Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
MARCUS
Ipull into a parking spot at St. Luke’s Hospital and jump out of the car, trying not to choke on my panic.
The drive to Brighton was miserable. I pretty much dropped Jeremy off and turned around and came back right after I got a call from Sebastian telling me what happened with Dennis after we left.
Sebastian’s okay. Charlie’s okay. Everyone’s okay.
This is the same hospital they took my stepmom to after Charlie found her, and walking inside makes my stomach clench with nerves.
I have to breathe deep to settle the surge of cold fear.
Thankfully, Sebastian meets me in the waiting area, and I pull him into a fierce hug.
We’re almost the same height, but somehow, the way his body collapses against mine reminds me of the boy I used to comfort.
“Fuck, Seb,” I murmur. “Are you okay?”
He nods against my shoulder, but I can feel the stutter of his breath. I hold him for a beat longer and then pull back, looking him over with concern. His cheeks are flushed, and his eyes are red and watery. He looks exhausted.
“Sorry,” he croaks. He scratches the back of his head. “It’s been a long day.”
“How’s Fiona?”
“She’s okay. Michaels is with her now. She just has some scratches and a burned foot. But she almost—” He swallows and takes a breath. “Fuck, Marcus, we almost lost her.”
I glance around and then lead Sebastian down a hallway so that we have some privacy. “Tell me what happened.”
He leans against the wall and shakes his head.
“I don’t want to go into the details right now, but Michaels’s father cornered us.
” His eyes harden with anger. “It was all him. He gave Fi’s stepfather the tracking tech and used him to follow Michaels and Fi.
That’s how Dennis kept finding us. Ryan Michaels is such a huge asshole—”
“Hold up.” I raise my hand. “What? Ryan Michaels is Brantley’s father?”
Seb nods slowly. “How do you know Ryan Michaels?”
“He’s Dad’s fucking business partner, Seb.”
Sebastian’s mouth opens and closes a few times. “That can’t be right. I mean, I know that I wasn’t involved with Dad’s business shit when we were kids, but Michaels said his father’s company does security tech for the FBI.”
“He’s on the board of Skynet, Seb.”
“Shit. Well, he must have FBI connections then.” His eyes widen. “Wait, was Dad part of this?”
I sigh. “I don’t think so. He seems to be ignorant of most of Ryan’s shadier business practices.”
“Wait, how the fuck do you know all this? We haven’t even talked to Dad in three years.”
“Yeah, so there’s some stuff I need to tell you.”
So I do.
I tell him everything: How I made a deal with our father to financially back the Seattle location because I didn’t have the money to do it myself.
How I promised our father that I’d step up and be part of the board after the pub opened, as long as he helped Seb and Charlie.
How I’ve been working with John to blackmail our father and Ryan so that I don’t actually have to follow through with any of the things our father is demanding of me.
I grimace. “And I’m technically engaged.”
“I’m sorry, what now?” Seb stares at me incredulously.
“It’s a long story.”
Seb shakes his head. “What the fuck, Marcus? You’ve literally been lying to me and Charlie for years.”
“I know. I’m so fucking sorry. I was trying to protect you both, and everything just went sideways.
I never meant for any of this to happen.
Honestly, when I asked Dad, it was before I knew about what he’d done to Charlie.
And then by the time we found out, it was too late.
He threatened to pull funding from the Seattle pub.
He threatened to call Charlie’s publisher.
I was—” My voice cracks, and I blink rapidly, trying to control the warmth in my eyes from spilling over.
“I was prepared to join Skynet like he wanted because at least you both got to live your dreams.”
Seb turns and slams the flat of his palm onto the wall, the crack echoing in the hallway.
A nurse looks up at us with a disapproving frown.
“We are not your responsibility, Marcus. For fuck’s sake.
Do you understand how this makes me feel?
How it’ll make Charlie feel? It’s like everything we’ve worked so hard for doesn’t fucking matter! ”
He’s shouting, and when the nurse clears her throat, Seb grabs my arms and pulls me outside.
I yank my coat closed and stare at him miserably. “You still did the work. Dad just used some connections,” I say weakly. “You both deserved—everything. I just wanted you to have it.” I look away, rubbing my hand across my eyes. “And I have a way to fix it now. With John. You have to trust me.”
I’ve never seen him look so hurt. “Right now, I can’t even look at you.”
His words are a fucking knife in my heart. “Seb—”
“Don’t.” He thrusts his pointer finger at me. “And don’t you fucking say a word to Charlie. She adores you, and it will kill her.” He rakes his hands through his hair and takes a deep breath. “I don’t have the emotional bandwidth for this shit on top of everything else. Just fucking go, Marcus.”
I nod stiffly, regret like a ball of lead in my gut. “I know. I should have told you sooner.” But as I say it, Sebastian is already walking away.
I feel like shit, and it doesn’t help that I was coerced into a meeting at Skynet the minute I got back from Brighton.
My father slams his fist onto the table, making me jump, which just pisses me off. I hate showing weakness in front of him, but shit, that was loud.
“How could you let Sebastian do this? It nearly cost me my business—our business, son.” He starts pacing.
I look up at his reddened face with an annoyed frown.
“You already knew that Ryan is an unhinged lunatic,” I snap, tired of taking the brunt of this little tirade after everything I just went through with my brother.
The urge to flip him off, walk out, and never look back is so fucking strong right now.
“Maybe you should have put him on a shorter leash.”
My father stills, and then pinches the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. “Ryan is a great businessman because he doesn’t tolerate failure. This just got too personal.”
I lean back in my chair, eyeing him while I think of how I want to phrase my next question. “Is he upset with you for Sebastian’s relationship with Brantley?”
“Of course he’s upset!” he snaps. “His only son disowned him and is in some sort of fucked-up threesome cult with my son.”
I bite my tongue, resisting the urge to defend Sebastian’s relationship. I don’t know Fiona or Brantley very well, but I can’t deny the change I’ve seen in Seb over the past couple of months, and I can’t deny that they’re good for him.
I sigh. “What do you want me to do?”
“If you want your brother to have his pub, I want you to tell him to keep a low profile. Ryan is a live wire right now, and I don’t want him to do something even more rash while his emotions are high. I’ve known him a long time, and I think I can talk him down.”
“Something even more rash?”
Fi’s stepfather was a complete psycho, and Ryan helped him. I don’t know what their relationship was, but the outcome could have easily been the same as what Ryan did to those board members. My jaw tightens at the thought.
“Ryan has . . . connections. And while I’m utterly ashamed that Sebastian is my own flesh and blood, I don’t want him hurt or worse.”
My lips tighten into a straight line. “If something happens to him, you can forget about everything,” I growl. “I won’t marry Sabrina. I won’t join Skynet. I won’t be fucking part of this.”
To my surprise, the corner of his mouth pulls up in a smile. “As much as I like this side of you, Marcus, you are aware that you have absolutely no leverage over me, right? I can still pull the plug on the pub.”
Rage bubbles through my veins, and the edges of my vision blacken as I fight the urge to hit him in his smug face. “So you’re fine ruining Sebastian’s career, but you draw the line at murder? Good to know.”
“Cut the shit, Marcus, and tell me that you still understand what’s at stake.”
“I understand,” I grit out.
“Great. Now, I have a meeting with Ryan in twenty minutes, so I need you to be a good boy and go call your brother. Tell him daddy dearest says hello.”
Condescending asshole.
I stand and leave the office, slamming the door behind me. I almost run directly into Regina.
“Excuse me,” I mutter as I walk around her.
“Marcus.” Her voice is cold, and it gives me pause. I turn to look at her. “I suggest you reconsider whatever it is that you’re planning.” She nods at the closed door behind me. “Those idiot men might not see it, but I know you’re hiding something.” Her look is pure venom. “Don’t ruin this for me.”
Okay then. Maybe she’s more like Regina George than I thought.
I keep my face neutral and give her a confused smile. “I’m not sure I follow, ma’am.”
I turn and continue walking to the elevator, but I can feel her eyes on my back like the scope of a gun.
I want to scream and hit something, but I know there are cameras all over this fucking building. Probably even in the bathrooms. So I hold in my anger until I’m outside when I can call a car.
I’m simmering with rage when I arrive at the pub.
I detour down the sidewalk and storm all the way to the pier.
Cars honk; a homeless guy is yelling; someone’s dog is barking; a diesel truck roars by, the smell turning my stomach.
Everything is so fucking loud, and my senses are overloaded.
My palms have started to sweat by the time I reach the harbor and walk out onto the boardwalk at Waterfront Park.
Being that it’s winter, the space is mostly deserted, though the Seattle Great Wheel is lit up in blue and green hues, rotating slowly over Elliott Bay’s dark, choppy waters.
Icy wind whips my hair around my face as I pull out my phone and dial John’s number.
“Hey, Marcus.”
“Hey, John.”