Chapter 26
Trinity
I can barely believe my ears. Maybe it’s a concussion, or maybe it’s the morphine. But Brody’s agreed to defect.
And his admission about Declan—that he’s not the man’s biological son—is playing tricks on my logical mind.
Brody and I have a lot in common. We both spent our lives in isolation, vying for love from families incapable of creating normal attachment bonds.
Except, Brody’s path was more difficult than mine. After Declan discovered they didn’t share DNA, he’s lucky to be alive.
We may not actually be blood related—a fact I’m immensely thankful for given our intense chemistry—but the connection I share with Brody is crystal clear.
The truth always has a way of rewriting the past.
Does our similar history contribute to the mad chemistry we share? I know all about pheromones, but has this deeper-level connection existed all along?
Brody’s eyelids grow heavy, so I walk over to the window and peer out at the desert. Sooner or later, those Russians will catch up to us. We need to flee this place. Ditch the BMW. Get to Austin.
I also need that hard drive.
I pivot and study him. His head faces me, his eyes closed. I have a strong feeling he’s not sleeping, though. Just resting. His skin remains pale.
I shake my head, guilt returning with the force of a typhoon.
For all I knew, that wound was mortal. He really could be dead.
The thought squeezes my heart and fills me with guilt. Although I’m not sure Catholic guilt adequately explains this ache.
I remind myself to let the past be in the past.
He’s alive, and I bet if I asked, he’d tell me he’s had worse injuries.
But now that I coerced that backstory out of him, I can’t unknow these truths.
I’ve already molded this newfound knowledge to the mental image I have of him that keeps evolving. Unlike Michelangelo, who chipped away at the stone until only David remained, I’m continually adding to construct my sculpture of Brody.
He’s more multifaceted than I gave him credit for.
A monster. A man. A killer. A hurting boy. A white-hot star sucking me in with the force of his gravity, no matter how much I try to stay away.
Maybe, just maybe, I can trust this guy—this newest version of Brody—enough to tell him my truth.
Because he’s right…I probably do need him. Even if I managed to steal a car, I have no way of knowing if the Russians are on my tail. If they catch up to me, I won’t be able to contact Finn before I’m taken and probably murdered.
Despite everything he’s done, Brody represents relative safety.
The soft beeping of his heart monitor draws my attention, and my eyes follow the gentle tick of the colored lines. The steady beat soothes my nerves. At least he’s not in too much pain.
With his eyes closed, he looks so peaceful. Those long, dark lashes and flushed cheeks give him a younger appearance. I can envision the boy he used to be under his hardened features and years of battle scars.
In a way, he’s innocent. A victim of circumstance not unlike myself.
Did I convince him that the Irish Kings will welcome him? Doubtful. I imagine he has machinations of his own. He’s tactical to the core, after all, hopped up on painkillers or not.
Which means Brody will require some convincing to do things my way. I’ll play his game and go along with his strategy, as long as he gets me where I need to go.
For now, I’ll offer him a carrot. He trusted me, so I’ll trust him.
His eyes remain closed, but he keeps shifting, so I know he’s awake.
No time like the present. “The Russians are after a hard drive I’ve spent years compiling.”
That hazel gaze pins me in an instant. “What are you saying, princess?”
I shiver under his attention, fighting down the flush of heat he always manages to pull from the depths of my body.
“You were honest with me, so I think it’s only fair that you understand what we’re running from.” I pause to let that digest while Brody attempts to sit up again. “Use the buttons on the bed rail.”
After huffing out a groan, he finds the controls and presses one until the head rises, carrying him upright. “All ears.”
I pick at a loose thread on the hem of my shirt. “I guess you could call it a weapon against the Gallaghers. I don’t know how the Russians found out, but Kruschev mentioned it at the safe house.”
Brody’s hand, the one closest to me, waves in a small “get on with it” gesture. I squirm in my seat, struggling to find the right words.
Finally, I blurt the simplest truth. “I’ve spent years drawing a map to the weak points of the entire Gallagher empire.”
Brody gawks. “Why the hell would you do that?”
I shrug one shoulder, glancing at the monitor. His heart rate just spiked. “I guess I got tired of being left out of everything. I never felt like my family was my family. At first, I just wanted to know why they always pushed me aside. Sent me away to boarding school, then college…”
I’m lying by omission now. I’ll tell him about the drive, but I’m not ready to talk about Angelica.
Aside from the people who already know, like Finn, I’ve never talked to anyone but myself and God about her, and one of us never seems to listen.
I sigh. “The hard drive has most of my father’s dealings dating back decades. Business that’s now Finn’s operation.”
“So where is it? You haven’t lost it, have you?”
“I mailed it to Austin right after graduation.”
Brody snorts and shakes his head. “Of course. This explains why I’ve been fighting off the Russians like a virus that just keeps mutating.”
I drop my eyes to the tips of my shoes. “Yeah. I’m sorry.” Then I tack on one more little lie. Just to guarantee he won’t abandon me halfway to Austin. “And a fair amount of it is about the LA Gallaghers too.”
That really gets the monitor jumping. Little waveforms spike across the screen. Being able to gauge his reaction this intimately almost feels like cheating.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” His cheeks flush.
“Nope.” I lean forward and keep my voice low. “I dug into Declan and anyone else who came into Shane’s orbit. Which means the file also has your finances, suppliers, and associates. Declan’s vulnerabilities.”
Brody’s blood pressure shoots to 140/85.
“Hey, be careful.” I touch his hand without thinking, then pull away to smooth the thin cotton sheet on the mattress. “They obviously want the drive so they can cripple both our families. If they get their hands on it, both coasts will be drawn into an all-out war.”
I force aside the guilt when Brody shoves his hand through his hair, a groan bubbling up from his chest. I really hate lying.
The sparse intel I have on the Port Kings probably can’t do much harm. I mean, I didn’t even have the names of Declan’s children. But the dirt I’ve dug up on my own family is nuclear, and I can’t let my mistakes ruin anyone else’s life.
Not again.
“I know you’re in recovery, and this is a lot. But—”
“No. I need to know this.” Brody inhales through his nose and closes his eyes.
I can see his mind spinning. He’s connecting what I’m saying to our short time together just like I did after learning about his past.
He’s not just a dumb enforcer. He’s wiser than I’m sure Declan gives him credit for, and that truth digs at the back of my mind.
Maybe Finn will let him join. Might even give him the respect he deserves.
“I knew you were smart as soon as I met you, but I didn’t realize how smart.” He opens his eyes again and pins me with those honeyed irises. “Cunning, if you think about it.”
The praise sends a weird little flutter through my stomach. “Yeah, I’m a real genius. Except now, it might get my whole family killed.” I pause, biting back a hitch in my breath. “It could’ve gotten you killed.”
Brody just shrugs, the corner of his lip twitching. “But it didn’t, and I’m fine. I also never expected you to actually do something like that. You’re pretty ballsy.”
He’s impressed that I left him for dead?
Of course. Such a man.
“I don’t think I’d call it ballsy, but…”
He continues. “You know, for someone who seems to think things through—”
“I didn’t consider the long-term consequences when I went down this rabbit hole. Trust me, I’m aware.”
He laughs. A quiet but real, warm laugh that reminds me of water trickling through a brook in the forest. I think my heart might explode.
Brody studies the IV in his arm before yanking it out.
Or maybe his heart will explode. “What do you think you’re doing? You need that!”
“We need to get out of here.” He swings his legs over the side of his hospital bed and stands. He immediately sways sideways, his left leg buckling.
“Whoa there, cowboy.” I grip under his arm, attempting to steady him. “All right, yeah, we’re leaving. Give me a second to find clothes and things, okay?”
He nods before sitting back down on the edge of the bed. I’m a little surprised he listened to me, but I guess that’s what good pain meds will do.
I grab his shoes from the cabinet near the bed, then slip into a sleeping patient’s room to steal a pair of sweats.
Once Brody’s dressed in normal clothes, we leave the hospital on the sly with surprising ease.
The plan is to steal a car, but Brody needs me to steady him as we trudge through the parking lot. “I don’t think we should leave the area just yet.”
He side-eyes me and half-smiles. “It’s the meds, but, yeah, I’m toast right now. Let’s get a hotel until morning.”
I blink, stunned that he capitulated so easily. I’m not about to look at gift horse in the mouth, though. His agreeableness is bound to wear off with the drugs, so I’d better make the most of it.