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“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” I stood and extended my hand, greeting each of them.
“It’s nice to put a face to the name,” Sutton said, smiling. She smoothed her green silk blouse, then tucked her hair behind her ear.
I nodded, unsure what to say.
The door opened, and I leaned forward to see who had arrived. King stepped inside and removed his black boots, leaving them near the entrance. He quickly walked toward us, and my pulse skipped a beat. This shit was serious if King was here. Butterflies flew around in my belly, igniting a windstorm of anxiety that reached down to the tips of my toes.
King introduced himself to Pierce and Sutton, then stood next to Julia and Daddy, who were sitting in the chairs. Julia wrung her fingers and plastered on a smile, pretending that she was doing better than she actually was.
“Now that everyone has arrived, I’ll explain why the Westbrooks are here,” Daddy began. “After Cole was shot and King identified Rick as the shooter, we needed to find out how he was alive. Zayne recommended that I reach out to his bosses and explained that Sutton could dig up anyone’s secrets given the time. I made the call that day. I thought it would be easier to have a family meeting instead of having to repeat the details to each person and not being able to recall all of them accurately.”
Now it made sense why Daddy hadn’t called me downstairs, yet. We were waiting on King as well.
Pierce shoved a hand into his slacks pocket. “I would just like to say that you have our condolences for what the family has been through. Cole, I’m glad that you’re on the mend. I think what Sutton and I have found will explain a lot.”
At times, I hated polite conversation. It was fucking killing me at the moment, and I clenched my jaw to control any obnoxious outburst to tell Pierce to hurry the hell up. Daddy would be horrified if that happened.
“As we all know, Rick MacBride is alive. From what everyone understood, there was an attack about nine months after he was sentenced to prison. The public was told that he died there. Julia, I’m sure you saw the death certificate to verify the information,” Pierce said.
I desperately wanted to ask why he was in jail, but I didn’t want to interrupt. The way the conversation was unfolding, I would find out soon enough. I already understood that Rick was a well-connected and extremely dangerous man.
“Unfortunately, Rick’s death was faked, and he escaped,” Sutton explained. She reached for a manilla envelope on the end table near Cole’s head. “I’ve collected everything for you to review later.” She confidently strolled across the room and gave it to Julia.
Pierce rubbed his jawline, his intense gaze landing on Julia. “After further investigation, Sutton was able to find the medical examiner, Mr. Petrov, who had signed the death certificate as well as performed the autopsy.” Pierce indicated air quotes as he mentioned the autopsy. “Mr. Petrov is older and dying of cancer, so he answered our questions without hesitation.”
“A dirty cop, and a guard along with Dr. Petrov helped stage Rick’s death, then he was smuggled out of the prison. Mr. Petrov was paid half a million dollars to make this happen. Rick’s reach was wide,” Sutton said.
“Son of a bitch,” Julia muttered, looking away from everyone. “He was always crafty.”
“He’s been living overseas, but recently made his way to Canada, only a few hours from here. We suspect that Rick was waiting until Cole wasn’t a minor any longer before he closed in. We also know that he hired Ibrahim to report on his son, including when he was home, where he went when he left, and who he spent time with,” Pierce explained. “Fortunately for us, Rick made a few mistakes with a debit card. Well, honestly, I’m not sure he messed up. He’s been smart about hiding over the last several years. I think he wanted to make his presence known.”
King fisted his hands and rocked back and forth on his heels. “The second Cole showed up and told me he was getting threats, I put a man on the situation. After shit went down with Ibrahim snatching Shae, I knew things were getting hot. Then, we got a tip from my guy that Rick was not only alive but had crossed the border from Canada to Washington. So yeah, he wanted us to know. Unfortunately, we went to meet the sorry piece of shit and got blindsided.” King’s features twisted with regret as he glanced at Cole.
A million questions spun around in my mind. Why had Rick spent time in prison and faked his death, but more importantly, why the hell was Rick trying to kill his son? I fidgeted in my seat, a tension headache building behind my temples.
“Before anyone says anything else, I need to have a conversation with Shae,” Cole said.
Baffled, I turned toward him, careful not to jostle his abdomen. “I don’t understand.”
“Mom, do you need me here any longer?” Cole asked.
Pity flickered in Julia’s gaze. “Go ahead, I’ll update you later.”
My eyes locked with Cole’s, and fear seeped into my bones, weighing me down. Daddy helped Cole off the couch and up the stairs as I followed. My legs grew heavier and heavier with each step. Cole had said that he would tell me about the rest of his past, and now I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. His previous words whispered in my head, and I clutched my chest.
I am my father’s son. His anger and desire to hurt people pumps through my veins, reminding me every day that I’m just as much the monster as he was.
Cole’s body relaxed, clearly relieved that he was in bed again and stretched out. “Sitting on the couch hurt like a bitch.”
I closed and locked the door, then settled in next to him. “I’m sorry. Do you need anything?”
“Just to tell you the rest of my past, Shae. You seem to think that it’s my decision whether we stay together, and that’s not the case.” His face twisted, conflicted, and he gently squeezed my forearm.
I sucked in a deep breath, reminding myself to breathe no matter what Cole was about to say. “I’m listening,” I whispered. In those moments that I waited for him to speak, I wondered if his secrets would send me running out the door. I steeled myself, reaching into the core of my being for every ounce of courage to listen with an open mind. Little did I understand that, as the events continued to unfold, the truth would devastate me, leaving only a shell of my former self in its wake.
ChapterThirty-One
“After King dealt with Rick, he left me alone. He and Mom seemed happy, so I kept my mouth shut and hid the truth from her. She worked her ass off for the house we lived in, and I couldn’t rip her life away.” Cole leaned his head back on the pillows and licked his lips. “Mom continued to work and travel, but Rick stayed true to his word and didn’t hurt me.”
