Mended
Sydney Landon
MENDED
Copyright 2015 Sydney Landon
Smashwords Edition
Ebook formatting byWhite Hot Ebook Formatting
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organisations, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Other Titles
Praise
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Coming Soon
Preview of Watch Over Me
Preview of No Denying You
Also by Sydney Landon
The Danvers Novels
Weekends Required
Not Planning on You
Fall For Me
Fighting For You
Betting on You (A Danvers Novella)
No Denying You
Always Loving You
Watch Over Me (9/1/2015)
The Pierced Series
Pierced
Fractured
Mended
Rose (Late 2015)
Aidan (Spring 2016)
Praise for the Pierced Series
"Wow! What a page-turner. I loved this book and the chemistry between Lia and Lucian was sweet and steamy. Ms. Landon certainly knows how to write a book that captures the reader and keeps them reading until the end." Shannon - Cocktails and Books
"This is a book I would 100% recommend!!! This book had it all, laughter, steam, suspense, drama and sorrow. This book will have your heart beating a mile a minute for many different reasons!!!" Jennifer H. Book Bitches Blog
"This is hands down an Awesome read. From start to finish it grabs on and doesn't let go." Carrie's Book Escape.
"This is a book that I would recommend to any reader!! There is something that can pertain to everyone in this story, and I would love everyone in the world to experience what I did when I read this book!! Pierced by Sydney Landon was epicly enthralling!!! I cannot wait for the next book!!!" Sexy Bibliophiles
"5 piercing stars from me! You get a sizzling story as the pages turn." Amanda-Crazy Cajun Book Addicts
“Seriously mind blowing swift changes in the plot truly takes you places. Pierced is hands down 5 stars and deserving of more. Sydney Landon brings all her talent to the table with this book!” Heather—Crazy Cajun Book Addicts
“I absolutely loved this story. I was always on my feet thinking I was going to find out what happens but I don't. Just when I think I have it all figured out, something else happens and it changes. When I say if you haven't read "Pierced" you are really missing out, it's the truth. I have read a lot of fabulous books but this story captured me from the beginning.” Crazy, Chaotic Book Babes
Chapter One
Lucian
I make it to the sidewalk in front of my apartment, thinking of little else but following Lia. She is as essential to me as the air I breathe. My reasons for never opening up about Cassie with her now seem pointless. I acknowledge that the real fear all along was that my actions during the last days of my relationship with Cassie might lead Lia to believe I’m no longer a man she can trust with her heart. Having to admit to someone you love that a severe lack of judgment on your part set into motion a chain of events that would forever change lives is a terrifying prospect.
“Luc, did we get our wires crossed?” I jerk around to find my aunt walking toward me, looking confused. “I waited almost an hour for you at Lou’s before I finally gave up. Cindy told me you left the office in a hurry. Is everything okay?”
“Ah, hell.” I sag back against the building as I attempt to regroup. I’d asked my aunt earlier to meet me for coffee to discuss a treatment plan for my—problem. At the time, it had seemed like a positive step forward in my future with Lia. A future that now seems more uncertain than ever before. I’ve hurt the woman I love and I fucking hate myself for it.
I feel a hand on my arm as my aunt asks in concern, “What’s happened? Is it Lia?” She knows well that few things rattle me to the level I am right now.
Turning bleak, pain-filled eyes toward her, I say, “She left me.” Just those words are enough to cause bile to rise in my throat.
“What—why?” my aunt asks. She had been more than surprised at my relationship with Lia in the beginning, but it seems even she is stunned by this turn of events.
“Just the usual shit—keeping secrets. It appears the women in my life aren’t very fond of that particular habit of mine, no?”
My aunt gives me a look of understanding, correctly deducing that I’m talking about Cassie, or at least in part. Of course, she has no idea about Lia’s long-lost father. Motioning to the door I walked through just moments before, she says, “Let’s go back to your apartment and talk.”
My gut coils as I think of returning home knowing Lia’s not there. “I can’t. I need to go after her.”
“Do you have any idea where she’s gone?”
“She said that she was going to stay with Rose.”
“Luc, you need to get yourself together before you go charging after her. Call Rose and make sure Lia arrived safely then you and I are going to go somewhere and have that talk.”
A refusal is on the tip of my tongue, but she gives me a look that makes me feel like I’m ten years old again. As much as I want to run after Lia, maybe it would be a better idea to think of what I’m going to say first instead of making another mistake. I pull my phone from my pocket and pull up Rose’s number. She answers with, “Yes, she’s here.”
I release a sigh of relief before asking, “Is she all right?”
Rose is quiet for a moment before I hear a door shut. “She’s in the kitchen getting something to drink. I didn’t want her to hear me talking to you. What in the hell happened between you two? She hasn’t told me anything yet. Just some bullshit about needing space.”
“She was blindsided by something pretty big today. I didn’t tell her ahead of time and I should have. I’m sorry, but that’s all I can say. I’m sure she’ll tell you the specifics. I’ll be there in a few hours to talk to her, but in the meantime, could you please take care of my girl?”
She huffs in disgust when she realizes she’s not going to get any more information from
me. “Well, hell. I’m always the last to know everything. I guess you need the address of my new apartment, right?” When she offers to text it to me, I accept gratefully. I’d completely forgotten that she’d moved after Lia’s attack. Neither woman could face living in the building where Lia’s stepfather had attempted to rape her. Hell, I’d gladly buy the place just to burn it down if St. Claire’s University would allow it. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t part with one of their dormitories. In a syrupy sweet voice, Rose adds, “Oh, and Lucian, my daddy just bought me a new Ruger SR9. Do you know what that is?”
“A 9mm pistol,” I answer warily. Sam is somewhat of a gun collector and Ruger is one of his favorite brands of handguns. He usually opts for a shooting range, whereas Rose seems to be more of a loose cannon with her hobby.
“That’s right,” she answers smoothly. “And if you’ve pulled a Jake on my friend, you’ll be on the receiving end of it.” Most people would laugh at that type of threat from a woman who tended to dress like a suppressed socialite in pearls and cashmere, but I knew better. The police had picked her up on several occasions recently for terrorizing her cheating ex-boyfriend. I was pretty sure by this point, she wasn’t all talk.
“That’s not it, but duly noted,” I reply quickly before ending the call. Turning to my aunt, I wave my hand to the Starbucks across the street and we walk there in silence. It wouldn’t have been my first pick for a private conversation, but at this time of the day, it’s fairly deserted. We both order a plain coffee and when they are ready, take them to a table in the far corner.
Looking mildly curious, my aunt asks, “Do I even want to know why you were discussing guns with Lia’s friend?”
Shaking my head, I say, “No. Trust me, you don’t. Suffice to say, Lia has a very protective friend.”
My aunt takes a sip of her coffee, eyeing me thoughtfully. “So, let’s start with the reason you wanted to meet this morning. I’m always happy to hear from you, but I gathered this was to be more than a social call.”
The smile on her face shows she notices me shifting sheepishly in my chair. It’s the feeling many adult children have when reminded by a parent that they don’t stay in touch enough. I love my aunt and would do anything for her, but until Lia, I’d always been more of a loner. I have friends who I consider family, but I prefer to keep them at a safe distance. People I love don’t seem to fare well. “Point taken, Fae,” I note dryly. I have no idea how to delicately state my reason for needing to see her, so I get to the point. “I’ve been using cocaine for years and I need to stop.” I brace myself for the shock and disappointment I expect to see on her face, but instead, it remains blank. There is no flicker of surprise. I find that instead of her, I’m the one at a loss for words now.
She leans forward in her chair and briefly squeezes my hand before admitting, “I know, Luc. I mean I didn’t know you were specifically using cocaine, but I knew there was something. I just hoped that at some point, you’d come to me for help.”
My eyes widen in disbelief at her calm statement. “But—how?” The first thing that comes to mind is that Sam told her. Since his nephew has been my supplier for years, I’d find it hard to believe he would have the nerve to rat me out. My aunt would likely kick his ass. That leaves only Lia and Aidan and I can’t see either of them letting her in on my secret.
She releases a breath before answering my question. “I’ve spent years working in the emergency department at one of North Carolina’s largest hospitals. Trust me when I say that I’ve seen it all. I thought at first that I just imagined something that wasn’t there. I’d notice your dilated pupils, but then when I saw you again, they were normal. Being that we would go weeks between visits, I couldn’t be certain for a long time. In the last year though, I’ve seen you more and have noticed a pattern. When Lia was in the hospital though, you seemed fine and I had hoped that having her in your life had helped you get control.” Closing her eyes briefly, she drops her head before adding, “Luc, cocaine is deadly. This is going to make me sound like a horrible authority figure, but I’d have preferred marijuana.”
Attempting to lighten my aunt’s morose mood, I joke, “So, you’re more than fine with me smoking pot? I wish you’d have clued me into that when I was in high school. It would have prevented a whole lot of sneaking around on Aidan’s and my part.”
Aunt Fae rolls her eyes. “You boys were never as smart as you thought you were. I had half of the neighborhood keeping an eye on you. You were a good kid, Luc, who grew up into a great man.”
Looking at her in amazement, I say dryly, “This is definitely one of those glass-half-full moments if you’re complimenting me after I’ve admitted to using cocaine.”
She laughs softly before turning serious. “I should have confronted you long before this. It in no way excuses me, but as you appeared to be functioning normally, I assumed it was only something you were using recreationally. After what happened to you with Cassie, I just didn’t know how to demand that you give up something that helped you make it through the day. But coke, Luc,” she chokes out. “I never thought it was that—never.”
I didn’t want to continue to let her beat herself up. I was an adult when I took my first snort, and I was eight years past that now. It wasn’t her responsibility to manage my demons for me. In the end, it had always been my decision and the euphoria over the pain had seemed worth the risk to me for so many years. Now I had Lia, who had battled and survived her life without the crutch I had needed. I would never let her use something that could potentially take her away from me, even as a form of escape, and I owed her the same. The high was no longer worth the guilt and self-loathing that came with it. “Fae, you couldn’t have stopped me. I needed it to survive for a long time, and as much as I hate to say it, I would have cut you from my life before giving it up.”
She absorbs my brutal honesty with little emotion. If I see anything, it’s a small measure of relief at my words. It would be too hard for her to accept she could have done something to help me sooner and did not. How is it that nothing rattles the woman in front of me? I so appreciate her strength, her fortitude, and unconditional support. “Does Lia know? Is that why she left?”
“She does, and no, that isn’t the reason.” The same quandary faces me that I had with Rose. With my aunt though, I feel she needs to know about Lia’s parentage and my part in keeping it from her. It seems impossible to fully convey the mess I’ve made of my relationship with Lia without being forthcoming. Rubbing a hand across my throbbing temple, I begin. “I discovered—quite by accident—the identity of Lia’s father right before her attack. When he approached me after Lia left the hospital, I made the choice not to tell her. She wasn’t in a good place emotionally and I didn’t think she could deal with any additional stress. Especially something of that magnitude.”
“I assume that he lives here if you have met with him?”
Inclining my head, I say, “He does. Her father is Lee Jacks.”
My aunt gasps, clearly stunned by my revelation. I had no doubt she would recognize the name. He is on the board of directors of the hospital she works at. “Oh my—wow,” she finally says when she has collected herself. “Did he know about Lia?” I can see the anger gathering in her eyes as she imagines someone of his stature leaving his daughter to endure all that Lia has.
“No, he says that he didn’t and I believe him. He had a brief relationship with her mother before leaving the states for a while. Apparently, they never reconnected at any point and he had no reason to believe he might have fathered a child.”
Almost idly, my aunt says, “Lee…Lia.”
Grimacing, I say, “Apparently her mother had a nasty sense of humor. I think it was her way of having the last laugh on Lee.”
“Is he the reason she suddenly developed a conscience and turned herself into the police?”
“He is, although I don’t know how he convinced her to do it.” Actually, I have good idea, but my aunt probably doesn’t need to know.
Whatever his methods, he achieved a semblance of justice for Lia and I can’t bring myself to care about how he went about it.
“And her stepfather?” I know what she’s asking. Of course, there is no way she’s lived in North Carolina her whole life and never heard the rumors about Lee. If any of them were to be believed, then killing a man, especially one who hurt his daughter, would all be in a normal day for him. Did he do it? Do I care? Hell—fucking no, I don’t. The bastard is burning in hell now and I could give a shit as to what put him there. If Lee avenged his daughter by killing Jim Dawson, then he’s officially my new best friend.
“I know nothing about that,” I say truthfully. Lee is certainly not about to bring me into his confidence—nor do I want him to. All parties involved, including the police, were more than happy to close that particular case with little fanfare.
“How did Lia find out if you didn’t tell her?” my aunt asks, still looking slightly shell-shocked.
“Fate is a complete bitch. Lia went to school to take care of her registration for the coming semester. Lee had already paid her tuition and she found out. She went to his office thinking it was a mistake. Lee thought she was there because I had finally told her about him. He had already said too much before he figured out she had no idea who he was. So, he told her the rest. She left his office very upset. He called me in a panic to let me know. When I got home, she was packing.” Slumping back into my seat as my gut once again churns, I run an unsteady hand through my hair as I admit, “She told me she could no longer handle the secrets between us. She wants to know everything that happened with Cassie.”