The autumn breeze blew her hair around her thinning face. “Why?”
“You’ll always have a place here.”
She shook her head.
“I’m not asking. I’m not going to stop you from leaving. I want you to know that even though the house where our child was conceived will soon be gone, you and our child will always have a home here.”
A cascade of tears slithered down her cheeks, yet Madison didn’t make a sound. Instead, she lifted her chin toward the sky, closed her eyes, and hummed. “This will be goodbye.” She turned to me. “You promised.”
“What will he do? What will he say? He’ll know the child is mine.”
Madison’s lips quivered. “I’ll make him understand.”
I offered her my hand one last time. “Let’s go.”
If I’d expected any common sense from my brother upon his arrival, I’d been mistaken. His anger wasn’t only directed at me. I couldn’t blame him. Once again, I’d accomplished what he never would.
Standing at the railing on the second floor, I watched as they left.
After they drove away, I called Bruce, telling him I would move into the new house immediately. Furniture could wait.
I wasn’t spending another night in the house Madison and I’d shared, if only for a few months.
Van
Present day
My eyes opened and I sat up, the blankets on the bed moving down my body as I caught my breath. I searched the darkness, not sure what I would find. It took only seconds or less for me to realize whatever the fuck had been going on wasn’t real.
What the hell were dreams or nightmares composed of?
Repressed memories, forgotten absurdities.
Just because it wasn’t real didn’t mean my heart wasn’t racing or my skin clammy with perspiration.
“Shit.”
I laid my hand on Julia’s shoulder, splaying my fingers over the warmth of her bare skin. The world was right. She was sleeping beside me, where I wanted her for eternity.
Allowing my pulse to even, I fluffed my pillow and laid my head on my fist, staring through the darkness of our suite at the most beautiful woman I’d ever had the opportunity to love.
She’d asked me a few nights ago what I was like at her age. The real answer was that years ago I was a man who didn’t deserve her. Fuck. I didn’t deserve Julia now, but I was different.
Falling back onto my pillow, I stared up at the ceiling.
I’d made my share of mistakes.
I’d made more than my share.
Vengeance and disgust were powerful motivators. They bred ruthless success as well as horrible actions. What separated men like me from the ones rotting behind prison bars was simple—money. My crimes weren’t what fueled my success as a businessman. My success as a businessman helped to hide my crimes.
Phillip’s resurrection with the help of the Butlers threatened my newfound life.
I wanted to continue the battle we’d begun years ago. The desire to see the Butlers and members of my family fall into a hopeless pit was enticing and obtainable. It was within reach. The problem was that every scenario to fuck the Butlers had ripples. Repercussions would eventually reach Julia.
Phillip would pay for what he did.
Tricking and scaring Julia was uncalled for. She was the only innocent one in this interesting mix of people. There were two—her and Brooklyn.