Always (Follow Me #6)

Chapter Forty-Nine

I hurry out of the car as soon as it stops in front of my Manhattan residential building.

No doorman. Not a surprise.

The words of his text echo in my mind.

Mr. Black, it’s Charles Thatcher, your doorman. I’m texting from another person’s phone. I was held at gunpoint by two men who entered your residential building, so there’s currently no security. I’ve called 911.

I gulp, my pulse racing. My stomach is twisted in knots.

Quietly I steal into the building. Look around.

Skye is off to the right, in the lobby, sitting on a leather wingback chair.

And on the couch opposite her.

Oh, God…

Peter Reardon and his father, Beau Reardon.

How are they even here? Do they know I was meeting with the Unholy Trinity?

Skye’s face is pale, but she’s holding her own. I don’t see any firearms.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. After all, the doorman…

I swallow, gathering my courage. I’ve faced worse in my life. I’ve faced down flames.

“Your boyfriend is up to no good,” Beau says.

Fuck. They do know. They may not have my fortune, but they’ve got enough.

“If you mean he’s going to stop you people from drugging women, then I’d say he’s up to a lot of good.” Skye’s voice.

Pride swells in me. Good for her.

“Those are unfounded accusations,” Beau says.

“Interesting.” Skye again. “Your friend Garrett drugged Tessa, and I’d be willing to bet you did the same thing to Betsy, Peter.”

“More unfounded accusations,” Beau says. “Your friend has a history of drug use.”

“She’s used drugs one time.”

“The allegations against Garrett and my son are fabricated,” Beau says.

The man is ice cold. Does anything rattle him?

“Are they? Because I’m pretty sure my friend was drugged.”

“That’s what she tells you, anyway.” Again from Beau.

“I’m done talking.” Skye grabs her phone.

That’s my cue. I walk toward them, sailing past the unmanned reception desk.

I go directly to Skye, take her hand, and pull her off the chair and into the protection of my body. “Are you okay, Skye?”

She nods. “Yes.”

“And I suppose there’s a good reason why my doorman isn’t at his post?” I eye Beau and then Peter.

“He wasn’t there when we arrived,” Beau says.

“Nice try. I got a text from him after you threatened him. Knowing Skye would be home soon, I cut my meeting short.”

“Mr. Black,” Beau says, “I assure you that—”

“Stop it. Stop it right now. You thought you could get to me through Skye. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Skye has more intelligence in her right hand than the two of you have together.”

Skye’s neck reddens. Have I embarrassed her?

“She is formidable,” Beau agrees, “but does she have this?”

Skye sucks in a breath when Beau pulls out a pistol. I go rigid as I try to examine the gun. It appears to be a Glock 17, a high-capacity semi-automatic commonly used by law enforcement. Beau holds it with a familiarity that suggests he knows what he’s doing.

Fuck.

My heart slams in my chest, wild and erratic. I can’t think straight, can’t breathe right—each inhale is too shallow, too fast. My hands shake as I clench them into fists, nails biting into my palms, but I don’t feel it. The world narrows, sharp and blurry at the edges.

All I see is Skye.

I need to move, do something, but my legs feel like they’re stuck in cement.

The thought of her hurt, or worse… I can’t even let myself go there. My throat tightens like a noose.

I swallow hard, forcing down the fear clawing its way up my throat, trying to stay steady. But I’m not steady. I’m not okay.

I breathe in. Cold plunge. Forced meditation.

I have to be steady. I have to be okay.

For Skye.

Breathe in. Cold plunge. Force everything else out.

I’m in control. So very in control.

“Put that away, Beau,” I say, my voice remaining steady. “You and I both know you’re not man enough to actually use it.”

I’m bluffing, of course. The man knows how to use it. I’d bet he’s fired it many times—and not just during target practice.

I keep Skye shielded behind me.

I can’t let this turn ugly.

I can’t lose Skye.

I don’t want to die, but I’ll give my life for hers in a heartbeat. Easiest decision I’ve ever made.

I don’t think.

I only move.

In a flash, I execute a roundhouse kick and send the gun flying out of Beau’s hand and sliding across the marble floor of the lobby until it stops against a wall.

Beau freezes, clearly surprised at my guts. Peter turns his head, eyes the gun.

“Don’t even think about it,” I say to Peter. “We both know you don’t have the balls.”

Peter’s face goes pale, and his eyes…

Damn. Are those tears welling in the bottom of his eyes?

“We don’t want trouble,” Beau says.

Seriously? He really just said that? All the fear, all the doubt disappears.

“You don’t?” I shake my head. “You always threaten people with a gun when you don’t want trouble? And by the way, my security has been back up since I arrived, so I’ve got you dead to rights for assault with a deadly weapon. Plus what you’ve done to Skye.”

“We didn’t hurt her,” Beau says.

“You threatened her. You disabled the elevator so she couldn’t get away from you. Believe me. I’ll make charges stick.”

“Fuck you,” Peter says.

“Shut up, Peter,” his father commands. “We’ll just forget this happened.”

“I’m afraid not,” I say. “The cops are already on their way. You’re both going to be arrested.”

“We didn’t hurt anyone,” Peter says.

“You scared Skye. You threatened my doorman, and you held Skye and me at gunpoint. Plus, you’ve been drugging women for years.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“I can. Ms. Logan and Ms. Davis are both willing to press charges against you”—I eye Peter—“and Mr. Ramirez. But Mr. Ramirez will walk. You want to know why?”

Peter looks like he’s about to hurl, but Beau remains calm.

On the outside, at least.

“Probably because he hasn’t done anything,” Beau says.

“To the contrary. I approached him after Ms. Logan was hospitalized. All it took was a little prodding and he sang like a coloratura soprano. How he and your son drugged Ms. Logan and Ms. Davis with substances you provided them. How you’ve been drugging clients for years to get them to sign contracts with your firm.”

Does he know I’m lying? I haven’t talked to Garrett. If I’d been anywhere within a five-mile radius of him, I’d have pummeled him into next week.

“You can’t prove any of that.”

“I can,” I say, “and I will.”

“What do you even care?” Peter demands. “You have everything. Why don’t you just stay out of our lives!”

He hits me where it hurts.

For so many years, I knew what Beau Reardon and his firm were up to, how they did business. I never had concrete proof, but even without it, I could have done something.

But I turned a blind eye. I minded my own business.

But when I saw Skye at that Gala with Peter Reardon…

“I did, for many years,” I say. “I shouldn’t have, but I did. Until it hit close to home. Tessa Logan and Betsy Davis are Skye’s friends, and consequently they’re important to me.” I look down at Skye. “I’m sorry it took me so long to put a stop to this. If I’d done it when I first suspected, Tessa and Betsy wouldn’t have been in any position to be taken advantage of.”

“It’s not your fault,” she tells me. “No one asked you to save the world.”

“That’s what I’ve always told myself. But I was wrong. What good is my fortune if I don’t use it to help others?”

Peter drops to the floor. “Please. It’s all my dad. I never wanted to do any of this. But he—”

“Get up, you sniveling piece of shit.” Beau scoffs. “I’m embarrassed to have you for a son.”

As angry as I am, I can’t help feeling sorry for Peter in that moment. Being raised by Beau Reardon couldn’t have been any kind of picnic.

Sirens blare in the distance, and two patrol cars pull up to the building. Five blues enter, and Beau and Peter are cuffed and charged, their Miranda rights read.

Everything passes in a blur as the cops take both Beau and Peter away.

Finally, when they’re gone, Skye steps out of my arms but then nearly falls. I steady her quickly.

“You okay?”

“No,” she says. “Not even a little bit.”

“You seemed so calm.”

“It was an act, Braden. They had me cornered. I didn’t know what to do. I’m so glad you showed up.”

“I had a feeling Beau wouldn’t take this lying down. But I underestimated him. I figured he’d come directly to me.”

“Why? He’s obviously been exploiting women for years.”

“Not just women. He uses the drugs to get what he wants in business as well.”

“He’s a coward.”

“You’re absolutely right,” I say. “I won’t make this mistake again. He found my Achilles’ heel. I’m so sorry to put you through this, Skye.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“I know you will. You’re strong. The strongest woman I’ve ever known. Well, you’re tied, anyway.”

“Oh? Tied with whom?”

I exhale slowly. “With my mother, Skye. You’re tied with my mother.”