Chapter Eighteen Say You Won’t Let Go
Say You Won’t Let Go
Joseph
JACE AND I FOLLOW SAMANTHA INTO my office. The news of Veronica’s past is unexpected. It’s hit all of us hard, but none harder than Jace and Samantha.
“I took you away from her, so she wants to take Joseph away from me.” She’s facing the window and doesn’t even turn around as she speaks. “I’m so sorry, Jace.”
“Fuck. You’re sorry? I’m the one who hung out with them. I had no idea.” Jace plops down on the couch.
I stand close to Samantha, wanting to comfort her but getting the feeling she needs a minute to process this before I overwhelm her with my need to make this right, to make it better for her.
When she finally looks at me, the sadness in her eyes draws me to her. I cup her cheek, moving in close. “Tell me what you need.” It’s a simple phrase, and by the way her shoulders relax, it’s what she needed to hear.
“I want to help her. She’s had enough heartache in her life.
Maybe she needs someone to give her a break.
” She glances at Jace before returning her focus to me.
“Give her some money. Find her a place to live. Pay for her to go to college—if she wants—get her help, but let’s not take anything else from her. She’s endured enough.”
I may have suspected she’d want to let her go, but I didn’t anticipate her wanting to bankroll her. “Are you sure?”
“Jace, are you okay with that?” She wants to make this right for Jace, too.
His head comes up. “We need to find Spencer. He was such a great kid.” His voice breaks as he looks away.
“We can do that. We can do all of that,” I confirm. “What about Tiff and Lydia?”
On a humorless laugh, Samantha steps back. “Sue them, or threaten to sue them. Make them sign something that’s legally binding keeping them from doing anything like this in the future. Do whatever it takes to make it go away.” Her hand waves in the air. “Just make them go away.”
We rejoin the others in the living room. No one is surprised to hear Samantha and Jace want to help Veronica and her brother. Though, I’m not sure they were prepared for the level of support we’re suggesting.
“We could fund Veronica and her brother through MCI’s scholarship program,” Fin suggests, much to Samantha’s delight.
“She needs to sign the same legal document, saying she won’t try something like this again in the future or try to get more money out of you,” Victor steps in. “Helping her is one thing, but making a dependent out of her is another.”
Samantha nods. “She’s obviously smart, smart enough to stay under the radar for a year while living out of her car, taking care of her brother, working, and still going to school.
She’s a survivor. I think she needs an environment where she can do better than merely survive.
I want her to have the opportunity to thrive and make a future for herself and her brother. ”
“Veronica was smart enough to pull this whole emotional blackmail scheme together too. Don’t forget that.” Michael brings us back to reality.
Samantha’s smile grows larger. “Even more reason to give her something productive to focus on. A bored, under-utilized brain is a dangerous one. Let’s give her a chance to find a better use for her talents.”
Michael nods. “Okay, Victor and I will talk to them and make the deal.”
“I want to talk to them.” I have things I need to make one hundred percent clear.
“Is that smart, brother?” Fin sets his glass down and moves closer. “It might be better to let someone less emotionally impacted by this situation handle it.”
I chuckle. “You think I’m going to go all caveman on them?”
Fin’s smirk tells me he understands my need to confront those who have caused us so much pain. “Don’t say or do anything that will give them cause to sue us.”
“Understood.” I’m capable of keeping my emotions in check, particularly when it comes to protecting my girl and our future.
“What about you, Sam? Do you have something you want to say to them?” Michael asks.
She shakes her head. “No, I trust Joseph to say what needs to be said to Lydia and Tiff. As for Veronica, her past doesn’t excuse what she did to me, but it changes the way I see her, and I want to help.
I doubt she’s in a place to hear anything I have to say.
Maybe someday she’ll be more open to it.
But for now, giving her a chance is all the closure I need. ”
With a kiss, I leave Samantha with Fin as the rest of us leave to wrap up our loose ends; and give Matt, Jace, and me a chance to find closure with three women who have impacted our lives in substantial, yet different ways.
I don’t envy these women the shitstorm of testosterone they’re about to encounter.
Samantha
While Joseph is gone, Fin helps me move my stuff from my temporary penthouse lodgings back home.
I didn’t have much, so we manage to get it done in one trip.
Afterwards, we sit on the couch and watch one of my dirty little pleasures—okay, not so dirty, but definitely a pleasure—Outlander.
I got Fin hooked on it when I was living with him for a few months after my father died and before I graduated high school.
It could have been awkward living with the brother of my kinda boyfriend at the time—now my fiancé—but it wasn’t.
Fin reminds me enough of Joseph to make me comfortable.
Add in protectiveness like a brother, a heart like a lion, and a wicked sense of humor and, well, I plain love the guy.
We’ve finished two episodes and started another when Fin pauses the show. It takes me a second to realize he’s not getting up to go to bathroom. He’s sitting here staring at me.
“What?” I resist the urge to wipe my nose to check if I have a bat in the cave.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to talk about it?”
Talk about it? “Hmm…other than feeling bad for doubting your brother, I’m not sure what else there is to talk about.” Is he wanting to talk about it, or maybe he wants to talk about Margot? “Do you have something you want to talk about?”
“Me?” He frowns. “No, I want to be sure you’re really okay and not hiding from us.”
I smile. “Us? Are we an us now?” I can’t resist teasing him.
He shakes his head and laughs. “’Us’ as in your family. Us.”
It never gets old or fails to shock me how Joseph’s family has adopted me so fully into their lives. It’s as if they’ve known me my whole life, like I was always their little sister—well, except for Joseph, of course—that would be wrong.
“I need time to let everything settle, sink in, and I need time with Joseph to be sure he forgives me. As hard as this all was on me, it had to be even harder on him being accused of such things. Especially when the one person he’s supposed to be able to rely on—above all others—doubted him.
” I shrug my shoulder like it’s no big deal, but the depth of my shame is immeasurable.
“He knows. He doesn’t blame you. You haven’t had many people stand by you no matter what. He understands. We all do.”
“Shit, Fin, you’re going make me cry.” I blink my eyes, and an idea takes root. “Fin? Would you help me do something?”
He perks up. He likes tangible things he can do, conquer. “Anything.”
I hop up. “We need a tattoo parlor.”
“A tattoo parlor? What? Now?”
“Yes, before he gets home.”
“Fuck.” He stands. “If I get punched for this, you’re gonna owe me big. And I mean B-I-G, big.”
I smirk. “You mean like keeping a certain brunette a secret?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “I used to like you, Sam. Now, I’m not so sure.”
That makes me laugh so hard, I have to sit back down until I compose myself. “Oh Finley, you crack me up. You love me. You know it. I’m the sister you never had.”
“I never wanted a sister. They’re too much trouble,” he says dryly.
My eyes round on a pout.
“Ah, fuck, Sam. I’m only kidding. Of course I love you. You’re the best damn thing that’s ever happened to my family—to Joseph. Don’t cry. Please.”
I smile deviously. “See, now that is much better.”
He chuckles. “You’re evil, Sam, pure evil.”
“Nah, I like to give my fiancé’s brothers a hard time, especially when they take naked pictures with women who try to blackmail me to leave Joseph, or when they sleep with my best friend and don’t bother to let me know.”
“Fuck, Sam.” He’s all pouty now.
“You don’t have to talk about it, but if you break Margot’s heart, I’ll break you. Understand?”
“Fair enough.”
“Excellent. Now, let’s go get me a tat.”
Joseph
I get home to a quiet house and a note from Samantha letting me know she had to run an errand. Fin and William are with her, and she’ll be home as soon as possible. I text Fin to confirm she’s alright. His reply was quick and cryptic, but didn’t set off any alarm bells.
Heading to my office, I use the time to catch up on emails.
Two hours later, I’m getting out of the shower and find her standing there watching me with love and want in her eyes. My cock twitches with the idea of getting her all wet with my dripping body before getting her all wet where it matters most.
“Hey, Caveman.” She bites her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile. She’s up to something.
“Hey, Sweetness.” I casually dry off, taking my time, watching her watch me.
It’s hot as fuck seeing her antsy with anticipation as her skin pinkens and her eyes roam my body like she wants to lick me from my toes to my head.
She doesn’t even focus on my cock, which I might find disappointing if she wasn’t burning my abs, chest, and face alive with her wanton gaze. “How was your errand?”
She licks her lips before her eyes lock on mine. “Good. It was good.” She fidgets with the material of her skirt, rubbing it between her thumbs and fingers.
She’s definitely up to something. But it’s going to have to wait. “I need to show you something.” I hang up my towel and kiss her quickly as I pass by to slip on workout pants. I run my fingers through my damp hair, turning to find her staring at my ass. “Are you hungry?”