stay with that piece of shit. That realization hurt, because it means there’s nothing I can do to change the situation. I’ve tried so hard to help her. Offering her my savings so she could take Jake and Nelia away from that bastard, but she refuses to leave him.
That’s when I decided I was done. I still visit weekly, when Dad’s not there, but it’s mainly for my brother and sister, to ensure they are okay and they have everything they need.
So, I agree with Saint. There comes
a time in everyone’s life when they must stand up and be counted—it’s what separates the strong from the weak.
“Alisha has chosen to check out on life instead of being there for her son,” Saint says, as I rejoin the conversation. “I can’t forgive her for that, and I won’t fucking apologize for calling her out for the junkie whore she is.”
Harsh, but true.
I trail Theo and Saint as they follow Galen, Lo, and Mrs. Murphy along the dark, grim hallway. Cobwebs cling to the ornate cornices, and another shudder whips through me. The ghosts of Galen’s ancestors breathe heavily on my neck as I force one foot in front of the other, and the urge to run screaming from the house accelerates with every step.
I’m already on a countdown to when we get to leave.
Needing a distraction, I focus on how fuckable Theo’s butt looks in the tight, ripped jeans he’s wearing today. The denim molds itself to his shapely ass, and my fingers itch with a craving to touch him.
There has always been this lingering attraction between us, but I’ve largely ignored it, because Theo always gave off “don’t touch me” vibes, so it never seemed like a possibility.
Until recently.
The air is shifting now Lo is in our lives. Maybe because she’s softening our rough edges. Or we’re all more openly sexual, because we have sex on tap and Lo’s refreshing attitude means we can be ourselves around her. Or, perhaps Theo is finally coming around to the idea there could be an “us.” Whatever it is, I cannot get the idea of touching him and fucking him out of my head, and it’s becoming a problem, because I get hard just looking at him these days.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve jerked off in the shower to images of the three of us screwing our brains out.
The visuals resurge to the forefront of my mind, and I indulge them.
Anything to avoid thinking of creepy-crawlies and soulless ghosts swirling around me as I walk the oppressive hallways of this dark, depressive mansion.
I let my mind go there, imagining I’m fucking Theo while he fucks our girl. Then we’d switch, and I’d take him into my ass while I pound Lo. Sweat dots the back of my neck, and my dick swells painfully behind the zipper of my jeans as I give in to my deepest desires, wishing I knew how to make them a reality.
The Sainthood : A Dark High School Romance (The Complete Series) Page 78
