Chapter Twenty-Seven
T he next morning, Brooke sat in the kitchen with her mom, a cup of coffee in hand.
She hadn’t slept well last night, the near accident leaving her too rattled to get any rest. By the time the police came and took their statements, it was late.
Once home, she’d let her mother make her a cup of tea to help her relax.
But when she lay down, even wrapped in Aiden’s protective arms, sleep eluded her. And when she managed to finally fall asleep, a nightmare about the incident startled her awake. The pattern repeated itself until the morning sun came in through the windows.
A glance at the clock on the microwave told her it was just after ten a.m. She was tired and anxious, her stomach still rolling too much for her to eat or hold food down.
She’d known since the night she’d seen his hands wrapped in bandages that something was going on with Aiden, and she had no doubt last night was related, as well.
Because that SUV had been trying to hit them.
She was sure the briefcase theft was another thing she could chalk up to whatever was going on with him.
“You look like you need this,” Brooke’s mom said, placing a fresh, hot cup of coffee on the kitchen island in front of her.
“Thanks, Mom.” She pushed aside the cold cup and added both milk and sugar to the new one. Taking a long sip, then another, the warmth helped and she hoped the jolt of caffeine would kick in soon.
Aiden was in the living room with his father, waiting for the rest of the siblings to come to the house.
Aiden had something to share with everyone.
And though he’d offered to tell her prior, she had chosen to take the time to pull herself together and hear it along with everyone else.
She did appreciate him giving her the choice this time, before he made another family announcement.
Jared was the only sibling not coming today. Charlie was still in the hospital with the baby, and though they’d discharge her later today, he didn’t want to leave her side.
“How’s your chest feel?” her mom asked as Brooke drank her coffee.
“It’s sore,” Brooke said, wincing. Bruises had settled across her chest from the seat belt tightening as the car had spun out of control. “I’m still in shock.”
Her mom nodded. “I’m curious to hear what Aiden has to say. He didn’t tell you what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “I opted to wait for the rest of the family.”
The last time he’d made an announcement to the group, he’d broken her heart, but they’d reached the point where she could give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Let’s go see who’s here,” Brooke said. Taking her coffee, she and her mom walked into the crowded living room.
The vibe was completely different from last night at the hospital. By now, they all knew about the accident and knew it was the catalyst for this meeting. Still, the murmurs and question why reverberated around her.
The living room was large enough to seat everyone, but Brooke hesitated. Aiden was standing in front of his family, his obvious nerves causing his hands to jangle in front of him.
She met his gaze, and he extended an arm, encouraging her to join him. Something loosened in her chest as she strode toward him, the lingering fear of what came next no longer so strong.
He wrapped his arm around her waist in front of his family. Most of the Sterlings seemed unfazed. Brooke might have laughed about the way they already knew there was something going on between her and Aiden, but the seriousness of this situation kept her somber.
Aiden drew a deep breath and squeezed her close. “I have something I need to explain, and I know it’s going to be upsetting. I just ask that you wait until you know everything before we discuss it.”
A few of his siblings nodded, but no one said a word.
Aiden spoke for the next twenty minutes, revealing a story that began while he’d been abroad.
The piece he’d been investigating. The death of his informant, leading to the desire to give up the job he once loved.
How Jared needing him at Sterling Investments came at the right time.
And the fact that he’d hoped returning to the States would end the harassment from abroad.
It hadn’t. And then everything she’d wondered about became clear. All three incidents were tied to the threats he’d received. Threats he told none of them about. Oh, he’d mentioned a dangerous story to her. And she’d been foolish enough not to push for more information.
Anger lanced through her. He’d opted to go through these traumatizing events alone. They’d had so many deep conversations as they reconnected, talking about trust, and he hadn’t said a word. A glance around the room told her his siblings were just as furious.
“What the hell, Aiden?” Fallon snapped, and Noah put a comforting arm around her. Or maybe he was trying to keep her on the couch because she looked like she was about to jump to her feet.
But Raven, Remy’s wife, couldn’t keep her husband seated, and he faced Aiden with a narrowed gaze. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me? You know damn well I have connections in the police department, and I could have had a protective detail put on you.”
Aiden released his hold on Brooke, and she stepped away, not wanting to make this about her. Obviously, Aiden was dealing with a lot, and now he had his upset family to calm down.
“I should have told you sooner,” Aiden said, his eyes meeting Brooke’s before taking in the rest of his family. “At first, I wasn’t sure if it was a serious threat. Or maybe I didn’t want to believe it had followed me back here.”
“Someone tried to run you over in a parking lot!” Dex shouted, and Fallon nodded her head hard.
“Because they want to stop the article from going to print. It’s being released tomorrow, and I had hoped the threat would disappear afterward. They’ll be too busy doing cleanup to worry about me.” He repeated his editor’s words, now wondering if that had been na?ve.
Remy glared at Aiden, a combination of anger and fear in his eyes. He’d always been protective and realizing that Aiden had been in danger for weeks would no doubt tear him up. Especially because he’d been kept in the dark.
Brooke understood the feeling.
“Haven’t you ever heard of retribution ?” Dex asked through clenched teeth. “These people might be pissed off enough to try to kill you whether the article is out there or not.”
“Dex has a point, son,” Alex said, his skin pale and the deep lines of his face more prominent than usual.
“I thought about it, I just hoped things would end with publication,” Aiden said. He glanced at his father and his shoulders sagged, no doubt because he realized the stress this was putting on Alex.
“I guess I wanted to believe I’d be home free afterward and that’s why I kept quiet. But once Brooke was in the car with me, it became clear no one around me was safe.”
Everyone began talking at once.
Aiden tried to explain himself, while Remy asked for more details, and Fallon began to cry. Dex and Samantha were talking to each other, and it seemed like she was trying to calm him down. There was so much noise, and the emotions running wild were suffocating.
Brooke needed space so she slipped out of the room.
Walking through the kitchen, she opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the patio in the backyard.
She couldn’t stop the truth from running in her head on a constant loop.
He’d been trying to win her back for weeks, all the while being threatened by some unknown enemy.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to think clearly.
Him keeping this huge secret was a tough pill to swallow but she couldn’t help but think he’d avoided telling her about it for a reason.
Because he didn’t think she was strong enough to handle it?
Because he was worried she’d back away if she knew?
Either way, he hadn’t given her enough credit, and they’d be having words later.
This seemed like another example of him taking a choice away from her and making decisions on his own.
In the past, she’d have let the hurt consume her and push him away, but she’d learned her lesson. Running didn’t bring her peace or happiness. Being with Aiden did. And now she felt a little better after her few minutes of introspection.
She was just about to head back inside when the door opened, and her mom stepped out.
She gave Brooke a small smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Brooke chuckled but there was no humor in it. “Not really.”
“Of course you aren’t. It was a silly question. You just found out your boyfriend’s life is being threatened.”
“Exactly.”
Her mom tucked a strand of hair behind Brooke’s ear. “We haven’t really had much of a chance to talk lately, but I had a feeling something was going on between you two again.”
“You’ve always been clever.” Brooke gripped her mom’s arm and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before now. It’s just been… complicated.”
“I understand that. My journey with Alex wasn’t exactly straightforward, either. But I’ve known about your feelings for Aiden for years now. You can’t hide that kind of thing from your mom.”
Brooke pulled her mother into a hug. She’d held back her feelings for Aiden for so long, it felt good to talk about this with her. “I never wanted anyone to have to pick sides,” she admitted.
“Well, I’m not just anyone, but I know you. And I was there for you, supporting you, whether you told me or not.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“Me too, baby girl.” She kissed the top of Brooke’s head. “Ready to go inside?”
Brooke nodded. Rising, they walked back into the house. There were no longer voices shouting over each other, and Brooke let out a relieved breath. Maybe they could figure out a plan together.
She stepped into the living room to see only Aiden and Remy were still in the room, their backs facing her.
“You’re right. I don’t know if the threat will go away once the article comes out,” Aiden said, unaware she was in the room. “I only have one choice. I have to leave New York.”