Chapter 21
Mace
The sight of four men in custom-made suits shouldn’t look that incongruous in an exclusive hospital that’s seen its fair share of billionaires and celebrities, but every time I look up from my cell, there are eyes on us.
And the nurses’ station is far more crowded than it had been when we took our seats in the waiting area.
“I swear, I’m going to suggest they pull up chairs if they don’t stop staring at you all,” Maddie huffs.
Reid stretches out his long legs, resting his hands on his abdomen as he relaxes back in a visitor’s chair. “If you do, can you make sure that raven-haired nurse gets the first invite?”
Hunter makes the mistake of chuckling, and his wife glares at him. “Have you picked out your preference too, husband?” she demands.
“You know I only have eyes for you, little bird.”
The way my brother and his wife talk to each other usually makes my stomach turn, but instead, it twists with jealousy. Today is going to be hard, and Hunter has his wife by his side while I chased Lily away. I let her get angry with me when I should have just told her that my mom was dying.
And OK, maybe Alice isn’t my mom in the normal sense of the word, but the longer I sit here and wait, the more I have to accept that her passing does have significance.
There was a time when I’d secretly hoped she’d step up and be the mom I needed her to be, but the time for redemption is slowly trickling away.
Minute by excruciating minute. Typical of Alice to make us wait.
I glance at Ash. He has his elbows on his knee, and his hands are steepled in front of his mouth.
He was very matter-of-fact when he’d phoned to tell me Alice was on her deathbed and they were on their way to pick me up.
Even when we’d transferred to our jet to fly to New York, he’d spoken only in practical terms. The deal we’d brokered with Alice for Poulton Springs is going to die with her.
But as my brother stares into space, I don’t think it’s purely business on his mind. Alice was right when she said he’d been old enough to remember her. From what he’s said over the years, he has only snatches of memory, but it’s enough to keep him lost in his thoughts.
I zone out too and use the time to check on Lily. She doesn’t want me invading her privacy, but at the very least, I need to make sure she gets home safe. I may not be able to access her cell, but thankfully, she didn’t ask me to remove all trackers, just the one on her phone.
Still able to locate her Audi, I’m surprised to find she hasn’t reached Chicago yet. It looks like she’s stopped off at another small town.
My mouth twists. Is her detour a move to throw me off the scent? I’m going to be so pissed if she books into another seedy motel.
I check the Audi’s movements over the last few hours, and I’m even more confused as my tracker plots a route that zigzags all over town. It could be that she thinks I’ve sent someone to tail her, but her attempts to shake me are futile.
Her impulsive behavior, however, could be a problem.
I don’t like her taking unnecessary risks.
I hack into the nearest security camera to the Audi’s current position, and as I pull up a street view, I search for Lily’s car.
Unable to find it, I crosscheck the data.
Something’s wrong. I should be able to see her, but I can’t. Unease creeps along my spine.
Searching earlier CCTV footage of her arrival in town a few hours ago, I spot Lily pulling up outside a diner.
She gets out of the car and turns in a circle, her gaze lifted upwards as she searches for something.
And then she stares directly at the security camera.
When she puts her hand on her hip, I know the look she gives the lens is just for me.
She strolls purposefully past the driver’s door and crouches down next to the tire.
I’m shaking my head in disbelief as I watch her reach beneath the wheel arch. It takes a while for her to find what she’s looking for, but when she stands, she tosses and catches something in her hand. It’s my tracker. How the hell did she figure that out?
I can’t believe my eyes as she strolls casually to a taxi cab parked nearby and stoops quickly to give my tracker a new home. And when she turns and heads back to her car, she gives me the finger.
Bad girl.
I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so panicked. Heaving a sigh, I rake my fingers through my hair and look up. I don’t know how long Ash has been watching me.
He rolls his shoulders and stands up. “I’m going to get a coffee. Anyone want one?”
Everyone puts in their order, and it comes as no surprise when he asks me to help.
“Are you in trouble?” he asks as we go in search of a vending machine.
“Your call didn’t exactly come at the most opportune time,” I admit. “But my comeuppance was long overdue. I don’t need anyone’s help to fuck things up.”
Ash hunches his shoulders. “That’s not what I meant,” he says. “You look like shit, Mace. I’m guessing that decision you have to make is fast approaching.”
“Oh, I’m right there at the intersection,” I admit. “Lily’s the one for me, Ash. But I don’t know if I can inflict myself on her. She doesn’t know anything about me except my habit of ignoring personal boundaries. I haven’t even told her my name yet.”
My brother swallows a laugh. “Only you could hold out on something like that.”
“It was fun…”
“While it lasted?” he finishes for me.
“Yeah, and now play time is over.”
We reach the vending machine, and Ash punches some buttons to make our drink selections. “I can’t wait to meet her,” he says.
I’m waiting for the punchline, but there isn’t one. Ash actually means it. “Assuming we take it any further. She’s not even talking to me right now and…”
My voice trails off as another man approaches. The bruising has faded, but Ray’s nose is permanently flattened.
“What the fuck do you want?” I ask.
“Ash,” Ray says with a quick nod to my brother. He completely ignores me. “This needs to be quick.”
Ash sets down a cardboard cup. “Tell us what you know.”
“She’s not linked with the Bratva as far as Barrett’s aware,” he says, “but she is going to be working at the estate.”
“Are we talking about Quinn Jamieson?” I ask. I still haven’t been able to find a digital trail to follow.
Ash nods, but it’s Ray who continues. There’s sweat beading on his upper lip.
He doesn’t want to get caught with us, and Barrett will be somewhere nearby.
“Barrett’s appointed a skeleton crew. House staff, a gardener, and Quinn’s going to project manage the build to its final completion,” he says.
“Although his plan is to keep her on for a good while longer to help him set up home.”
“He’s planning on living at the house?” asks Ash.
“More than that. He wants it to be a family home. One he can grow into.”
“Jesus, don’t tell me he has another bride lined up,” I say.
Ray shrugs and picks a non-existent piece of lint from his jacket sleeve. He’s being shifty, but I think I can fill in the gaps.
“What are the chances of there being two mystery women in his life?” I ask.
Ash rubs a hand across his beard. “You think he’s set his sights on Quinn?”
Our informant holds up his hands, looking relieved he wasn’t the one to join the dots for us. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” he says. “That’s all I have for now. I need to go.”
No sooner does Ray disappear down one end of the corridor than Reid appears at the other.
“Forget the drinks, you need to get back here!” he calls to us. “You’re wanted.”
Alice’s assistant has dark circles under her eyes, but she greets us with a sympathetic smile and leads us to our mother’s room. Reid waits outside, but when Maddie goes to hang back too, Hunter keeps hold of her hand and she’s pulled through the door.
I’m not sure what I was expecting. We’d been warned that Alice was unlikely to make it through the night, and it’s a shock to find her sitting on top of the bedcovers wearing a cashmere sweater and camel-colored slacks.
Her hair is near identical to how it was styled back at her apartment, and only now do I suspect it’s a wig.
Her makeup doesn’t quite disguise her deathly pallor, and the oxygen tube and IV drip break any illusion that her health is anything but failing.
The seriousness of the situation is underlined by the fact that Barrett is seated next to her bed, or more to the point, that he’s allowed us entry.
Maddie tucks herself behind Hunter as my brothers and I line up at the foot of Alice’s bed. Her watery eyes go to each of us in turn. When her gaze settles on Ash, she simply blinks her greeting.
“How good of you to come,” Barrett says with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
“Why did you ask for us?” Ash says, directing the question to Alice.
She nods to Barrett to respond.
“Don’t worry, we won’t keep you long,” he says. “We just needed to go through some simple housekeeping matters.”
Alice goes to raise a hand, possibly to object, but Barrett reaches out to grasp it. She aims a look at him, but her eyes don’t hold the menacing authority I first witnessed during that long-ago summer break we spent with them.
“Obviously, we wanted to give you the opportunity to say your final goodbyes to our mother,” Barrett continues, forcing the words out.
Alice relaxes a little. “And I thought now would be a good time to manage your expectations. I hope it won’t be too disappointing to discover that none of you are going to be recognized in my mother’s will. ”
“Recognized being the operative word,” says Hunter. He’s looking at Alice when he adds, “You haven’t wanted to acknowledge us for almost thirty years. It’s no surprise that you intend to take your guilty secrets to the grave.”
“My mother has nothing to feel guilty about,” Barrett hits back. “Your father was a heartless manipulator, and it’s obvious it runs in the family.”
My hands curl into fists, but Ash simply sighs as if bored. “Is that what she told you?”
Barrett doesn’t respond, and it’s the right choice.
Arguing would be a waste of all our time.
Alice knows the truth, and Barrett is beyond being convinced of anything but the lies his mother has spun over the years.
Our dad was a devoted husband and father, he just wasn’t cut-throat enough for Alice when it came to exploiting his genius.
It’s why she took off with the best of his innovations, and made billions with the help of her second husband, Charles Emerson.
“Talking of manipulation, that brings me neatly to the final reason you’ve been summoned,” says Barrett. “Your attempt to recruit a dying woman in your bid to acquire more Emerson property has failed. I’ve had enough of you taking what’s mine.”
He doesn’t dare look at Maddie, but the meaning is clear. He’s not talking about land.
“Do I have to set my wife on you again?” Hunter warns. “Don’t play with the big boys, Barrett. You’re not suitably equipped.”
I tip forward to catch Hunter’s eye. It might not be entirely appropriate to have a dick-measuring contest on Alice’s deathbed, but I approve. He smirks.
Ash is standing between us and leans forward to break us up. “Barrett, you don’t know who you’re getting involved with. This isn’t going to end well.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“We don’t need to. You’re a fucking danger to yourself,” I hiss. “We should just leave you to it.”
“And I’d be inclined to agree if there weren’t innocent lives at stake,” Ash points out. He’s glaring at Barrett. “Getting involved in human trafficking will make you more enemies than friends.”
“Go find someone else to intimidate,” Barrett says with a scowl. “You have no business in Poulton Springs, and I suggest it stays that way. You’re not welcome there.”
Alice’s eyes have widened, and I’m not the only one shaking my head, when I say, “Either you’ve grown balls, or you’re under the illusion that you have friends who can protect you.”
“Enough!” Alice says, her voice no more than a weak rasp. “Barrett, I want to speak to the others alone.” When he doesn’t respond, she raises her voice as much as she can. “Leave. Now.”
Barrett is twenty-six years old, but he stomps across the room like a moody teenager. He stops at the door and glares at Ash. “Five minutes. That’s all I’m giving you.”
It’s five minutes more than Alice deserves of our time, and she’ll be lucky to get two. We wait for the door to close and for Alice to say her peace.
“You’re his brothers,” she says in her best matriarchal tone. “You need to start acting like it.”
“Sorry, Alice, it’s far too late for that,” Ash says. “You were happy to bring Barrett up as an only child, and that’s exactly how he operates.”
“He will come to you when he needs help,” she says.
“And we’ll refuse,” Hunter replies. “War is coming, and he’s chosen the wrong side.”
“Please…”
A tear trickles down her cheek, and the sight of it hurts me more than it should. Alice is expending her final breaths on one son, and one son only. Curiosity gets the better of me. “Is that all you have to say to us?”
Her eyes flicker to me. “Ash is right. It’s too late to mend the gulf between us. There’s nothing I can say to make you think better of me.”
“In that case, we’ll go. I hope you find peace in your final hours,” Ash says.
His parting shot is more than Alice deserves, but my brother is more concerned with his conscience than hers.
“Goodbye, Alice,” Maddie says, and Hunter mumbles something similar.
They all file out, but I find myself reluctant to leave. Alice is too busy watching the door close to notice that I’m still standing there. My pulse steadily rises. This is the last time I’ll see her, and our final exchange will live in my memory long after her body’s turned to dust.
“Maybe you couldn’t put everything right, but you could have spared a few of your last breaths to treat us like your sons instead of a means to protect Barrett,” I say as her gaze pulls in my direction.
“You could have thought about our feelings for once in your miserable life.” I run a hand across my face to escape her confused stare “Just once, Alice, it would have been nice if you’d spoken to us like you were our mother. ”
Something lodges in my throat that I don’t much like. Too much emotion. It’s been a long day. I should go.
My footsteps cut into the silence as I head for the door. I reach for the handle.
“Son,” Alice says. It’s the first time she’s ever used that term, but before I can grasp the flimsiest of gestures, she goes and spoils it. “Play nice.”
My laugh chokes me. I’d practically given her the script, and she still manages to fuck it up. Play nice with Barrett is what she means. I give up.
First chance I get, I’m going to buy the biggest bunch of flowers and put them on my mom’s grave. And it won’t have Alice’s name on the headstone.
I turn back to the woman who birthed me one last time. “If you knew me at all, Alice, you’d know I never play nice.”