39. Bethany
Chapter 39
Bethany
C had didn’t survive.
His body couldn’t recover from being thrown off a five-story building. I’m not sure how he survived the initial fall to begin with.
We had so many questions, but no answers. Authorities were sifting through the evidence to ascertain the chain of events that culminated in his death. My head hurt from the implications that my brother had gotten messed up with the mob.
The fucking mob!
My brother was a smart man. He’d worked his ass off to get where he was. I can’t figure out how he got tangled up in that kind of mess. We talked regularly—and by that I mean once a month. Not once had he hinted he was in trouble. He always bragged about how well he was doing, and I had no reason to question him.
Now… I kind of wished I had.
Alicia cautioned us that the case might remain unsolved. As a former law enforcement officer, she understands more about how these cases go. Mob cases are often complex and buried under a pile of other cases that take precedence. I know Alicia well enough to know she won’t let this go. She’ll dig up what she can in her spare time, determined to make the guilty pay. But there is no guarantee that will happen, and we have to figure out a way to live with that.
We have to wait for the medical examiner to complete the autopsy before making funeral arrangements. That will take at least a week. It’s already been a couple of days and Dillon needs to get back to Savannah. The Coast Guard’s flexibility isn’t the same as other jobs. They can’t just do without him or call in another pilot to cover for his shift. Which is why he flew back this morning and took Brinkley and the twins with him. His mother is coming to help with the baby. Jodi agreed to take the boys for me. I didn’t see a reason to keep them out of school while we waited. When we knew more, they would all fly back for the funeral.
With nothing else to do, Alicia and I decide to stay at Chad’s apartment, hoping to learn more about what he was involved in. The detective in charge of his case has our full cooperation and permission to conduct a thorough search of his property. It wasn’t like Chad would get into more trouble if they found something, so we saw no reason to not work with them. With any luck, they’d find what they needed to make those responsible pay for what they did.
It took his team about an hour to collect the evidence he needed to build his case. We weren’t told what that evidence was. Ongoing investigation was the term I believe he used when Alicia tried to pull it out of him.
The cops are gone now.
Numb from the shocking revelations about Chad’s double life, we sit in stunned silence. The weight of what we’ve learned since arriving in New York presses down on us. The last several days opened our eyes. Neither of us suspected our brother would get involved in shit this deep. Now the guilt is eating at us both. I know Alicia well enough to know if he’d come to her, she’d have done all she could to help him. I may not have her skills, but I would’ve provided a listening ear and offered whatever help I could, however limited.
Chad’s place is nice. Over the top, really. The polished surfaces and silent spaces made me feel like I couldn’t touch anything whenever I visited him. My perspective has now changed, and I’m seeing things I hadn’t before. Perhaps our recent focus on Chad’s troubles has influenced my thinking.
“He shouldn’t have been able to afford this, should he?” I sink into the plush leather couch, the soft material molding to the shape of my body.
“Not really. This isn’t junior bank investors’ accommodations. It’s executive-level.” With her feet resting on the glass-topped table, Alicia stares out the vast window in front of us. “The view alone probably adds fifty grand to the mortgage.”
How the hell did I not see the signs?
“I feel incredibly stupid for missing these obvious details.” My job hones my observation skills, allowing me to notice details others miss. Yet I missed all the signs and now my brother is dead.
“Beth, don’t.” A comforting weight settles on my hand as my sister places hers on top. “Chad was a master at keeping us in the dark. As soon as he was old enough to get out, he did. Moved as far away from Texas and our parents as he could, just like the rest of us had. He lived his life on his own terms, with complete disregard for what others may think. The harder we tried, the more he resisted. Even if we’d figured it out, do you think he would have listened to our concerns, considering his stubborn nature and past behavior?”
Do I?
“No.” I shake my head. “He’d have said we didn’t grasp the situation, then steered the conversation elsewhere.”
And that hurts to admit.
Inhaling deeply, I notice the air itself smells like money, tainted money. “What do you imagine a place like this cost?”
Without missing a beat, Alicia tosses out an exact number. “3.5 million. I looked it up while we waited for the police to do their thing.”
I whistle. “Jodi would be impressed.”
My phone vibrates insistently in my pocket. I pull it out, the cool metal a contrast to my warm hand, to check the text. “What the hell?”
NOLAN:
Let security know I’m with you and to buzz me up.
Instead of texting him back, I call. He answers in two rings.
“Buzz you up where?”
Alicia snickers next to me, like she knows something I don’t.
“To the apartment. Are you not here?” I hear an echo familiar to the lavish lobby downstairs.
“I’m here.” Approaching the phone mounted on the wall beside the door, I pick it up to call the security desk. “But why are you here?”
“Because you needed me here. Tell him to let me up. We can talk about it after I’m upstairs and you’re in my arms.”
The man at the desk picks up. “This is Bethany Rogan. You can let Nolan Archer up. Please add him to the list.”
An airy giggle escapes Alicia’s lips from behind me. “The list. So posh.”
“Shut up,” I say over my shoulder as I hang up the phone and open the front door. “Did you know he was coming?”
“Maybe. When I talked to him last, he was still trying to book a flight and make arrangements for the girls. I tried to tell him it wasn’t necessary.” Now in the kitchen, she rummages through the cabinets, looking for something. “But your boyfriend is stubborn. Said I was wrong.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Holding the door, I stand in the doorway awaiting the elevator’s arrival. “Bitch.”
“Ha. Do you know how fun it is seeing you so gone for a man? I never thought I’d see the day.” Taking out a glass water bottle from the fridge, she shakes her head and then opens it. “I’m taking this into Chad’s office. Gonna make a few calls to check in on things at work and home. Give you two some space.”
Before I can respond, the elevator arrives, and Nolan steps off. He’s wearing a worn pair of jeans, a dark t-shirt, and baseball cap.
Fucking sex on a stick.
As he steps off, he turns and notices me. His frown reverses, making his eyes light up. He struts toward me, flipping his cap backward before stopping. His thumb, rough and calloused, brushes against my skin as he lifts my chin, his kiss soft and warm on my lips.
The weight of it all becomes unbearable, and with a choked sob, I collapse into his embrace, tears streaming down my face. He wraps his strong arms around me and pulls me to his chest, moving us both out of the doorway and into the high-end apartment. The door clicks shut behind us, the sound echoing in the stillness of the living room as he guides me to the couch, the plush cushions sinking under our weight as he pulls me into his lap. He hugs me tightly, the comforting pressure of his hands on my back a welcome relief.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” The words come out in hiccupping gasps as I lay my head against his shoulder, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
“Believe it.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll have to go home in a few days. I’m gonna work a double, switching with one of the guys so I can make it back for Chad’s funeral. Then, I’m on vacation for a week. We can go somewhere if you want. All of us.”
“That sounds nice.” Tilting my head up, I drink in the sight of his handsome face, noticing the way the sunlight catches his hair. “We’ll probably have to go to Texas. Alicia and I want to take him home. Scatter his ashes along the creek bed he loved so much. Would that be okay? Would you mind going with us?”
“Not at all. I bet Mollie would love to see the ranch.”
Thinking of Mollie’s laughter echoing across the ranch, a warm smile spreads on my face. The scent of fresh hay and the sound of cattle lowing fills my mind. It’s not my favorite place to go, because I don’t enjoy the drama that comes with being around my parents. But I know Mollie and Kellie would probably enjoy being there and seeing all the animals they have. The boys always had fun splashing in the creek and exploring the land.
Nolan’s frown is back. “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” My stomach tightens, the stress from earlier returns. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t great news?”
He looks into my eyes and drops a name. “Theodore Stewart.”
Lifting one eyebrow, I narrow my eyes at the sound of his name, indicating my curiosity about why he’s bringing him up now.
“He’s dead.”
I pull back to give him my full attention. “How do you know?”
A deep sigh escapes his lips as he rolls his neck. “I cut his body out of his vehicle yesterday afternoon. Four other cars were involved. Thankfully, no one else was killed or seriously injured. It’s already made the news, so I’m not sharing anything that hasn’t been made public.” He rubs his hand up and down my back. “From what we can tell, he was trying to pass someone using the shoulder. Debris that had been removed from the road was there, obstructing his path. One of the main reasons you’re not supposed to drive on the shoulder. He was going ninety, according to the skid marks, hit the debris and lost control. Spun out and ended up under the trailer of a semi. One of the worst accidents I’ve come across, and I’ve seen some bad ones.”
“I saw the reports on the news. They said one car burst into flames.” Horror washes over my face, and I quickly cover my mouth. “Oh. Oh. Nolan. I know how hard those are for you. Hell, babe I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I have this amazing sexy therapist who’s a great listener. She also has some unconventional ways to help me deal with the aftermath. Maybe tonight we can both lose ourselves in each other to get our minds off shit.” He pulls me toward him to kiss my lips.
A few minutes later, Alicia walks in carrying some empty boxes. “Want to get started?”
I slide off Nolan’s lap. “We are packing up his personal stuff. Things we’d like to keep. Do you mind helping?”
“You just tell me what to do.” Standing, he takes a box from Alicia. “What are you going to do with the other stuff?”
“Donate or sell it.” Alicia lets out a long, weary sigh. “I have no use for most of it. Too expensive for my taste.”
We spend the next several hours boxing his things up. It’s going to take us a few days to do it. Alicia suggested we hire someone to go through it once we grab want we want. Her boss knows someone. Of course he does.
A week later, we say our final goodbye at Chad’s memorial, the air heavy with grief and the scent of lilies. I was surprised when my parents came, since they knew we’d be flying to Texas the following day. I wonder if the guilt of never coming to New York to visit my brother when he was alive pushed them to come this time. Jodi brought the boys. They flew up with Dillon and Alicia’s bosses, who insisted that Micheal come with them as well. Several of his coworkers and friends came to offer us condolences.
Once that was done, our entire family flew to Texas on a private jet. Once again provided to us by the Cristiano’s.
The following day, we spread Chad’s ashes along the creek bed, a favorite spot he often visited during his infrequent trips home. Everyone was there, including Nolan and the girls. I never understood how much I needed that man until he showed up in NYC and gathered me in his arms. His strength has been my lifeline. It’s funny how I always thought I didn’t need one, and now I can’t imagine my life without him.
Guess it’s time to make sure I never have to.