Chapter Forty-Two
Ryker
I stop back at my apartment to grab more clothes for the house. I don’t know why we all haven’t moved our belongings into Brynne’s house with the amount of time we spend there. I think the only one of us who doesn’t need to leave to get stuff is Matteo. That man barely owns anything. My mother’s vehicle is in the driveway and I pull in next to her.
“Sweetie is that you?” she yells from the kitchen. I
close the front door and walk toward the chatter in the kitchen. Caroline Westmoore and my mother are having a drink in the sitting area.
“Oh, hello Mrs. Westmoore,” I say.
She waves in dismissal. “Please call me Caroline.”
“Caroline came over to visit since your dad and Ben are still on business,” my mother shakes her head and laughs.
“I didn’t realize Mr. Westmoore went with Dad,” I say.
“If it's not the country club then it's business trips,”
Caroline rolls her eyes and laughs. I didn’t realize Mr.
Westmoore had done business with my father. I knew Danny had been friends with my dad since they were kids, and they worked together. I just thought Mr. Westmoore was a country club friend .
“ I didn’t realize Dad worked with Mr. Westmoore,” I push.
“Oh yes. Ben works with a lot of politicians. He works
with Robert on several occasions too,” Caroline explains. I know she means Robert Hachett and it makes me cringe. If what Brynne told me is true, then Robert is the next on our list. He deserves a special kind of demise. It's like the higher you go into politicians or policemen; they all turn out to be dirty.
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” I point toward the garage door. “Well, I just came to grab some clothes. I won't be home for a few days Mom,” I say. I watch my mother hide her disappointment. I really should stay home and spend time with her since she will be alone. Caroline being here makes me feel a little less guilty for leaving my mother.
“Where are you going?” my mom asks curiously.
“My girlfriend’s house,” I say without thinking. Even I am taken aback by my words. Brynne is far from my girlfriend. I think. I wonder what she calls us when she talks about us.
“Girlfriend?” my mother perks up.
“ Please don’t make this a big deal,” I say.
“I won't,” she pauses. “It’s just that you haven’t talked about a girlfriend in years. When can we meet her?” never. I say in my head. I don’t want Brynne to ever meet my parents. I don’t know how she would feel. I never had to experience foster care like her and Damon and Sawyer. I wonder if they resent me for having a somewhat normal family.
“I don’t know Mom, it's still new.” I spew to get her off my back. “I really have to go though; I’ll see you in a few days. Love you.” I disappear into my apartment. I grab a bag and stuff clothes inside. I know I shouldn’t with that fuck stalking the office the other day, but I need to see Brynne. I barely saw her last night after dinner. We all slept in her bed again and I got the worst sleep of my life. I know she has three other bedrooms in the house but only one other room has a bed.
We all walked around the house to check everything out when Brynne was at work. It sounds like a violation of her privacy, but she has accepted us staying with her, so we have to get comfortable with our surroundings. The other room is still filled with boxes and the other is a study. I pull into the office parking lot and head for the main entrance. I could care less if this stupid fuck is watching me. I wish he would try something. I am impatiently waiting for tomorrow night and being able to kill Penfield.
“What are you doing here?” Brynne asks. I was about to tell the receptionist that I had called about an emergency appointment with Brynne, but I guess I didn’t have to.
“I’m here for my appointment,” I say smugly.
“It’s Wednesday,” she says plainly. I can tell she is still a bit upset with me about pushing her the other night. I shouldn’t have done it, but I was hoping it would help.
“I have an emergency appointment,” I say. She narrows her eyes and nods to the receptionist to let me back.
“What are you doing?” she whispers to me as we walk to her office.
“I needed to see you,”
“Why? Is something wrong with tomorrow?” she asks as she closes her office door.
“Not that I know of,” I shrug. She points to the couch in her office .
“Okay, then what? Didn’t Sawyer say not to come here with that guy watching the place?”
“Technically yes, but I'd like to see him try something. It would give me an excuse to kill him,” I lean back on the couch. Brynne’s eyes light up at the mention of killing.
“I have an appointment in thirty minutes,” she says.
“Are you still upset with me?” I ask. I watch as her face changes to confusion.
“ Upset? Ryker, I fucked you after that.”
“ So,” I shrug. “A lot happened that night. I know I
pushed too much. I wanted to say I was sorry. You had every right to come at me with the statement about Riley. I will tell you if you truly want me to,” I offer.
Brynne’s eyebrows scrunch together. “Ry,” she says softly. “I’m not upset with you. I understand why you did it. I just wasn’t ready to relive those memories. I’m glad you want to open up to me, but you don’t have to do any of it. We will all do it when the time is right. I don’t need to know everything about you guys to trust you,” she explains.
“It was a car accident. They say he was drunk but my brother,” I have to stop when Riley pops in my head. “He never would have done that. He never touched alcohol in his life.”
Brynne’s hand grabs mine. “Ry, you don’t have to.”
“I want to. Please,” I plead. Her eyes soften and she sits in the chair across from me listening to my every word.
“The police chief signed off on the report and my
brother was deemed a piece of shit. I thought my father was going to fight it, but he never did. It was all so quick afterward. They cremated him and that was it. My brother was some drunk who flipped his car off the road. I never believed it and I still don’t. My parents never talk about him, but I feel like I have to so I don’t forget him.” I look down at the floor.
Brynne’s warm fingers tilt my face up and she looks at me with her dark blue eyes. “Thank you,” she says. I didn’t realize I was crying until she wiped a tear from my cheek.
She takes a deep breath. “I never wanted kids growing up, but when I found out I was pregnant I thought I had found a purpose in this life. I know I was meant to not have children, but that little flicker of hope kept me from ending it all. I wanted all of it to go numb. You will never know the feeling of lying there and knowing exactly what was coming. Not being able to do anything about it because no one was on your side. No one would listen and I wanted it all to go quiet,” she pauses.
“I don’t think I would have been able to raise a child knowing who their father was,” she sighs.
“Brynne,” I say softly. She looks up at me. “We will find them. I promise you, that you will get your revenge.”