Chapter Twenty-Nine

Crashed

Grayson

“Gage, more information,” I snap. Something isn’t right. She’s distancing herself. Her last words were one hundred percent her truth—I can’t go through this again.

She can, and she will, but dammit, she needs more.

“What the hell happened?”

“Phoenix, this is your call,” Gage says, and I see him squeeze her hand.

“I’m gonna tell you both, whatever it is, she can fucking handle it. So spill it or so help me God...” I warn.

“He’s in bad shape.” Phoenix turns back. “They’re doing surgery to put rods in his legs because they were crushed.”

Mandee covers her mouth and sobs. I hold her tighter. She’s not going to fall apart, not on my watch.

“Go on,” I tell Phoenix.

“Look at her,” she gasps. “She’s—”

“Strong, and this is her father. Continue,” I all but demand.

I look up at the rearview to see Gage is giving me a look. I give it right back.

“The passenger is in serious condition,” Phoenix continues. “Will’s just...Worst case, he’ll be in a wheelchair.”

“But alive,” I say, hoping to put Mandee at ease, if only just a touch.

“Yeah, he’s alive,” Phoenix answers then turns back around.

I lift Mandee’s chin to look at me. “He’s alive. He’s gonna be okay.”

She finally speaks, “He’s my daddy.”

Phoenix looks back. “So he’s gonna be more of a miserable asshole.”

Mandee closes her eyes and sniffs. “He’s alive.”

“Yeah, it’s a great day for being alive,” I tell her, hoping to get a reaction, a smile. All I get is a nod.

“Where were you?” Phoenix asks, looking back. “We looked everywhere. We thought something happened to you. I thought...I thought—”

“Please don’t,” Mandee whispers.

“You’re a grown woman, Mandee,” I tell her, looking at Phoenix. “We were on a date.”

“Where?” she asks, as if she’s exasperated. “In a bed somewhere?”

“In Wildwood,” I answer, trying to remain calm yet hating the inquisition.

“And you left your phone, Mandee? How many times do I have to remind you—”

“That’s enough,” I interrupt her. “Not that it’s any of your business—”

“You have no idea what she’s been through,” Phoenix lashes out at me.

“I know more than you think,” I lash back.

“For the what, week you’ve been—”

“Guarantee I knew her before you.”

“Pft, please.” Phoenix laughs.

“I don’t need to defend myself to you, but I’ll defend her. We met a long-ass time ago. I didn’t know her, she didn’t know me. She stole my cat. So yes, I do know her, and she’s a lot stronger than any of you give her credit for.”

Phoenix looks at Mandee, whose head is down, that hair hanging in her face. She’s hiding.

I push it back and tilt her head up. “We—you and I—we’ve got this.”

She takes a deep breath and nods once, then looks at Phoenix. “I didn’t steal the cat.”

To that, I laugh and see a small smile come and fade away.

“So, you two?” Phoenix asks.

“We are together,” I answer.

“But my dad...” Mandee whispers.

“Will be happy you’re happy.”

“Like hell he will.” Phoenix now smiles, just a little. “He’s gonna gut you.”

“He’s gonna be fine when he knows my intentions,” I tell her.

“And what are they?” Phoenix asks.

“To love his daughter.”

She shakes her head. “For how long?”

“Didn’t know there was an expiration date on love. Pretty sure when it’s real, it’s forever. And if I’m wrong, and she wants me gone, then you’ll be right, and he will hate me, because I’ll still be sticking around that long. But I’m not wrong.”

§

“Ten minutes out,” Gage tells us, and Mandee takes in a deep breath, straightens, and leans forward.

“Phoenix, I would have told you. It’s just so new, and...” She stops. “Not new, but unbelievable?”

Phoenix nods. “Okay.”

“I still need you, okay? I do. And I love you. You are my best friend and—”

“I know. I’m just...pissed at him.” She throws her thumb back at me.

“Rather have it that way than at her,” I mumble under my breath.

“I’m gonna need you to go with me, Phoenix.”

She sighs. “Not Grayson?”

“No, I’m not sure how he’ll take it.”

I get what she’s saying, but I’m not cool with it. What if she fucking passes out, or loses her shit?

“Gray.”

I look up and see Gage looking at me in the rearview.

“She’ll be fine.”

When we walk into the hospital, she drops my hand. I don’t like that either, but it’s what she wants.

We all head to the desk and are directed to the surgical floor waiting room.

In the elevator, she leans against me and looks up. “Sorry.”

I shake my head. “It’s fine.”

She nods, and then heads out when door opens.

After a few minutes of her pacing the floor, a female doctor comes out.

“Miss Carlin?”

Mandee stops and looks back at me. I walk over and take her hand. Phoenix takes the other.

“Your father is in recovery. He’s going to be fine. His left and right leg femur bones were broken when the SUV was hit and flipped.”

“He has a truck,” Mandee says in confusion.

“He was in the passenger seat of a SUV,” the doctor explains.

“Oh, right. How is the other person?” Mandee’s voice is full of concern.

“She’s in surgery.”

“She?”

“Miss Carlin, I can’t discuss the other patient with you. Her family hasn’t been contacted yet.”

“But, is she okay?”

“She can’t tell you,” I say, squeezing her hand. “If they show up, we’ll let them know you asked.”

“Can I see him?”

“He’s asleep still, but you can come sit with him.”

She looks up at me and nods. “He’s gonna be okay.”

I lean down and kiss the top of her head. “I know, and I’ll be right here.”

I watch her and Phoenix, holding hands, as they walk away. Then I sit down and roll my neck, trying to release some tension.

Gage comes over and hands me a cup of coffee and sits down.

“She the one you had in the lake?”

I look at him and nod as I take the cup. “Thanks.”

“You love her?”

I nod again.

“When you said you’ve known each other...how long?”

“Saw her coming out of the lake six years ago. Thought about her ever since.”

“You two together back then?”

I shake my head. “She heard me singing the day her mom died. Said it was like I was sent to her.”

“That’s cool.”

Silence.

“The cat?” He asks.

I laugh then tell him, “Stupid thing followed me around for a month. Then, one day, he was gone. Same day she heard me playing, he followed her out. She took him.”

“So, you sticking around?”

I turn and look at him. “I am.”

“Need a job?”

“No, man, but we need to talk.”

“We got time. Shoot.”

I sigh. “This may not be the time or place.”

“That worries me, but I wanna hear it now.”

“Secrets, man, stupid, fucking sick-ass secrets. You’re gonna be pissed, but Garrett...Fuck, Gage, Garrett, it’s gonna crush him.”

“Go on.” Gage’s voice is stern.

“I’m not broke. I drained my account. The old man fucking lied.”

“Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

“Because I was just gonna fucking shoulder it and leave. But I can’t leave her. I tried.”

“I get that. So, the old man lied. Where’s the money?”

“In the woods.”

“Come again?”

I tell him about the treehouse, that I go there, it’s my place. It’s the easiest part of the conversation. Hate fucking talking about this shit, but it’s got to be done.

“The rest, Gage, the rest is ugly.”

“I’ve dealt with ugly, and I’m still standing. Let’s have it.”

Fucking hate this. Fucking hate that my family is once again going to be fucked.

“Don’t know how old I was when I caught him fucking that girl.” I sit forward.

“That girl? And who is he, Dad?”

“Yeah, Dad. The girl”—I look up at him—“Afanso’s daughter.”

Gage’s face doesn’t change, not one bit. “Dead Afanso?”

I nod.

“Dad was fucking his daughter, and he was fucking Garrett?” Now he’s pissed.

I nod and take a deep breath. “They have a kid.”

“Are you fucking—” He stops and gnashes his teeth together.

“DeFalcon is still his. Reason he’s fucking with me is because, this time, he knows I’m not draining my account for him.”

“Wait. You’re telling me that he’s in Portugal, doing the shit he should have been doing here?”

“Why do you think we moved? That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

“Why the fuck is this the first time I’m hearing this?” he whisper-hisses.

I knew this shit was coming.

I turn and look at him. “The shit he did to me. I don’t wanna talk about it, but I was scared to talk. Then I was scared you two would be hurt. Then I was scared you’d all want to destroy her—Gloria, our sister.”

“What did he do to you?”

I know when he asks, I have to be straight up.

“You ever hear of waterboarding?” I joke.

His eyes show less anger and more concern.

“I’m not repeating this shit, but here it is. I caught him fucking that girl. I was so fucking young. He saw me and waited until he finished before sending her off. Then...then I got pushed around, hit, told that I was in trouble, and he told me that Mom would never stop crying if she ever found out. I believed him.”

I look down and continue. I tell him all about confronting him years later, and Dad pulling me out of bed and to the lake. “He told me that he was doing what he had to do for all of us. Then he told me I was easily replaceable, just like Mom. He said she’d die if she knew, and that would be my fault. I thought he meant he would kill her, but then was sure her heart would break. He held me under the water, then brought me up. I begged him to stop, but he just did it again and again, for longer and longer. Then he told me to keep my mouth shut.

“I never wanted you two to go through that. Never wanted Mom to die. So, I just decided to get stronger. And I did.”

“Jesus Christ,” he hisses, running his hand through his hair.

“When I found out about our sister, I stopped planning to murder him.” I look at him so he knows I’m being fucking serious. I am. “I think Mom was blackmailing him, and that’s why he handed over the company. He didn’t need it. He has the other. Found out he was broke, and he told me he’d be forced to take everything away if he didn’t have the funds to support his other family. That’s when Garrett took off, you got married, and I didn’t need the fucking money, so I gave it to him. Last time was when you divorced Juliana and found out Brand wasn’t yours. I just handed it over. Didn’t want a fight. Didn’t want to come to you. Didn’t want a fucking thing. Still wished he’d die. Honestly, still do.”

“Let his fucking ship sink,” Gage snarls.

“Falcon Construction has bonds. Probably friends of his. He’ll sink this one, too.”

“Let him. I don’t fucking care anymore.”

I let him process that his life has been a lie. I had years. He’s had minutes.

“And Mom?” he asks.

“Can you imagine what she’s been going through?” I huff.

“She lets him back in,” he snarls.

I sigh. “Gotta be a reason. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

“I do.” He stands, and I follow suite. “Same fucking reason you didn’t say shit. She’s trying to protect us. We don’t need protection. We need to fucking live.” He walks toward the bathroom and shuts the door behind him. He ends up staying in there for a long time., and I get it. I totally get it.

I look up when I see two people walk through the door. I’m about ready to say something when I hear him say, “I’m Garrett Falcon. My mother was in an accident. Gail Falcon. Her attorney just contacted me. How is she and when can I see her?”

I stand, heart pounding in my chest, and look back when I hear Gage say, “Mom?”