Relinquished (26 page)

Something about his lips on my skin had me breathless. “Okay.”

We followed Dante down a long hallway that led to a staircase.  The balls of my feet and thighs were throbbing after climbing two flights in my killer heels.  Always the gentleman, Holden held my hand the entire way up.  Dante seemed determined and didn’t even wait to hold the door open for us at the top of the stairs. After what they'd told me about their father, I assumed Dante was pissed about the whole thing.

Marcus stayed close behind as I scanned the area, looking for Abel. “He’s checking out the surrounding rooms,” he said.

Okie dokie.

It was still hard getting used to being surrounded by all this muscle.

We stopped at a double door where a bald, stocky man in a suit was standing guard. Dante placed his fingers on one of the handles, then looked over at us. “I’m a total prick for not telling you this sooner, but Dad doesn’t know you’re here, Jules. He’s not expecting the questions we have for him, but this was the only way I could get him to come.”

“Dammit!” Holden huffed. “You know how he feels about being caught off guard.”

That must also run in the family.

Dante’s eyes narrowed. “I’m fine with watching him squirm if it means we know what the fuck is going on. For all of our sakes.”

Annoyed, Holden pulled the door open. Dante shook his head as Holden dragged me along.

As we entered the room, uncertainty was running circles in my mind while I processed different scenarios. The thought of walking away, knowing nothing more than we did at the moment, wasn’t the outcome I wanted to consider.  An even scarier prospect, however, was that our worlds could quite possibly be blown apart by what Dante and Holden’s father had to say.

The answers I’d begged for, demanded, all carried a certain amount of risk. 

Trust was battling with betrayal
;
my hope was struggling with history.  Both were waging a war in my mind, leaving me to debate if this was worth hearing, or if I should grab Holden and run away. I jumped when Dante closed the door behind him. My nerves were strung so tight, they could play a tune of their own.

What if the information we were about to be given was enough to destroy what Holden and I had built? 

Standing in the middle of the room, I took in the huge picture window overlooking the San Francisco nightscape opposite the bay.  Along with the lights and beauty, I saw a distinguished gentleman in a tuxedo. His broad back was to us, his phone pressed to his ear. 

I shifted from one foot to the other. I was nervous and anxious, but also my feet were not accustomed to these designer shoes. Maybe if I focused on that instead of the tension in the room, I’d be able to maintain the facade that I’d tried to carry tonight. I didn’t want Holden or Dante to see me as weak. I wanted to appear strong.

Holden noticed me moving back and forth. “Sit down.” He pointed to a dark chocolate leather chair before taking the seat beside it.  Dante continued to stand, clearing his throat and frowning at who I assumed was their father. I’d thought he was expecting us, yet he all but ignored our entrance.

I guess the throat clearing got his attention. He finally turned around and smiled, spotting Dante first, then Holden, and lastly me, which was when his smile fell and his face went blank. “I gotta go,” he said to the person on the phone, then dropped his cell on the desk, never taking his eyes off mine.

Any other man staring at me with such intensity would’ve made me beyond uncomfortable.  Hell, all Raymond Maxwell had to do was touch my hand to make my skin crawl, but these eyes were boring into me, like there was some sort of message I was supposed to understand.  There was an odd connection there, too. A kinship, as if I’d known him all my life. 

That couldn’t be right, though.

I’d never met him before tonight.

I kept my face neutral, not wanting him to feel my confusion. I was so used to people judging me with their glares, but there was something different about the way he was looking at me. Almost like he was begging for my acceptance.

“Anabella,” he whispered, suddenly clutching the edge of the desk. If I wasn’t mistaken, I saw a flash of fear pass over his face.

What the hell was going on here?

That wasn’t my name. He’d obviously gotten me mixed up with someone else.

I finally broke away from his gaze to look at Holden, who was glancing back and forth between us. “Dad, this is Jules.  Who’s Anabella?”

“Yeah, Dad.  Who the hell is Anabella?” Dante still hadn’t sat down and looked just as baffled as Holden and me.

As though he hadn’t even heard his sons, their father stepped around the desk, then leaned the back of his thighs against the edge, appearing to be in some kind of weird trance. His expression reminded me of the picture I’d seen at Holden’s house, where he appeared to be happy, yet there was a part of him that still looked anxious.

“You are so beautiful,” he breathed out.

Okay, this was getting weird. I leaned into Holden’s side as though I could put some distance between us that way.

Holden was frowning. “Dad, what’s up with you?”

“It’s uncanny,” their father said, as his large hand came up to cover his mouth, and he murmured, “You look just like your mother.”

What?
My heart started to race then. “You know my mother? Is she alive? Do you know where she is?” I gulped as I waited for a response, but his shoulders sagged, and he shook his head.

“Dante, why didn’t you listen to me?” He almost sounded grieved. “You have no idea what kind of danger you’ve put the three of you in by bringing her here.”

“You're right, Dad,” Dante said curtly. “None of us knows because you hide everything. From where I’m standing, it sounds like you were trying to protect yourself by not seeing Jules.” His eyes narrowed. “Stop playing games, and tell us what the hell is going on.” He looked so angry, the veins in his neck were popping out.

Holden sat forward, glaring at their father and Dante. “I’m so sick of you two spoon feeding me. Just tell us why we’re in danger.”

A million questions were running through my mind. 
Who was this man, really?  Did he know my parents? Or at least my mom? And why was all of this such a big fucking secret?

“Hold on.” Mr. Riley picked up his phone, tapped the screen, and brought it up to his ear. “Yeah, you still in the same place?” He paused to listen. “Okay, stay put.” Moving the phone away from his mouth, he addressed Dante, “I assume Marcus is outside the door?” Dante nodded, and their father spoke into the phone once more, “My son decided to bring her here tonight after all, and it seems I have some explaining to do. Yeah, believe me, I know what this means. I’ll call you when we’re done.”

Frustrated, he ended the call and ran a hand down his face and neck before plopping in the chair directly across from Holden and me. “Have a seat, Dante.” He motioned to the chair beside his.

“I’m fine here, but feel free to start talking.” Dante continued his dominant stance, his arms folded stubbornly across his chest.

Mr. Riley shook his head and stared at me again. “I just can’t get over the fact that you’re here. I didn’t expect to meet you for a little while longer. After searching for you all these years… you’re actually here.”

My mind raced, needing answers. “I’m so confused.  What’re you talking about?  Why would you be looking for me?”

He took a deep breath.  “Because, sweetheart—” He paused for a moment, then dropped the bomb that would change my life forever. “—there’s no easy way of saying this, but
I’m
your dad.”

Dad? He’s my father?

But, but…but…what?

My heart had stopped, and I couldn’t breathe.

From the corner of my blurry eye, I saw Holden’s grip tighten on his armrest, his fingers white as a ghost. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. Then again, I could because I was thinking it, too.

Was I…?

No. This can’t be happening.

My brain had segmented into a million pieces, each section holding bits of information. Some of those bits wanted to make sense of what was happening while others were trying to numb me completely, lie to me.

“This is a joke, right?” Holden said, his voice strangled. “Tell me this is a fucking joke.”

Yes. Joke. It had to be.

This man in front of me said he was my father, yet all I wanted to do was curl up on Holden’s lap, the place that had become my safe home.  I reached up to let him know I needed him, but his glare was on Dante, who was suddenly in front of his father.

Even Dante looked pale, but his voice was irate. “You knew you had a daughter out there and never told us? Do you even know what she's been through? You told me to just fucking watch while my sister went through hell! And I told you they were together. What the fuck is wrong with you?” He looked like he was going to be sick. I knew the feeling.

Oh, God…

My chest felt like it was caving in. “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” I whimpered.

I couldn’t process it, couldn’t say Holden was my…my…

No!
I wanted to cry and scream and rant and yell and shout and throw up.

Mostly, I wanted to throw up.

So, not only had I learned a huge part of my past, found my father, but I’d also lost part of my heart, and the only place I’d been able to call home?

“I can’t breathe,” I cried louder, bending forward and rocking.

“WHAT. THE. FUCK?” Holden exploded out of his seat, panicked and grabbed at his hair. “No, no, no, no…”

“I can explain,” Mr. Riley pleaded. “I promise. You haven't done anything wrong.”

We haven’t? Does he even realize what we’ve done in private?

My stomach continued to churn as I fought the urge to vomit.

Holden squeezed his eyes shut and took a quick breath. Then our eyes met, both of us acknowledging the shared disgust, the pain, the betrayal, and yet the desperation for what we’d just learned not to be true.

It was too much. I had to get out of here before I completely lost my fucking mind. “I can’t do this.” I jumped up, feeling stomach acid rising in my throat. I couldn’t leave without saying something to him, the man that had just shattered my life. “I don’t care who the hell you are, but I hope you’re happy with the destruction you’ve caused.”

He looked pained, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t process his pain. Mine was too big right now. I ripped my shoes off, tossed them aside, and ran toward the door. When I yanked it open, the bald security guy jumped as if I’d scared the shit out of him. 

Good to know how well he works under pressure
, I thought sarcastically, almost as if my own brain was numbing me to what I’d just found out. Before I could get away, Dante’s arms clamped around my stomach, and he pulled me back into the room, kicking the door shut behind us.

“Let me go!” I screeched. “Let me
go!
”

For a moment, I was senseless, then I started to remember all the training I’d had. I tried some of my moves on him, but it was useless. I was too weak. My emotions were on overload, and I didn’t stand a chance.

“Jules, you need to calm down. You’re going to get hurt.” He gently placed me back into my seat before squatting in front of me.  “Please, just listen.  I don’t have all of the answers either, but there’s got to be an explanation. It can’t be what we think it is.”

“It’s not, sweetheart.  I promise.” The man claiming to be my father stood off to the side with his hands out in front of him, imploring me.

“Stop fucking calling me sweetheart,” I growled at him. I calculated how I might be able to get out again, but I knew Dante’s grip on me wasn’t budging, so I prepared myself. “I’ll sit and listen, but make no mistake, I’m doing this for your sons,
not
you.  You will
never
be my father. Real men don’t fucking leave their daughters to be used and abused like you did.” At that, I yanked the slit of my dress closed. 

Dante got up, circled my chair, and stood behind me, his hand gently resting on my shoulder.  I had an overwhelming urge to shrug it off, but I was sure this was difficult for him as well.

Holden was still off to the side of the room.  He’d moved when Dante was talking to me, as if he couldn’t stand to watch another man support me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Instead, my eyes focused straight ahead at my supposed father as he took his seat.

“Dad, get on with it. No room for mistakes or secrets now,” Dante said dryly, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Mr. Riley let out a long-suffering sigh. “I swear if I could’ve fixed this I would have, long ago. I never wanted any of you to get hurt.” Gesturing toward the chair next to me, he spoke to Holden. “Please sit down so I can explain everything.” 

After all the time Holden and I had spent together, and all the things we’d done, I closed my eyes, tilting my head down, involuntarily showing my shame. Tears poured out of my eyes while I fought the overwhelming desire to find relief from my anxiety as my fingernails grazed the fabric against my thighs.

Not yet. Not in front of them.

A fingertip lightly caressed my wrist, forcing me to look up again.  It was Holden. “Jules, breathe through it. I’m trying not to freak the fuck out too, but let’s see what he has to say.”

Dammit. He knew what I was about to do. Even in the middle of this shitstorm, he was still watching out for me.  

As I wiped under my eyes, I addressed
our
father, “Go on so I can get the hell out of here.”

He looked at each of us, braced his forearms on his bent knees then addressed Holden and me. “Before I start, you guys need to know that you aren’t siblings.”

I think the entire room let out a collective breath of relief as we all took that in, but when I looked back at Holden, it was clear he was furious.

“Why are you fucking with our minds like this?” Holden shouted as he stood once more.  

Dante stepped forward, ready to intervene if necessary.

“Son,” Mr. Riley began in a soothing manner. “I understand your frustration, but if you’d allow me to explain…”  He gave Holden a ‘simmer down’ look.  

All I could focus on was the fact we were not siblings.
Thank God!
The details didn’t matter. Jumping up, I ducked between the two men and crushed my body against Holden’s. I rested my head on the heartbeat that had comforted me time and time again. 

He’s not my brother, not, not, not.

I could think it now that I knew the truth.

His jittery hands held me into his chest, one in my hair and the other on the small of my back, then I felt his tender kiss on the top of my hair and the weight of his head resting on mine.

We moved out of the way, and Dante replaced Holden’s spot. My eyes were closed tight, but I heard what he gritted under his breath, “You better be on the up and up here.  If you’re stringing those two along only to crush them again, your worst nightmare will come true, do you understand me?”

I opened my eyes to see Mr. Riley nod in agreement.  “Son, my worst nightmares have already come true.” He cleared his throat, his face grave. “It’s time you heard the whole story.” 

We waited, and he sighed before starting. “It’s always been my goal to keep my children safe, which is why I’ve been so secretive, but as it was pointed out so vividly, that time has gone and now you all need to know the history that has left us in this position.”

Although this whole scene was still fucked up, the mood had shifted and calmed a bit as Holden and I took our seats. 

Mr. Riley went on. “I first met Dante’s mother, Elisabeth, shortly after her father hired me to work for his security company. She was incredibly persistent, wanting to marry a man that would be strong outside of the marriage but one who she could control within her home.  At the time, it didn’t really bother me because I wasn’t on a great path, and her family owned one of the largest security companies around.  I honestly thought I’d struck gold.”

Looking thoughtfully off to the side, he let out a small chuckle. I had to wonder what the hell he thought was so funny. “Boy was I wrong. It wasn’t until we got married that I started working for their more
private
clientele. They considered themselves the elite, but as time went on, I discovered they were nothing more than the scum of the earth, involved in every illegal activity you could imagine.”

He paused a moment as he looked over at his oldest son. “When Dante was about three, I was assigned to work home security for one of our crème de la crème
,
if you will, clients. That’s where I met Nicholette.” He eyed me meaningfully, then added, “Your mother.”

Holden took in a sharp breath at the mention of my mother’s name. My head continued to spin, but I had to stay focused if I wanted to make sense of any of this.

“She was the client’s onsite accountant, and because most of his non-public activities were, and still are, illegal, everyone in the house was guarded except for her.  We naturally struck up a close friendship.”

“Mom tells a different story.” Dante sat down on the sofa along the wall, a few feet away from me.  With his arms relaxing on the backrest, he nodded toward his father to go on.

“I’m sure she does.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Anyway, I’d heard talk that part of the client's business included a new human trafficking ring disguised as a maid service. The guy in charge hadn’t even been around the house for the first three months, but when he finally did get home, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I realized we’d graduated together from the same high school, and even then, I knew not to screw with him.

“He went by a different name when we were teenagers and was brilliant, but a complete psychopath. He never fit in with the other kids. Well, except for one other boy. His foster brother who was just as unpredictable. Neither seemed to have a conscience, so it was best to stay off both of their radars.

“We’d all stood by, watching them strategically manipulate others, and turned a blind eye in hopes that they would leave us alone. It was never proven, but our first red flag went up when they’d supposedly convinced one of our pregnant classmates to kill herself over her cheating boyfriend. Rumor was that they’d done it because they wanted her sister to suffer the rest of her life for making fun of them for being foster kids when one of them asked her out.”