Chapter 18
Harvey followed his oldest brother into a private room at the country club. But as they grew close, he heard his name being called.
Turning, he saw Rick running toward him.
“Wait a moment, Ronan.”
It was a risky thing to say. His oldest brother didn’t like to wait for anything or anyone. But he nodded, and they all paused to wait for Rick to catch up to them.
By the time he got there, he was panting, and there was a sheen of sweat coating his red face.
“Asshole, you’ve got to do this thing called exercise once in a while,” Paddy said. “Or you’re going to die of a heart attack. On second thought, keep going as you are. That would solve the problem for everyone.”
“Look,” Rick said, “I don’t want a problem with you all. Our families have always gotten along, haven’t they?”
“No, they haven’t,” Harvey said. “And we never have. It was all a ruse, Rick. I was never interested in being your friend. Why would I want to be the friend of a cheating, small-minded asshole?”
“I don’t get it. Why?” Rick asked.
“You endangered your sister,” Ronan told him. “I don’t like that. And your father is a sleazy, disgusting man who is on the edge of destruction himself. I sent my brother to watch you, learn your secrets, so we could ruin your family.”
Rick’s face grew slack with shock. “Wait, wait. Are you saying that you’re the reason my father lost most of his money?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow, and the expression on his face didn’t change. “Your father lost money? How unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate,” Rick snapped. “He’s lost everything. We have nothing. And tomorrow, we’re sneaking off to Europe because my father is scared of that fucking cowboy Clem is with. He already quit his job because of everything and now we’re going to have to flee the fucking country.”
Interesting.
“Well, good luck in Europe, Rick the Dick,” Paddy said. “Although I don’t really mean that.”
“You can’t do this. You can’t do any of this,” Rick said desperately.
“But we are,” Ronan said dryly. “Oh, but your sister stays.”
“What?” Rick asked, looking startled.
“I’ll leave you alone, if you leave your sister here,” Ronan stated.
“Really?”
Ronan just stared at him.
“All right. I’ll convince my father. Somehow. Will you give us some money?” Rick asked.
“No,” Ronan said coldly. “And if you try to sell her to me, I’ll end your life now. You’re not a good person, and you don’t deserve to go on living an easy life.”
“You hurt and drugged Lily,” Harvey told him.
“I never did anything to Lily. I never drugged her. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What drugs?”
Harvey studied him for a long moment, then glanced over at Paddy. His brother nodded. Rick seemed to be sincere, so maybe he hadn’t known about Lily’s being drugged; but he had to notice how zombielike she’d been.
“You had to see that there was something wrong with her, though,” he said to Rick. “You can’t have spent that much time with her and not have noticed.”
“I noticed you looking at her,” Rick said bitterly. “I knew you wanted her. Didn’t realize you’d jump on her as quickly as you did.”
Harvey shrugged. “Your loss is my gain. Lily is amazing. Beautiful and sweet and smart.”
“She’s fucking brain dead. I could barely get her to do anything. She was blank inside.”
“Jesus, this guy is dumb, isn’t he?” Paddy said.
“What? What do you mean?”
“Someone was drugging her, you idiot,” Paddy told him. “She isn’t always that way.”
Rick frowned. “Someone really did drug her? But why? Who?”
“That’s what we intend to find out,” Harvey said. “But I know what you did, Rick. That you lied and told Clem that you and Lily were sleeping around behind her back.”
Rick swallowed heavily. “So? Her mother wanted me to do that. She said it would be for the best. It was just a little lie.”
“A little lie that fractured what relationship the girls had left.”
“Rick, Rick, didn’t your mom ever tell you not to lie?” Paddy said as he patted him on the back with a wide grin. “Now, run along. We don’t have any need for you anymore.”
“But we’re good now, right?” Rick said with a hopeful look.
“Aww, of course we are,” Paddy told him.
Rick left with a grateful look.
“Until we fucking ruin him,” Paddy added once he’d walked away. “Prick.”
“I said I’d leave his family alone. Whatever you two want to do is on you. Now inside. I want to know what the fuck is going on,” Ronan ordered.
They stepped into the room; Ronan closed the door then turned to them both. “Well, do you want to explain that little spectacle out there?”
Harvey remained quiet, knowing Ronan had more to say.
“Do you want to tell me why I had to hear from other people that you had kidnapped Lily St. Clary out of her mother’s house over a week ago, and that since then, no one has seen her. And you haven’t been home since then. So where have you been staying? With her, I presume. And why?”
Harvey sighed.
“Better tell him, brother. He’s not going to be happy if he has to learn it from anyone else,” Paddy told him as he took a seat in a chair.
“I’m not that happy with you either,” Ronan told Paddy, who just smiled back at him.
“You asked me to watch Rick, to get close to him,” Harvey said.
“Yes, what I didn’t ask is for you to get involved with his fiancée.”
“Ex-fiancée.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Ronan said. “Whatever is going on with her and her family is none of our business. But if you get arrested for kidnapping, that is very much my business.”
“I’m not going to get arrested for kidnapping. She’s with me of her own free will.”
Sort of.
Ronan’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at him. “Don’t lie to me, brother.”
Shit. Fuck.
“Fine. I picked her up and carried her out of that house. But she didn’t make any sort of protest and her sister was there. If anyone accuses me of kidnapping her, I have witnesses to the fact she didn’t protest.”
“And you think that will save you?” Ronan asked, almost looking tired. “We don’t need this kind of attention, Harvey.”
Harvey knew that. Which is why he’d been putting off telling Ronan any of this. He knew that his oldest brother wouldn’t approve of his actions. Of him getting involved in any of this.
But this wasn’t something that he hadn’t carefully considered. Yeah, he hadn’t been certain when he would take her. But he’d known for a while now that she was going to be his.
“She’s not just a fling. I’ve thought about this for a long time and it was a considered move even though it seemed impulsive. I am going to keep her, Ronan. I don’t think anyone is actually going to send the cops after me. They don’t want me going to the police with what’s happened to Lily.”
“And what has happened to Lily,” Ronan asked.
“When I got her away from her mother, she started panicking. Said she needed her medication. That she couldn’t be without it. She was worried that she might hurt me without her pills.”
Harvey shook his head at the craziness of that statement. As if she could hurt him.
“And what did she need the pills for?” Ronan asked.
“She said they were for her nervous system. That without the pills to calm her down, she could go into a rage and harm somebody. So I sent Gareth into her mother’s house to get her handbag, which had a bottle of medication.
Michaela was suspicious of what was going on, and she wanted to get the pills tested to see if they were really what they said they were.
Because the label on the bottle said they were just a mild sedative.
It turns out they were laced with Devil’s Breath. ”
Ronan raised an eyebrow, which was a big reaction for him. “Devil’s Breath? Someone was feeding her Devil’s Breath? Did they know what that could do to her?”
“Yeah, I’m sure they did. They wanted her docile so she’d marry Rick.”
“Who did? Her mother?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Harvey said. “The doctor had to be a part of it too.”
“Seems extreme,” Ronan said.
“She took enough to make her docile, to make her susceptible to suggestion, and to create gaps in her memory. Even now, after detoxing off those pills, she still can’t remember a lot of things, or they’re coming back to her in nightmares.”
“And she’s probably not sure what’s real and what’s not,” Ronan guessed.
“Exactly, and it’s terrifying for her.”
“Who is the doctor?” Ronan asked.
“His name is David Wallace. He owns a private clinic and hospital here in Boston. He’s got a dodgy past. We’ve questioned the doctor. He seems shady as hell. He wanted us to bring her to him and said that he would keep her in his clinic free of charge.”
“In his clinic?” Ronan asked
“Got a very expensive looking place,” Paddy explained.
“Strange for a doctor who was forced out of his last job due to rumors of misconduct. Not that anything came of them. We think somebody swept it all under the rug, but he seems to have landed on his feet. Doesn’t appear to have many clients and yet has a small hospital where patients can stay overnight with him as the only doctor. ”
“I don’t like that, and I don’t like that one of his patients was taking pills laced with Devil’s Breath. That drug is dangerous and expensive. If her mother is broke, how is she paying for Devil’s Breath? That stuff isn’t cheap. None of it adds up. She has a sister, right?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah, she now lives in Texas and they’re not that close since
Rick was engaged to Clem before Lily. Rick lied to Clem about sleeping with Lily behind her back.”
“Families are complicated,” Ronan said. “Some more than others. That doesn’t mean you can go into a country club and accuse him of things in front of everyone. Those sorts of things are better handled in private.”
Harvey nodded. “I was going to do that.”
Mostly.
“But then he insulted Lily, and it sparked my temper.”
“I’m telling you, it’s that Gallagher temper. It needs to be soothed with sex,” Paddy said.
“My temper does not need to be soothed with sex,” Harvey snapped. “I have perfect control over my temper.”
They both gave him a look.
“I take it you’ve questioned the mother as well,” Ronan asked.
Harvey nodded. “That’s where we just came from. She’s not saying anything.”
“Perhaps you need to send this girl to her sister.”
“That’s not happening,” Harvey told him. “Lily is mine.”
Ronan sighed. “You’re really serious about this? You’re not just attracted to her because of the intrigue and drama?”
“No, Ronan. When have I ever enjoyed drama? Do you really think I would have done all of this if I wasn’t serious? Lily is mine.”
“Then she needs protection,” Ronan said with a firm nod. “And I’ll need to meet her.”
“I’ve got her well protected. And of course I’ll bring her to meet you. Once I’m certain that she’s not in any danger.”
“She won’t be in danger if we take out the doctor and the mother.” Ronan said that as calmly as if he was reading off ingredients on a cereal box.
“We need to go find out what’s going on first,” Harvey said.
Ronan nodded. “Yes, then I’ll meet her.”
Paddy whistled. “Won’t that be fun.” He smiled widely as both men turned to glare at him. “You know, the two of you really ought to listen to me. A bit of sex will put you in a much better mood.”
Ronan just grunted and left the room. Harvey followed behind him, with Paddy whistling once again.
“If we’re finished for the day, I think I might go back and introduce myself to those ladies. They seemed up for a good time.” Paddy grinned.
Both of them glared over at him.
“You know that you two are cock blocks, right?”
Harvey ignored Paddy’s moaning as they walked outside. What he wanted was to get back to his girl.
The more time he spent away from her, the itchier he grew.
It was crazy. He knew she was safe. He wouldn’t leave unless she was. And he could check on her at any time via camera.
But he couldn’t help but feel he had to be with her.
Watching over her.
He still felt terrible about this morning and how he’d pushed her. From now on, he was going to handle her very, very carefully.