34. Blair
THIRTY-FOUR
blair
I could hear Sean talking on his phone but my focus was on keeping Brynn calm.
“She won’t wake up,” she whispered, sniffling. “Mommy, wake up. Please, I’ll be good and listen.”
Fuck.
I wiped tears from my face and took a deep breath, holding on to Sean’s hand when he reached for me.
Never had I been more grateful for putting a tracker on her phone a while ago. I hadn’t checked it since our meeting at Jaslyn’s weeks back, thinking Lauren had gone back to Pittsburgh. But instead, they’d been in New York all this time, living in an apartment in the Bronx.
“Brynn baby,” I said as calmly as possible. “Take a deep breath for me. Sit tight, I’m almost there. There’s two people outside who’ll direct the paramedics in once they get there.”
Lorcan and Liam who lived in the Bronx were already at the apartment. I didn’t want their presence to scare Brynn. And thankfully Sean and his family had a contract with a private ambulance service because if Lauren was alive, she would need immediate attention.
She sniffled but I could hear the deep breaths in between.
“You promise your almost here? I-I hear sirens. Oh they’re here.”
Lights from the ambulance lit up the street as we turned onto the block the apartment building sat on. I hopped out, ignoring Sean’s demand for me to wait, pushed past Liam and Lorcan and took the stairs up to the fifth floor.
“Brynn!” I yelled, opening my arms and lifting her off the floor when she came to me, forcing her head to my chest to block out them working on her mother. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”
She sobbed in my arms and I couldn’t keep the tears from filling my eyes as one paramedic did CPR on Lauren’s partially clothed body, while the other turned on the external defibrillator.
Her shirt was gone, body covered in deep red and purple bruises that made me tighten my arms around Brynn.
They paused CPR, pads went on, and then the compressions continued until the defibrillator was ready.
Clear.
Both leaned away and Lauren’s body lifted slightly from the shock to the heart.
It took two more tries before I heard the best words this situation could produce.
“Got a pulse!” one yelled and they jumped into action getting Lauren on the gurney. “We’re taking her to the address provided.”
A private practice owned by the family with state of the art equipment and operating rooms, all the makings of a top notch hospital. I waited until they wheeled her by me to look at the damage to her face.
I took a deep breath as they disappeared from the apartment. She looked just like my mother had, face bruised and battered like her body.
Sean entered a second later, his gaze bouncing around the destroyed living room. I couldn’t be sure if my father did this or if Lauren had put up her best fight, but what I did know was when I got my hands on him he wouldn’t leave alive.
“Brynn…” I brushed her back and walked through the hallway, checking rooms until I found one that had to be hers, the pink bed sheets and fairy lights giving it away. “Tell me what happened.”
I set her on the bed and got down on the floor in front of her, wiping away the free falling tears.
“D-D-Daddy hurt mommy,” she whispered.
She’d said so on the phone, her frantic little voice screaming for me to come help.
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I heard them screaming and things breaking, but but but I was too scared to leave my room, so I called you because you said you’d always show up for me.”
And I was so grateful she’d remembered and trusted my word enough to act on the promise.
“Did you guys ever go back to Pittsburgh?”
She shook her head.
“Mommy said not to tell you because you’d be upset and I didn’t want to make you mad at me.”
I dropped my head and wiped the tears before they could fall.
“Remember how I said you were my favorite girl?”
She nodded when my eyes met hers again.
“That means I could never be mad at you. Not until you’re a teenager with an attitude too hard to handle.”
Attempting to calm us both, I smiled, and it seemed to work because she smiled back. Until my husband’s presence loomed behind me and the expression in Brynn’s eyes morphed into pure fear.
My heart couldn’t take it, gone was the innocent little girl who’d smiled at him, took his money, while boldly asking questions.
“I would never hurt you,” he said so softly.
Her gaze flicked to mine and I nodded.
“He’s telling the truth. In fact, he’s been my biggest protector since we were young. He’ll never break a promise, right baby?”
“Never.”
“I’m going to take you home with us, okay? And then we’ll check on mommy.”
She nodded.
I prayed for Brynn’s sake Lauren made a full recovery, but in case she didn’t I needed to plan for the future.
“Blair…” We were in the elevator now; she was in my arms, whispering in my ear. “D-Daddy said your name. He yelled he wanted to hurt you over and over.”
Instead of responding, I held her close and kept doing so all the way back to the apartment. She’d fallen asleep during the ride and didn’t wake when I laid her down in the guest bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar and the bedside lamp on the lowest setting in case she woke before the sun came up.
Sean was in the kitchen and before I could open my mouth, he was on me.
“I already have everybody on high alert,” he murmured into the top of my head, arms wrapped around my body. “Every property he owns has someone sitting on it. He can’t leave the tri-state without me knowing.”
Appreciative for all he’d done while I took care of keeping Brynn calm, I let out a sigh of relief. But it wouldn’t last. I would get antsy and that wasn’t good for anybody.
“Lorcan is with Lauren and Liam is bringing—”
The elevator doors opened before he could finish and Esmeralda stepped off with Liam close behind.
“What’s the plan?” she asked. “I been waiting for you to get your hands on Nathaniel and that cousin of yours. This is long overdue.”
“Brother,” Sean, Liam and I said once.
She frowned.
“Excuse me? Brother?”
“Half,” I elaborated, still holding onto Sean. “Blake, too.”
Esi scoffed.
“Even more reason to chop his head off,” she adduced. “So, what’s up? We tracking him down ourselves or…” her eyes met Sean’s. “Mmm. Probably not, if he has anything to do with it. Alright, so we’re sitting and waiting.”
To my dismay, Sean released me and turned his undivided attention to Esmeralda.
“Heard what you said at the airstrip but now I need you to prove it.”
She crossed her arms, expression as dead as it always was.
“You got a job for me?”
“Bring me Afrim Ahmeti. Take ‘em for everything he got first.”
He and Violet had met with the imbecile yesterday. Not knowing your product and money was missing just didn’t make sense to me.
What kind of organization were they running?
I guess it didn’t matter now. We were about to run their shit for ourselves.
“I’ve been itching to have a little fun after being locked away like an animal…” she smiled. “It’d be my pleasure to prove myself, but not to you…” her eyes met mine. “Only to her.”
Sean chuckled.
“Respect.”
Once again the elevator doors opened and this time Finn and Violet stepped through.
“How many kids you think your dad got out there?” the unserious man asked, ambling over and draping an arm over my shoulder. “I knew he was sick but goddamn.”
I was too busy watching Esi, regard Violet who wasn’t paying her any mind, to respond. Or so I thought until she plainly stated, “It’s rude to stare,” and flicked her gaze in Esmeralda’s direction.
“You look like somebody I used to know,” Esi said, tipping her head. “What’s your name?”
Finn removed his arm from my shoulder and walked to stand near Violet.
“Never been to Florida,” Violet said, letting me know she was up to date on all things Constanzo.
Esmeralda frowned.
“Yeah, but I’ve been everywhere, and I didn’t ask if you’ve been to Florida or not. I asked your name.”
I crossed my arms, confused by what the fuck was happening here.
Violet turned completely and it was so goddamn graceful I found myself smiling.
“And what you plan to do if I decide you don’t need to know me or my name at all?”
Sean took a step back and stood beside me, but Liam took one forward and positioned himself closer to Esi.
Oh we teaming up?
Part of me wanted to nip this in the bud, because we had more important shit to be discussing, but the lover of a good fight inside me couldn’t bring myself to interfere. It would never lead to blows, hopefully, but now I needed to know who would win.
“It’s a simple question.”
Why was she pushing this?
Violet chuckled and it dripped with promised violence if she didn’t back off, which made me believe she indeed recognized Esmeralda.
“What’s the big—”
“Blair,” Brynn’s tiny voice called as she walked into the middle of, I wasn’t sure, and looked around with wide eyes. “Oh. Sorry.”
I pulled her in front of me, hands on her shoulders.
“Everyone,” I said, looking around. “This is my sister Brynn.”
Finn walked right over and got down in front of her.
“What’s up, little mama,” he greeted, holding his hand out. “I’m Finnegan.”
She looked back at me and I nodded.
“Finnegan,” she murmured. “How do you know my sister?”
He smiled and pointed to Sean.
“That’s my big brother. I’ve known her just as long as him.”
“So…” this time she took the hand he held out for her to shake, believing him to be safe off the strength of his big brother. “Does that mean you’ll protect me, too?”
Finn nodded.
“That’s what we do in this family. Now that we’ve met and had a proper handshake, you’re part of this family, too.”
Brynn looked back at me again and I gave the same response as before, which seemed to get her feet moving. She walked around Finn, who only stood after she passed, and stopped in front of Violet.
I smiled when she pushed her hand out.
“I’m Brynn.”
Violet took her hand.
“I’m Violet,” she replied, using her other hand to point at Finnegan. “That’s my husband.”
The spitfire I’d grown to love, nodded, and moved on to Esmeralda then Liam before running back to me while saying, “Now we’re all family. So, no fighting, okay? We protect each other only.”
And just like that, whatever tension had been in the room disappeared.
I realized in that moment, Brynn might’ve experienced something traumatic, but her innocence wasn’t completely lost, not with the right people in her life.
Sean’s phone rang right when I was about to say something. He answered and his eyes immediately met mine.
“Okay. Good. Yeah, we’ll be there.”
He hung up and looked down at Brynn.
“Your mommy is going to be okay. She needs to rest, but we’ll take you to see her tomorrow. That okay?”
Brynn nodded.
“That’s okay.”
I led her back to the guest room and once she fell asleep, I slipped out and closed the door behind me.
“Heard the elevator,” I said, meeting Sean in our bedroom after checking the living room. “You sent them away.”
He shook his head and patted the spot beside him on the bed.
“I gave them something to do. I’m only allowed to delegate, remember?”
I snorted and curled up beside him, exhausted even though the day hadn’t even really started.
“We both know you don’t listen. Eventually, you’ll find some way to do the exact opposite of delegating.”
He didn’t deny it and I hadn’t expected him too.
“Maybe we can give them this place once she’s fully recovered. I can’t let them go back to Pittsburgh. Brynn is going to need us.”
Sean hummed.
“We could take her if it comes down to it.”
I sat up.
“You’d take her in?”
He frowned and pulled me down again.
“I made a promise to protect. Can’t do that properly if she’s not close.”
Taking her from Lauren was the last thing I wanted to do, but it felt good to know he’d step up in that way. I knew it but hearing it was just so much better for my sudden worrisome heart.
“Called my ma,” he went on. “She’s coming here to help, so we can handle business without worrying about who’ll be with Brynn. It’s time to clean up this mess in one fell swoop.”
I nodded.
None of this would’ve happened if I’d killed my father right away, so it was time to write all the wrongs around us and move on.
By early afternoon, Caroline had arrived, got Brynn to warm up to her with a firm handshake and introduction.
Sean and I were at the church not long after; he helped me carry the box full of notebooks I’d kept with me since I was fifteen. I needed Blake to confirm something for me, and if he wanted us to work on our relationship then he’ll be honest.
“Need me to stay with you?” my suspicious husband asked, eyes damn near begging me to say yes.
I shook my head.
He couldn’t avoid his grandfather forever, just like I couldn’t avoid this.
“Give me a kiss,” I demanded, poking my lips out.
When he leaned forward just a tad, I met him the rest of the way and moaned a little when our lips met.
“You two do realize we’re in a church, right?” Blake asked after opening the door.
I cut my eyes at him.
“My first kiss was stolen in this very church. I think God is happy the man I’m kissing now doesn’t force me to do it.”
He frowned and turned away, leaving the door open for me.
Exactly.
I let my gaze drift back to the beautiful human being in front of me.
“Tell me when you’re ready, little deer. But face him now, okay?”
He nodded and took the box inside, dropping a kiss to my forehead before leaving to face the man he loved deeply but was afraid to lose.
“What’s in the box?”
I sat down and pointed for him to take a look.
“Notes,” I said after he reached for the notebook on top. “All the times he touched me. Held me down and forced his lips on mine. The two times he tried to rape me in this church.”
For the first time in a long time, I said the words aloud to someone who wasn’t Sean.
“But also, all the times I know he did it to someone else. The beating that followed as punishment. The buried police reports. The NDA’s and settlements.”
I had them all.
He flipped through three books before dropping them and standing, turning away from me.
“Blair—”
“You know about it all, right? Everything he’s done?”
It took him a while to reply and the answer might’ve broken me down ten years ago but did nothing for me today.
“We kept him away from you after that day with Sean and his brothers…” he pointed to the books and then box. “The dates for you don’t go pass that day, right?”
I shrugged.
“Because we protected you from it.”
Something about the matter-a-fact way he said it really pissed me off.
“While other’s got hurt!” I snapped, getting up and walking around the desk to stand in front of him.
I wasn’t in heels today, so he had a little height on me but I didn’t give a fuck.
“Listen to the bullshit coming out of your mouth…” I pushed him and he took a step back but I only moved forward. “How can you think any of what was done is enough? You have a daughter, Blake. Do you want her to encounter a Caden in the future?”
The expression in his eyes changed immediately at the mention of his daughter.
I knew after witnessing it that him and I would probably never get over this hump. No matter what, I would never be important enough. And that was okay as long as I got what I wanted from this conversation; he could go on loving his family the same way he should’ve loved and protected his sister.
“What do you want?” he asked as I began to back away.
We took our seats.
“There’s a serial rapist roaming Manhattan,” I revealed to him. “The reports I have access to all date back to three years ago. When exactly did he get banned from the church?”
The look of disbelief on his face further confirmed why he and I would never be able to bond. After everything Caden has done and he’s still shocked by my revelation.
“I took this position on January fifth and talked to him the next day.
It’s him.
My gut said so.
“One of the reports dates back to February twenty-fifth of that same year.”
He leaned back and sighed, apologetic eyes meeting mine.
Too fucking late.