Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
Conrad
I stood outside the apartment on the tenth floor. Inside, I could hear the raised voice of a pissed-off woman.
I inhaled and exhaled and straightened the lapels of my suit, which I’d donned like armor.
I’d faced off against evil like Devlin, and yet the thought of looking Tav’s sister in the eye made the sweat bead at my temples.
Nik stood at my back, and while I knew I had to face this myself, his presence helped calm my nerves.
My guilt was ever-present, coating me with a slimy film that I couldn’t seem to rinse off no matter how much I scrubbed.
If I’d been able to control Devlin all those years ago, this never would have happened.
Tav would be some famous fighter, and his sister would be his biggest fan.
Not this fucked up situation they were in now.
I rapped at the door, and it swung open immediately to reveal the head of Nik’s small crew of our most trusted men. Cameron nodded at me and then flinched as the female voice which had been at a lower register rose to a screech. “—and now what?”
I patted his shoulder, and he stepped aside for me to pass him. I strode into the apartment, Nik following closely behind.
Amara stood in the center of the apartment, Holden on her hip.
She’d been taken right after she had left work and picked up Holden from preschool, so she still wore a pair of black pants and a white dress shirt.
I’d had the apartment stocked with clothes for her to change into.
A quick glance down the hall into the bedroom showed me exactly what she thought of those clothes, as they were thrown all over the floor and bed.
Her hair was a dark mass of tangles, and her face was flushed with anger.
Her eyes, both the same color as Tav’s green one, shone fever-bright with myriad emotions that ranged from rage to fear.
Behind her, Ben stood next to a half-constructed LEGO set.
Four of my men stood in separate corners of her apartment as guard.
Holden clutched his mother, eyes wet and little chin wobbling. He shook, and Amara closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and then hugged him to her chest. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry I yelled. Everything’s fine.” Her voice shook as she repeated. “Everything’s fine.”
But her eyes snapped open to land on me, and fury blazed there. She gently lowered her son and then pushed him to stand behind her. She angled her body so that she faced all the men in the room, her son behind her, like an elephant mother protecting its young from a pack of lions.
I respected her immediately.
The resemblance to Tav was there in the dark wavy hair, the high cheekbones, and full lips. She was curvy, with an ample chest and wide hips. Barefoot, she stood maybe five-four.
Ben stepped forward. “She, uh, woke up about fifteen minutes ago.” He gestured at her. “It’s been like this since.”
“Because you fucking abducted me, you dick.” She spat at him. Then, as if remembering her son, she turned around and brushed Holden’s cheek, her voice softening immediately. “Sorry, baby. I’ll add to the swear jar when we get back. Mommy’s sorry.”
“Milkshakes,” Holden’s little voice said. I couldn’t see him from behind her body. “Lots of dollars for milkshakes.”
“Of course.” She cooed at him, even as her voice trembled. “So many milkshakes, baby.”
Right, it was time for me talk. I stepped forward, and she tensed, hands behind her to protect her son. My mother had never, ever, not once apologized for swearing or done a damn thing to protect me from the predators who lurked in White Hill trailer park.
“I’m Conrad Stafford,” I said. “You’re here on my orders.
” She stared at me as her chest shuddered with scared breaths.
“And that’s because Devlin Walsh is currently searching this city top to bottom for you.
” Her body language didn’t change at the mention of Devlin’s name.
“And trust me when I say that you do not want him to find you. I ordered my men to bring you here to keep you safe. I know they drugged you, and I’m not sorry for that, because you would have hurt yourself fighting.
I don’t want you or your son hurt in any way. ”
A muscle in her jaw ticked. “Look, I don’t know who the fuck you are, or who the fuck you think you are, but—”
“Your brother.” I cut her off, and at those two words her entire body jerked, and pain so vivid lanced across her face that I nearly felt it in my own soul. “Your brother is why I’m here.”
Her arms fell limply to her side, and Holden’s little face peeked around her hip. He looked so much like his mom. Like his uncle. Amara blinked. Swallowed. “Tavin?” Her voice was soft, and I couldn’t read her tone.
“Tavin,” I answered.
She shook her head, and her features sharpened again. “Look, I haven’t spoken to my brother in five years, and I don’t know what kind of trouble he’s in, but it has nothing to do with me or my son.”
Oh, it had everything to do with her, but that was Tav’s business to tell her.
I clenched my jaw, feeling anger toward this woman even though it wasn’t justified, not really.
She had no idea how many lies she’d been fed.
She had no idea that I had a part in setting this entire thing in motion so many years ago.
The guilt tasted sour on my tongue. All I could do now was protect Tav.
“I need to be very clear about something.” I took a step forward, and she must have sensed the change in the room, because her jaw snapped shut, and she lost some of her bravado.
“You are not my sister. You are not my blood. But you’re his, and he wants you safe.
Since that’s what he wants, I’ll sell my soul to do it.
Because your brother means everything to me. ”
I took another step closer, close enough that I could hear the rasping of her breath and feel the heat from her flushed skin.
“He’s going to be here soon, and you two will talk.” I held up a finger to make my point crystal. “Do not hurt him. Do not crush him. You will treat him with respect and like the man he is who has risked everything for his family.”
I wanted to threaten her. I wanted to tell her if she said one wrong word to Tav that I’d throw her out of his apartment so fast that her head would spin. But I didn’t. I held my tongue.
Her eyes were massive green orbs in her pale face. Her long eyelashes blinked once. Twice. And then she did something that nearly sent me to my knees. Just like her brother, her lips moved, and she mouthed the word family.
A knock came at the door. Her eyes darted there, and she stared at it as if Pennywise was about to burst through. I propped my hands on my hips, leaned back to stare at the ceiling, and hoped like hell this entire night didn’t break Tav irreparably.
Tav
I stood outside the apartment. Amara was inside. Holden was inside. Con was inside. And I stood at the door as sweat rolled down my back while half a dozen men who I didn’t know lurked in the hallway wearing expensive suits and gun holsters.
I caught a few looking at me out of the corners of their eyes, then quickly looking away when I caught them.
Con was their boss, and they were probably trying to figure out what the fuck he was doing with my scruffy ass.
After Con had left the apartment to speak to Amara first, I’d spent about ten minutes freaking out before I got a shower, pulled on a decent pair of jeans that Con had ordered for me and a plain T-shirt with a pair of new sneakers—another Con purchase.
I rubbed my damp palms on my jeans and waited for someone to answer the door.
It finally swung open. Inside, Nik took one look at me, nodded in a gesture of what I took as support, and swung the door open wider.
I stepped inside and stopped. My gaze swept through the apartment, passing over where Con stood, hands on his hips, watching me, past a few men in suits along with Ben, and then to my sister.
She stared at me like I was a ghost. Her eyes were impossibly wide, her mouth open in shock. Holden was at her side, clinging to her leg, his head cocked like he was trying to figure me out. He wore a pair of brown sweatpants and a green dinosaur sweatshirt.
Stegosauruseses ated plants.
“Everyone out,” Con said in a commanding tone.
“But I—” Ben began.
“You too,” Con glared at him before pointing at Nik. “And you.”
Nik’s eyebrows went up, and he pointed at his chest, mouthing me? But Ben was already walking past, and he grabbed Nik’s arm before practically dragging him out the door. It shut behind them and the rest of the men, leaving us in silence.
Amara still hadn’t said a word, still staring at me like she had no idea who I was.
I didn’t know what to say. What to do. Where to put my hands.
How to fix my face. This was a scenario I hadn’t ever pictured.
I figured I’d die in a filthy boxing ring to the cheer of a crowd before I ever had to face my sister again.
Con’s face swam into my vision. I didn’t even notice he’d walked toward me. He palmed the side of my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone. “Do you want me to stay?”
I didn’t know how to answer. Did I want him here to witness my shame? Did I need his support?
His voice was soft and gentle. “How about I take Holden into the bedroom, and we can make a game of folding all the clothes in there?” I didn’t understand what he meant about folding clothes.
He glanced over his shoulder at Amara. “Would that be okay with you?” His voice lifted a note as he addressed Holden. “Want some snacks?”
Holden gave a little hop toward Con, easily swayed by the promise of food.
Amara snatched at his shoulder, drawing him to a stop.
She stared at Con. He stared back. Something passed between them, some sort of agreement, because then her fingers slowly uncurled from Holden’s shoulder one by one.
“Go on, baby.” Her voice shook. “Be good.”