AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pull back. “What? What happened? Is it Talon Steel?”
“No, no. He’s still fine, as far as I know. It’s Raine.”
“Oh my God. What happened?”
“She’s fine, as well, but she’s decided to stay in Denver. A former colleague offered her a partnership in his new day spa. She’ll be in charge of the salon. It’s too good an opportunity for her to pass up.”
“Ror, what are you going to do?”
Rory pauses a moment. “I don’t know. Except that I think I do.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to get far away from this place.”
“But the family. The fire. They need me. And you, Cal. If Pat Lamone is back in town, you and I need to stick together.”
I gulp audibly. Rory’s right, but I can’t be selfish. “Raine needs you too.”
“I don’t think she does, Cal. I don’t think we’re in that place.”
“But you live together.”
“We do. Or did. But lately…”
“What?”
“Things have been a little tense, like I told you. She can’t seem to get over the fact that I’m bisexual and she isn’t. Plus, apparently Willow White has offered to buy Raine’s business here, so other than me, there’s no reason for her to stay.”
“You’re a pretty big reason.”
“I shed a tear or two earlier tonight, but I feel okay now. I think our time has passed. We weren’t each other’s forever.”
I say nothing. I’m not sure what to say.
“Have you found your forever?” she asks.
I simply nod. I have. Whether Donny feels the same way after tonight is up in the air, but at least he loves me. He said it, and I believe him.
One silly fight doesn’t change that.
But it does bring the current issue back to light.
“I’m sorry about Raine,” I say, “and Donny and I will work through our issues. But Pat Lamone…”
“Right.” Rory nods. “I guess we gather the group together.”
“Some of them don’t even live here anymore.”
She nods. “Carmen Murphy is still here. And Jordan.”
Carmen Murphy. Brendan’s cousin, born to his unwed aunt, Ciara Murphy. And Jordan Ramsey, Rory’s and my cousin, who was in Pat Lamone’s class at school.
Pat Lamone.
There were others, but he was the worst.
He tried to destroy us.
He failed.
But now he’s back.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Donny
It’s after midnight when I drive up to the home belonging to Jonah and Melanie Steel, my aunt and uncle.
I came here on a whim.
Uncle Joe.
He’s the oldest of Bradford Steel’s children, and Brendan mentioned him by name when he told us about another Steel heir, a brother to Brad.
If anyone has answers, he does.
I sit in the driveway and make the call.
After four rings, I get a groggy, “Hey, Donny. You okay?”
“Uncle Joe. Sorry to bother you so late.”
“No bother. Is it Talon? Is anything wrong?”
“No, Dad’s fine. I just checked in with Mom a little over an hour ago.”
“Thank God. What’s up, then?”
“I’m here. Outside your place. I want to talk to you.”
“What for? Can it wait until morning?”
I clear my throat. “No. I’m sorry. It can’t.”
“Okay. Give me a few minutes. I’ll let you in.”
I turn off the motor and walk to the door. A few minutes later, Uncle Joe appears in a robe, unlocks the door, and lets me in. His dogs bound around my ankles. I give them some love before he lets them out.
He leads me down the hallway to his office and sits down at his desk. I sit across from him.
“What’s this all about?” he asks.
“It’s about a lot of stuff,” I say. “But first and foremost, it’s about Bradford Steel’s brother.”
Uncle Joe raises an eyebrow. “What about him?”
I cock my head. His reaction surprises me. “You’re not going to deny he exists?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Well…because none of us knew he existed until a few days ago.”
“How did you find out about him?”
“I’ll be happy to tell you how, right after you tell me why no one ever talks about him. We all assumed Brad Steel was an only child.”
“He was a half brother. My grandmother was in an accident after she had Brad and she couldn’t have any more children.”
“So his father had an affair? Or what?”
“Apparently.”
“Apparently? That’s all you have to say?”
“Donny, my father was…” He pauses, clears his throat. “I was about to say he wasn’t a good man. But that’s not the whole truth. In many ways he was a good man. He just did some really bad things.”
“Okay. What’s this got to do with his brother?”
“Half brother.”
“Half brother. Whatever.” Uncle Joe’s use of the term half brother like it means something perplexes me more than a little. After all, Uncle Ryan is only his half brother. Why does that make a difference at all?
“Where is this coming from?” he asks. “And why in the middle of the night?”
“Because Dad got shot. That couldn’t have been an accident, and I’m finding there’s a lot of family stuff that we don’t know.”
