“Aw. What happened?”
“I don’t know. Sinkhole? Water main break? Something like that. She wasn’t very specific.”
The lingering happiness from talking to his daughter still surrounds him. I don’t want to ruin it by finishing our conversation. Or maybe I’m just a coward. Either way, he doesn’t mention it and I let it go.
I can always warn him about my past later, right?
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Before starting breakfast, I slip on a T-shirt and a pair of sweats and jog next door. I knock loud enough to rattle the little glass panes in the door.
My mother opens it and scowls at me. “Really? Is that your way of hinting I should knock next time?”
My lips curl into a half-smile. “No, not at all.”
She shakes her head and lets me in. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to see how your trip was.”
“Fun, but I can tell you about it later.” She glances at the kitchen clock. “You’re usually on your way to the gym by now.”
“I know.”
“How was Madison? I’m so upset I missed her.”
“She was…a trip. I’ll have to explain later. But she and Aubrey seemed to get along well. Maddy seems to like her.”
“Oh.” Her mouth curves into a soft smile. “That’s good. I was worried she’d be a bit prickly about it.”
“Well…”
She laughs and pushes me toward the door. “You can tell me later.”
“I asked Aubrey to move in with me.”
That stops her in her tracks. “You did? That seems fast.”
Her reaction surprises me. The woman has been hinting that I needed to “settle down” for years now. “I thought you liked her?”
“I do.” She tilts her head and runs her hand over my hair. “I’m never going to stop worrying about you, though.”
Since I understand the sentiment, I don’t give her any grief.
She cocks an eyebrow, hopeful expression playing over her face. “Does she want more kids?”
“Jesus, Mom. Would you stop with the grandbabies?”
“I’ll take that as an ‘I don’t know.’”
“Her first concern was whether moving in with me would upset Madison. My already-existing daughter.” I shake my head. “She’s really sensitive to Maddy’s feelings.”
“That is important. But what about your needs?”
“We have enough chemistry to blow up a building.”
She frowns. “That’s not what I meant. Get to know her more…and not in the biblical way.”
“I know the things that matter. She’s smart. She’s supportive—I can’t tell you all the stuff she’s done to help me grow the gym. She treats me well. She treats my daughter well. Christ, she even likes Jake. What else is there?”
I don’t want to admit it, but her comment bothers me. There’s a grain of truth in it. Aubrey can be very-tight lipped when it comes to talking about her family or past. But bits and pieces slip out here and there. I figure that will continue the longer we’re together.
“What’s her family like?”
“I don’t think she’s close to her parents at all. They sound like assholes. But you saw how tight she and her sister are.” I cock my head. “Do you really think I should judge anyone based on their family ties?” That came out more dickish than I meant and my mother flinches. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Instead of kicking me out—like she should after that remark—she hugs me. “I’m sorry. The news took me by surprise. If you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m not apologizing for wanting more grandchildren though.”
I shake with laughter as I pull away. “Wouldn’t expect you to.”
She reaches up to ruffle my hair again. “She’s a pretty girl. You’ll make beautiful babies.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
“Since you’re still here, how was Maddy? Did you have fun at the fair?”
I huff out a laugh and roll my eyes. “It was something.” Maddy will probably kill me, but I’m hoping for advice from my mother. “She got her period and was…upset.”
Her hand flies up, covering her mouth. “Oh, no. She’s too young for that. Poor baby. Was that her first?”
“I guess not. Lauren didn’t bother to warn me.”
Not a fan of the woman who denied my mother prime-baby-cuddling years, my mother rolls her eyes as soon as she hears Lauren’s name.
“It was…an event. Maddy was very upset.” I jerk my chin in the direction of my house. “Aubrey came over and helped me out.”
“Oh. That was very sweet. Was Madison mad?”
“No. They seemed to bond or whatever.”
Her eyes widen. “Well, that’s good. Poor Aubrey. You really threw her into the deep end, didn’t you?”
“Little bit.” I glance at the clock. “I really have to go.”
“Okay. I’ll give Maddy a call later.”
“Call her now. School’s closed. I just talked to her a little while ago.”
As if on cue, my mother’s phone rings and she smiles when she checks the screen. “Ah, it’s Maddy.”
I lean in and kiss her cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.”
She’s already on the phone with her granddaughter. Subtle as a brick, she asks if anything exciting happened on her visit.
“Do we have time to stop by my place?” I ask. “I really want to grab some clean clothes.”
“Yeah, of course. Sorry about that. You should grab some extra stuff to leave at my place.”
“Sure,” I answer a little too enthusiastically. Sully’s been quiet since he returned from his mother’s this morning. God, after last night, she probably told him I’m a brazen hussy and he should dump me.
“Was everything okay with your mom?” I ask, glutton for punishment that I am.
His mouth quirks into a quick smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yes. She wanted to know how you feel about babies.”
“They’re cute.” Wait a second. “Oh, how I feel about having babies you mean?”
He laughs but doesn’t confirm.
“How do you feel about having more kids?”
“Honestly, I’ve never thought about it. I guess I’m afraid it would make me realize all the stuff I missed out on with Madison. And I’ve already spent enough time being angry with Lauren.”
He’s such a good man.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I want to have kids someday.”
He glances over. “Good to know.”
We don’t take the conversation any further before we get to my apartment. Celia’s car is missing, and guilt crawls over me that I’ve barely seen her in two days.
We enter the apartment, and since we’re running late, I head straight to my bedroom for clean clothes.
In the living room, Sully chuckles.
“What’s so funny?” I call out.
“Dearest little sister,” he reads. “I hope that hot stud of yours plowed you good this weekend. I miss your face. In case you forgot who this is, your sister, Celia.”
“Oh my God,” I shriek, running out of my bedroom. “I can not believe you read that!”
He still laughing, but manages to get out, “Hot stud, huh? Is that how I’m known around here?”
“Give me that.” I grab the mail out of his hands. Good thing too, because right underneath my sister’s embarrassing note is a postcard from the Department of Corrections informing me that one Mr. Darren Bar has been released from prison and should I have any problems, call the local police department.
A freaking postcard. You’ve got to be kidding. And, oh my God, what if Sully had read this?
“Everything okay?” Sully asks, rubbing the back of his hand over my cheek. “You’re so pale.”
Shake it off. “I’m just embarrassed you read that.” Shame and guilt do a mean little tap dance over my heart for lying.
; I consider my options as I return to my bedroom. Call the police later and let them know that he already paid me a visit. Surely that’s against his conditions of parole? After that, I’ll tell Sully all about my sordid past.
Wearing clean clothes and a full backpack I meet Sully at the door. His phone rings. “Think it’s Maddy again?” I ask as he answers it.
He shakes his head and mouths, “Jake.”
“I’m on my way there.” He pauses, eyebrows shoot up then down. “What are you talking about?” His frown deepens and he motions me out the door. We hurry down the steps and into the Jeep while he listens to whatever bad news Jake has to deliver.
“I’ll be there in like five minutes. Did you call the cops yet? Fuck, yeah all right.” He disconnects the call and tosses his phone on the dashboard. Slamming his fist against the steering wheel, he lets out a curse.
The sick feeling of dread that settled in my gut yesterday intensifies with the force of a thousand destructive secrets. I’m not even sure I need Sully to tell me what happened. Somehow I just know Darren’s involved.
“Someone broke in and vandalized the gym last night,” Sully finally explains as he tears out of the parking lot. “Jake says it’s pretty bad.”
I swallow hard and force out a question. “Does he know who did it?”
“With the kind of company he keeps, who fucking knows.”
My guilt intensifies, then ebbs. Maybe Sully’s right and it has something to do with Jake, not me. I saw the way that guy went after him at the Castle after Jake won his fight. As much as I like Jake, I have to admit he involves himself in some shady business. And I’m sure what I’ve learned barely scratches the surface.
But deep down, that inner voice I’ve worked so hard to listen to, says I’m wrong.
As Sully pulls into his space, he mutters another curse. “I’ll kill Jake if he brought this on. Christ, Maddy was here yesterday. He promised to stay out of anything that would put her in danger.”
Please let me be wrong. Please let it be something unconnected to me—I glance over at Sully’s enraged expression—or Jake. Let it be a case of regular vandalism. Junkies looking for cash. Bored teenagers on a crime spree. Something impersonal.
Broken shards of glass from the back door glitter in the morning sunlight against the blacktop.
Sully slams the Jeep into park, kills the ignition, flings open his door and storms out of the car, stalking into the building.
I follow him inside, pausing to jump over a pile of broken glass, and stop when I bump against him.
Beside me, he’s statue still, staring at the destruction.
Trashed doesn’t come close to describing the scene.
Blue gym mats shredded. Front desk smashed to smithereens. Holes in the walls where weights were thrown into the drywall. Shattered mirrors. The door to the ladies’ locker room torn off its hinges.
But the absolute worst?
Two words painted in dripping black letters against the bright white wall.
I’m responsible after all.
I brought this on.
My past, my mistakes have destroyed everything he’s worked so hard for.
It’s the exact same message Darren sprayed on my parents’ front door when they tried to end our relationship.
SHE’S MINE.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Utter destruction.
That’s the only way to describe what’s in front of me. The gym. Everything I’ve built over the last nine years—trashed. Some psycho went through like a hurricane, denting, ripping, shredding, and breaking everything he could get his hands on.
I’ve worked hard. Worked my ass off. Tried to give back and keep my nose clean. This isn’t the work of kids who broke in to fuck around and vandalize for fun or to alleviate their boredom. The computers are smashed, but not stolen. Hell, even the petty cash box is still here. I can’t understand this level of hatred.
It borders on insanity.
Then my eyes focus on two words painted on the back wall. Against the stark white paint, the words look obscene.
SHE’S MINE.
My gaze travels to Jake. “Is this you?” I ask in a low voice.
He immediately holds his hands up and steps back. “No way, bro. I got a strict no cheaters policy. I can’t think of a single person who’d do this to you.”
He’s completely serious. Not a hint of fucking around. But obviously his mind went there too, so I don’t suffer too much guilt over the question.
What if this had happened when Maddy was here? Even the thought makes my blood pressure spike.
Aubrey’s quiet. Too quiet. She’s probably terrified. The place she works and spends a lot of her time in has been violently violated. I wouldn’t blame her if she’s mentally drafting her resignation letter.
But then I glance at her.
Tears roll down her cheeks and she shakes her head.
Her eyes. She won’t look at me.
She knows who did this.
My gut says I’m right. Besides the message, this carnage feels awfully personal.
Police radio crackling, Deputy Sheriff Brady O’Connor strolls in the back door and whistles. “Holy shit, Sullivan.”
“I had to call him,” Jake says quietly. “You’re gonna need a report.”
“I’ll be right back,” Brady says.
I pull Aubrey aside. Acid burns my throat and my chest tightens. “Do you have any idea who did this?” I ask in the calmest voice possible under the circumstances.
Her body trembles and she nods miserably. She fixes her gaze on the floor, allowing her hair to cover her face. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers.
“What the fuck?” I rage, and she flinches. Have I ever raised my voice around her before? Probably not. I shouldn’t be now either.
“Bro, calm down,” Jake says, grabbing my arm. “It’s not her fault. Whatever it is, isn’t her fault.”
“Like fuck it’s not. Who did this, Aubrey?” At the same time I’m yelling at her, I’m scared to death that she has anyone in her life capable of such violence.
I don’t know her at all.
She didn’t tell me. Doesn’t trust me. When I’ve trusted her with so much of myself. I’ve had her at my house. With my family. And the whole time she knew there was some psycho after her?
“I’m sorry,” she says again without looking at me. She bursts into tears and runs out the front door—one of the few things left intact.
What the actual fuck?
“Christ, Sully. Really? What the fuck’s wrong with you?” Jake shouts.
“Look around you!” I yell back.
“Oh my God,” someone says behind us. “What happened?”
“Celia,” Jake says. “What are you doing here?”
Her wild gaze searches the room, cataloging the damage. “Looking for Aubrey.” As soon as she sees the message on the wall, she closes her eyes and lets out a defeated sigh. “Motherfucker.”
I shoot an I-told-you-so glare Jake’s way.
“Who, Celia?” I ask.
“Where is she?”
“What the fuck did she drag me into?” I ask a little louder.
Her eyes narrow and she places one hand on her hip. “Don’t you dare put this on her.” She steps closer, poking her finger against my chest. “You have no idea what hell she’s been through. No idea what that sonofabitch did to her. None.”
“No, I don’t. Because she never fucking told me!” But even as I fling the words at Celia, I question myself.
Fire rages through my blood, incinerating me from the inside out. Not because of the damage to my business.
Because all the little warning signs make sense.
How desperate Aubrey was to take those extra self-defense classes.
Her hesitance to talk about her past. To reveal too much.
Her lack of self-confidence.
And a thousand other little things that should’ve clued me in.
Stupid me, I figured she?
??d been burned by a guy.
Not involved with a sociopath.
A searing rush of protectiveness surges from deep inside me.
“Who is he?” I ask a whole lot calmer now.
“Never mind. If she didn’t tell you, there must have been a reason.”
“Bullshit, Celia.” I take a few steps closer. “Tell me, please.”
She bites her lip and glances at the door. “I need to find her. Make sure she’s okay.”
Brady—who apparently walked back in without me noticing—wraps his hand around my arm before I have a chance to grab Celia and shake the information out of her.
I’m vaguely aware of Jake chasing her out the back door.
“Aubrey’s your girl?” Brady asks.
“Yeah. She works here too.”
“I need to speak to her.”
“You and me both.”
Hysterical and terrified, I run down the street. I pass Busy Beans and speed up. It’s not safe there anymore.
Obviously, Darren spent time watching my every move before visiting me at the coffee shop. To know where I work. To know I’m involved with Sully.
Was involved with Sully.
Am in love with Sully.
Can’t think about Sully right now. Picturing his beautiful, furious face right before I ran out threatens to tear my heart open.
Darren—the bastard—ruined my life before. Took all my plans and hopes for my future and ground them into dust. Six years later, he’s managed to blow up two things that mean so much to me with one destructive act. My relationship with the best man I’ve ever known and a job that finally made me feel like I have a purpose in life.
Gone.
Sully will never forgive me.
Not that I blame him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
A steady, dull pain throbs behind my eyes while I go over Brady’s endless questions. More guys from the sheriff’s department show up to catalog the crime scene.
My business is now a crime scene.
It’s completely different, yet still somehow reminiscent of the night my stepfather died. Except this time, no one cuffs me and throws me in the back of a patrol car.