41. Jude
JUDE
My fist trembles as I knock on Sterling Beaufort’s door.
The building’s concierge sent me straight up. Apparently, I’m on the ‘family’ list of preapproved visitors. What a fucking joke. They don’t know the first thing about true family.
It’s opened in a rush and Sullivan’s face drops when he sees me.
“Did you think I was Slade? Did you think he’s come back? To play his part in this sham you’re all a part of?”
Sullivan glowers at me, a muscle clenching in his cheek.
“Jude, you’d better come inside.”
I barge past him, marching down the hallway and into the giant open living space of his father’s penthouse. It’s the first time I’ve been here. I only knew where to come because Slade told me it’s where they brought him that first night, after they found him on the bridge.
Ignoring the snap of heads in my direction from the people I don’t recognize who are standing with Frank, I set my eyes on Sterling.
“Jude?” he says in surprise, turning from his position at the floor-to-ceiling windows spanning over the back of the building.
“How could you do this to him?” I shout.
Sterling’s eyes pinch. But rather than being ruffled by my outburst, he looks at Frank. Calmly. “Thank you for your work. Let’s pick this up later.”
He tips his chin to Killian and Jenson. “Can you take Molly down to the concierge? See if the parcel I ordered for her has arrived?”
“Sure thing, Boss.” Jenson lifts a smiling Molly into his arms, the tail of her tiger onesie dangling from his arms.
The room empties until only nine of us remain. Sterling and Halliday, Sinclair and Denver, Sullivan and Tate, Mal and Trudy.
And me.
I scowl as I look between them all, noting their matching expressions.
Shock, guilt, confusion.
“I can see you’re upset,” Sterling says smoothly. “I take it you spoke to my son after he stormed out of here?”
“Your son?” I spit. “Is that what he is? Because you sure don’t act like he is the way you’re treating him.”
“That’s my father you’re talking to,” Sullivan hisses.
“It’s okay, Son,” Sterling says gently, raising his palm toward Sullivan. “Do you know where Slade is, Jude?” he asks, worry creasing his brow.
“Hopefully, someplace he’ll come back from.”
Sinclair stares at me with glassy eyes. “You think he’ll disappear?”
“If he does, it’s because you’ve all forced him to!”
“We’re trying to help him,” Sterling says, a picture of calm authority despite the fact I’m losing my shit here, trembling with rage in front of them all.
“By making him lie! By denying what you all did? By getting him a shrink and telling him you’re worried he’ll do it again? What do you think that did to him? Hearing that you think that’s who he is?”
Sinclair cries into Denver’s chest; Sullivan glares at me like he wants to come over and make me shut the hell up; Halliday, Tate, and Trudy stare with wide eyes and open mouths like they can’t believe what’s happening, and Mal looks away with tears in his eyes.
But I don’t let anything stop me. They have to hear this. I’m going to make damn sure they do.
“It’s not his fault Elaina died! She had an allergic reaction.
He went to fetch her medicine. He was running back to the boat with it.
But you…” I cast a shaky arm around the room as I point at all of their haunted faces in turn.
“You all thought he was a murderer! Your own son! Your brother! Your nephew! You deserted him when he needed you most. Did you ever think about him? That he lost his mom that day too? How the…” My voice pitches and scorching tears race down my cheeks.
“How the hell could you ever think he would do that? That’s not him!
It only took me a couple of weeks to understand that.
You’ve known him his entire life, yet none of you know who he is at all.
“None of you will even speak to him about that day! You’re destroying him! Can’t you see that? You’d rather lie than let the world know what really happened to him. Is it your reputation? Is that all you care about? I thought Beauforts stick together. Or is that just the ones in this room?”
“What did you say?” Sterling’s composure finally cracks, but instead of looking angry, he looks like he’s about to pass out.
“Beauforts stick together!” I snarl. “Only, they don’t, do they? They tell the world one of their own died because they think he’s capable of hurting his own mother. Then they leave him alone, not caring what happens to him.”
Pressure builds in my chest, and I can’t hold it any longer. I erupt into full-blown sobs and storm out before they can stop me.
I can’t look at them, any of them. I can’t listen to more lies. I’m going to lose the man I don’t know how to live without because his family let him down.
As I push through the door, panicked voices shout after me.
“I’ll get her!” someone yells.
I run to the elevator and jab the button repeatedly. “Come on!” I sob.
Mal crashes into the hallway after me, stumbling to maintain his balance. His face is ashen. “Jude?”
“I can’t lose him! I lost him once, I can’t do it again,” I cry, jabbing the button over and over.
“Neither can we.”
Mal’s eyes widen as the elevator doors open.
I rush inside.
And slam straight into a solid body.
“Jude?”
I look up into eyes as blue as the ocean, then everything goes black.