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“Of course,” Dad says.
“Do you know any of her associates? Can you give us a couple of names to look into?” Kellan asks.
Mom frowns slightly. “Honey, do you think Charlene had something to do with the attacks on you and your brother?”
“I have my suspicions.”
“We don’t know who she’s hanging out with these days,” Dad says. “But I can certainly look through my email archive and give you a couple of names she might’ve dropped from years ago.”
“You need to understand something,” Mom feels the need to add. “We may have our differences, the four of us. Legal and personal differences. Arguments. You can even call them conflicts, though you two are the ones who are constantly trying to go to war with us.” Ah, there it was, the victim card I didn’t miss. “But there is one thing that your father and I would never do, and that is hurt our own children. The buck stops there, okay? You are our sons. Our flesh and blood. What happened to you is awful, and we would never allow nor condone such actions.”
Kellan gives me another brief look, and Dad notices.
“Boys, you’re both pigheaded and stupid as hell sometimes, but your mother and I raised you. We brought you into this world, dammit. I have accepted that you’ve both decided to be ungrateful and defiant, I have. I would never in a million years allow anyone to hurt you, though. And for what it’s worth, I’ve already started asking around regarding your attacks. Once I find out who it was, they’d better hope you get to them first. Noone hurts a Cassidy and lives to brag about it.”
“That’s mighty noble of you, Pop,” I reply with a wry smirk.
“I mean it,” he snaps, throwing an angry glare back at me. “I could smack you myself. I could curse you out. I could do plenty of things to still make your life miserable if I wanted, but I would never pay someone to hurt you. Get it through your thick head, Fallon.”
Kellan nods slowly. “Good. I’m glad we’ve cleared that up. And I’m also glad to know you feel this way. Regardless of our legal skirmishes, I wouldn’t want to have to look at you as suspects for the attacks on us. Dad, please, do send me whatever names you can think of which I may be able to connect to Charlene. I’m hoping I won’t have to go after her again, but if I do, I’ll need all the intel I can get.”
“Of course,” he says.
“Don’t you two want to come inside, though?” Mom insists. “It’s been so long since the four of us have been together like this.”
I can’t help but smile. “Together like this? You mean like you two playing the innocents while we suspect you of potentially being involved in attempts made on our lives?”
“Fallon,” Mom exhales sharply, her shoulders dropping in defeat.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Kellan politely interjects. “But we need to be on our way. I have to warn you both, though—stay away from Charlene. Don’t buy anything she might be selling. Keep your noses clean. You’ve got plenty of suits already breathing down your necks.”
“You don’t need to remind us of that,” Dad grumbles and waves us away as he turns and walks back to the ranch house. “Come on, Lizzie. I’m hungry, and these two ungrateful bastards aren’t sticking around.”
“Nice to see you again, too, Dad,” I quip and get into my brother’s car.
Mom lingers, watching, as Kellan slips into the driver’s seat and starts the engine. The shadow of a smile flutters across her face. I catch a glimpse of it in the sideview mirror just as we drive out and leave the ranch house behind us.
Minutes pass in silence while Kellan keeps his eyes firmly on the road. I can see the muscle flexing in his jaw.
“Did you believe them?” he asks me.
“Maybe. They made a valid point back there,” I concede with a frustrated groan. “But then that would mean Charlene did this without their consent or knowledge.”
“Ifshe did it. We can’t prove anything yet.”
“I know. But whether she did it or not, Mom and Dad have her in their sights, now.”
He briefly looks at me. “Do you reckon they’ll confront her about it?”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ve already spoken. I didn’t buy the whole no-contact nonsense,” I say. “I don’t know if they addressed this issue in particular, but—”
“If they haven’t, they will absolutely address it now,” he says. “Dad’s honor compels him.”
“Honor,” I scoff. “There’s not a single honorable bone in that old bastard’s body.”
“Okay, his ego. His ego compels him.” Kellan lets a heavy sigh roll out from the bottom of his chest. “I wish they’d done things differently. I wish they’d listened to us when we first came back. You know we’re gonna have to put them both away, eventually.”
“I know.”
