Chapter 6
Chapter Six
ISABELLA
I hadn’t meant to visit this town so quickly after fleeing the first time. I still had a bruise on my arm, a few cuts and scrapes from my fall, and here I was, back in the mountains, Cage Lake in front of me.
It really was a beautiful town and a beautiful lake.
But it didn’t feel like home. I was used to seeing the mountains in the distance, always knowing where west was because of the city’s placement.
Now, however, I was surrounded by mountains.
I had no idea where north was, no idea about the inner workings of a small town that was not my own.
And again, I had a feeling no matter where I was, I was going to be off kilter.
Because now I didn’t know if the new bruise on my arm was from running into the wall when I had gotten ready that morning, from the fall, or from the attack.
Maybe the others were right, and I did need this time just to breathe.
“So, are you unpacked?”
I jumped at the sound of that deep voice and turned to see my brother Hudson standing there, hands in his jean pockets.
I studied him, the brother I probably knew the least. Of course, I couldn’t really say that I knew the core seven Cages as well as I should.
It had only been a few months after all.
And we had up to three years of those dinner dates, getting to know one another.
And I only knew Aston as well as I did because he was with Blakely.
Hudson lived in Cage Lake full-time. He had been in the army, though I didn’t know his rank, or what he had done there, and when he got out, he had moved here.
He’d apparently gone through the G.I. Bill to get his bachelor’s degree while on active duty.
And then had taken a few business classes so he could help out the family.
At least that’s what Flynn had mentioned.
Then he dropped it all to paint. I had seen some of his paintings at Aston’s place, and online through his website, and I couldn’t quite believe that somebody with that kind of talent for art shared half of my genetics.
I wanted to ask him when he had decided to paint, to change his career more than once.
I wanted to know if he had taken art classes or had spent time learning how to do these things when he was younger.
But for some reason the way that he glared at me even though I knew it was just his resting face, I knew he wasn’t going to be open to answers.
And frankly, I had always been so on the go, even during my one and only visit before recently, that I hadn’t been able to ask.
I had been so busy protecting the siblings I had grown up with, I hadn’t taken time to figure out the others.
But I was getting better. At least I hoped.
Maybe this forced work-from-home, or at least any home that wasn’t my own, would help me get to know Hudson.
I studied his bearded face, the fact that he had pulled his long hair back in some form of a small ponytail or bun thing.
I knew he had tattoos running up and down his arms, and an eyebrow ring, and looked so different from the rest of the Cages, that it was a wonder he was one.
However, he was Flynn’s actual identical twin, so it wasn’t as if he didn’t share their genetics.
He just didn’t bother with the suits that the others did.
“Isabella?” he asked, and I pulled myself out of studying this brother that I didn’t know.
“I’m unpacked. I didn’t bring much.”
“I figured you’d stay for a little longer than a weekend. There are some clothes free to get down on Main Street, but most of the things that you are probably used to aren’t going to be there. Most people shop online these days or go to the city. Not much up here for a city girl.”
I raised my brow at the tone. “City girl? I’m a suburb girl, thank you very much.” Even though he’d called me a city girl before…
“You worked at the big building. That’s downtown.”
“And it’s still not a huge metropolis like New York or Philly. But I do like suburbs. With a coffee shop close by. And sometimes fast foods. Like a salad-to-go place.”
Hudson clucked his tongue. “You’re not going to find that here. But you’re going to find a bunch of places with our name stamped all over it. Good food, good coffee. And nosy-as-fuck people.”
“Please, sell me more of this town,” I said dryly.
He shrugged. “It’s home. The others come and go, but I like it here. I get my privacy as long as I stay at the house rather than going downtown often.”
“I like how you call it downtown.”
“Fine. Down to the town.” He rolled his eyes, his face brightening. Well then. Maybe he didn’t smile, but maybe he wasn’t just the asshole that people thought he was. There had to be a reason he was hiding up in Cage Lake. Then again, I was doing the same.
“It’s still really nice that Aston is letting me borrow his place.”
“He isn’t using it right now. Most of them aren’t. And I’m sure they’ll set aside a parcel for you soon. You can build your own place.”
I had just taken a drink of water from my water bottle and choked. “Excuse me?”
“What, each of us Cages has a house surrounding the lake, and we didn’t allow others to build anything too crazy, or near us.
We also made sure that we were still taking care of the environment around us.
So, we have the space, and this is for family.
When you’re ready to build something, let us know.
We are in the real estate business after all.
And development. It’s sort of what we do. At least, what they do.”
My eyes widened even as I shook my head. “I do not understand this family sometimes. You’re just going to what, give me a house?”
“Maybe. Or maybe give you the time to have it. We don’t need all this space.
Honestly, I’m pretty sure that Flynn and James decided to keep extra space just so Dad couldn’t have it.
And so other developers couldn’t come in and build a shopping center or set of apartments that they would never keep up with. ”
“I guess that would ruin some of the beauty.”
“Exactly. We’re already taking up too much of it.
” Hudson shrugged. “And I’m not even the biggest environmentalist of the family.
Anyway, I’m not too far if you need me. The security system’s is going at Aston’s place, and we already went over it.
And if there’s ever anything you need, you got my number.
And well, I know you’re in Aston’s place because you are friends with Blakely, but you also know the guy next door.
I realize that you might think I bite, but I’m not that much of an asshole. At least to family that I like.”
“So you like me?” I asked, letting out a hollow laugh.
“I don’t actively hate you. I don’t know you. But I guess you’re here, so I suppose I’m going to have to get to know you.”
He said it so dryly that I realized that this was his form of humor. “I have a feeling I’m actually going to like you.”
Hudson barked out a laugh and gestured toward my car. “Do you have good tires on that?” he asked, and I looked over at my SUV.
“I do. I think. I mean, they got me up here.”
“It’s spring in the mountains, so we might get snow. You should head over to Caldwell’s and have them check it out just in case. Don’t want you to run off the road. We get enough accidents out here. And we’ve lost some good people.”
I froze at that and shook my head. “I’m fine. I don’t need to go to Caldwell’s.”
“Okay. But Weston will hook you up. He somehow got me to be his best friend, and I don’t know how that happened.”
Hudson kept speaking, and it was like I was seeing this through a new dimension.
How small was this world that my ex-boyfriend was best friends with my brother?
Just like my best friend was dating my brother.
How the hell had this happened? My life didn’t use to be this complicated. At least I didn’t think it did.
“Anyway, just be careful. Especially on the bridges.” He paused, his face darkening.
“Weston lost his parents a few years back on that bridge. I guess, what, eight years now? Came back to raise his twin sisters and his brother. Then we’ve had a couple of tourists have accidents on the bridge across town.
The mayor and the rest of the town does its best to keep everything going, to keep it safe.
But accidents happen. So check your tires.
Or give me your keys and I’ll go over to Weston’s. You can take my truck.”
A dull ringing echoed in my ears as Hudson continued to speak, and bile rose in my throat.
Eight years ago. Eight years and he left a note. A note saying that he needed to go. And that he had had fun.
And this was why. Why he had come back to town. It was all making a sick sort of sense. And it was all I could do not to throw up right there.
“Isabella? What’s wrong?”
I swallowed hard and forced myself to put a pleasant expression on my face. Hudson didn’t know the connection, so I wasn’t about to let him in on the fact that my entire worldview had been utterly shattered for the second time in my life.
“Nothing’s wrong. My tires are fine. But I will stop by Caldwell’s if I feel like I need to.”
“Okay. Are you sure you’re okay?” He sighed.
“Of course you’re not. You’re here in Cage Lake doing remote work and checking in on the businesses for Flynn because of some asshole down in Wyoming.
And apparently in Denver too. So if you need me, you call.
I know you are just as independent as I am, and I hate people, but I don’t want you to get hurt.
And if you need to talk about whatever is troubling you.
..hell, I can send you over to the resort to talk to someone there. She never shuts up.”
I had no idea who he was talking about, but I wanted to reach out and hug him, or tell him I was fine, but I wasn’t. Because my world had just been once again rocked on its axis, and I couldn’t keep up.