Waves of Reckoning (The Montclair Brothers) (17 page)

“Are you crazy?!” she practically yelled.

“For you, yes.” The guards smiled at him, as he proceeded to his parking spot. When he grabbed her hand to walk into the lobby, she protested, but he held on and kept going. Once inside, Vincent walked up to the reception counter.

“This is Janice, one of our receptionists. Janice, this is Carrie Oliver. We’re dating.” Before Carrie could get a word out, Vincent pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you, Janice. I’m so incredibly sorry!” Her face was beet red.

Janice let out a small giggle and shook Carrie’s hand.

By the time Vincent got her to the elevator, he’d been smacked in the arm, twice, and had listened to endless complaints and threats from her. Every person he ran into, he’d introduce Carrie, kiss her, and smile.

“You really need to stop doing this!” But he was far from done. Once on the twelfth floor, he pulled her into Tyler’s office.

“Hey Ty,” he greeted his brother as he pulled Carrie inside with him. “I’m just letting you know that Carrie and I are dating. I
really
like her.” Repeating his same behavior, he kissed her.

All she did was shake her head and drop her face forward.

“Sweet! It’s about time you found someone we all know and love. I’m very happy for the two of you!” Tyler rose from his chair, and congratulated both of them.

“We’re not—” Carrie desperately tried to explain.

“Don’t be shy, Sweetheart, Tyler’s family.” He grinned and kissed her again.

When Vincent thought she was ready to flat out sock him one, he headed towards his own office. He stopped at Elissa’s desk to retrieve messages and any documents that needed his attention.

“Hi, Elissa!” Carrie said boisterously. “I’m Carrie and Vincent is dating me!” She turned and smacked his arm again, before walking out the door. Once in the hallway she turned to him. “Unlock your office, so I can go in there and hide!”

He removed his keys from his pocket and opened his office door. She pushed her way inside, throwing her body down in a chair. “What is wrong with you?!”

“I needed to prove a point,” he answered calmly.

“You humiliated me to
prove a point
?!” Carrie stood up and put her hand on the door knob.

Vincent placed his hands on her shoulders so he could turn her around to face him. “Words are cheap, Carrie. I needed to show you that I feel good being with you. It’s not what you wear, it’s not how you look, but who you are. You’re an amazing, gorgeous, woman, who I feel very proud to be with. I want to be with you, and I want the world to know it. I’m really sorry if I ever gave you the impression that you’re not good enough for me. Truth be told, you’re way too good for me.” Vincent walked over to his desk and sat down. He may have made an idiot of himself in her eyes, but he’d do whatever it took to change her mind.

Carrie walked over to him. “I’ve never had a guy who wanted to be with me this badly. You’re serious about all of this, aren’t you?”

“More than you’ll ever know. But I have to ask you a question.”

“What is it?” Her brow creased, and Vincent immediately saw that she was growing apprehensive.

“Will you go out with me?” Vincent looked into her eyes with complete sincerity.

Carrie stared at him, long enough to make him scared that she’d walk out. Just when he thought his heart couldn’t pound any harder than it already was, he saw a slight smile form on her perfect face. Her shoulders relaxed, and Vincent could swear he saw the defensive walls around her come tumbling down. She looked up and her smile grew. “After all of this, how could a girl say no?”

Vincent put his hands on her hips and brought her down onto his lap. “You’ve just made me the happiest guy on earth.” He brushed his palm down her soft cheek.

“You better get your work done, or Elissa is going to skin you alive.” It was the first time he’d seen her sincerely laugh all day.

Vincent kissed her cheek, and though he hated to move from where he was, he knew Carrie was right. He got up, walked to his desk and opened the folder which Elissa had given to him. On the top of the stack were the documents for Brian’s hearing.

“Oh no…” said Carrie.

“Yeah, I wish the kid didn’t have to go through this. I’m meeting with Tyler and Brian tomorrow. The court date is Monday, and if the case against his parents can’t be proven, the judge is going to make Brian go back home to them. I know Hank and Shirley Waters will kill him if he goes back there.” He picked up the documents and groaned.

“We can’t let that happen, Vinnie. There has to be something we can do.” Carrie began to pace.

“Hopefully the judge will be able to read between the lines and see what liars those despicable monsters are.” Vincent began to sign the papers, while his stomach turned.

“And if he doesn’t?” She walked over to him and sat back down on his lap. “Vinnie, what’ll happen to Brian?”

“We’ll never see the kid again. He’s still a minor, but those two will make sure that he never lives to see adulthood.”

Chapter 17

C
arrie rode home
with Vincent, in silence. He looked angry and defeated, and she wished more than anything that she could take this burden off of his shoulders. She knew he loved Brian, and that he’d do whatever possible to keep the kid with Tyler and Renee. Vincent went to bed early that evening, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. All Carrie could do was to think back to when she’d first met Brian in that apartment. Renee and Emma had told her some of the things that the kid had gone through, and just the thought of him having to return to those evil bastards was sending her temper into orbit. She sat quietly in the living room, watching Elissa play with the boys before bedtime. She was glad her friend’s mind was on her children, because Carrie didn’t feel up to having a conversation. Suddenly, she heard something hard hit the wall. She knew exactly where the sound had come from.

“I’ll go check,” Carrie quickly announced, as she ran to Vincent’s bedroom. The light was on, so she knocked softly before opening the door. She immediately saw the source of the sound; Vincent had hurled his opened briefcase across the room. He was propped up against the headboard, surrounded by papers that were strewn everywhere. His tie had been removed and hung over the back of a chair, but the rest of his clothing, along with his shoes, were still on.

He looked at her, shook his head, and lowered his face into his hands.

Carrie stepped over the papers on the floor, and carefully climbed onto the bed with him. She was half expecting him to yell at her and tell her to get out, but he didn’t move or say a word. She slid up beside him and wrapped him up in her arms. When she ran her fingers through his hair and across his cheek, to pull him to her chest, she thought she felt dampness.

“Talk to me, Vinnie,” she whispered.

Vincent sat back up and took a few slow, deep breaths. “I can’t. I’ve already told you too much.” He stood up from the bed and began picking up the papers. “I’m sorry, Carrie. I don’t normally throw things.” He bent down and lifted his briefcase. “All it accomplished was adding a nice big dent to the décor on the wall.”

“You’re not going to get anything productive accomplished right now, Vinnie. Put the papers down, and come sit with me.” Carrie patted the mattress with her hand. “Maybe you’ll be able to fall asleep.”

Vincent walked to the foot of the bed and sat down. His back was towards her. “I love Tyler, and I will give him everything I have. You don’t even know how much he’s gone through, and done for me, just so I could have a good life. Every single time that I’ve needed him, he’s been there. Not once has he failed me.” His voice began to rise. “Now Tyler’s about to lose this amazing kid, who he’s grown to love as a son, and I can’t do a damn thing about it!”

“Surely the judge has to see through all their bullshit. There’s no way he’ll get sent back to that house with his parents.” Carrie knew that the system failed many children, and some even ended up losing their lives due to abuse or neglect, but Brian’s case was extreme. Certainly they’d prolong the investigation.

“I have to go over to Tyler’s house in the morning and talk with them. If they agree for you to sit in on that meeting, I’ll bring you along. But if they don’t, you’ll have to respect their decision.” He gave her a very serious look, and it made Carrie feel uncomfortable. Of course she’d respect their decision if they chose to keep this matter private.

“Try and get some sleep, Vinnie. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. If you need me, I’m here.” Carrie squeezed his hand, but Vincent seemed to be a thousand miles away. He didn’t return the gesture or notice when she slipped out of the room. She walked slowly up the stairs to her bedroom. Once inside, Carrie flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. There had to be some way she could help. Maybe Tyler would agree to her being at that meeting tomorrow. If not, she’d be forced to figure things out on her own, which probably wouldn’t turn out for the best. Not that she was dumb, but for this family, she wouldn’t hesitate to step outside of the law.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler couldn’t sleep. He tried not to move around too much, for fear of waking Renee, but lying still wasn’t working out so well. He looked over at the sweet woman lying next to him; the blankets were pulled up to her chin, and her calm, steady breathing made her look so serene.
That’ll change
, thought Tyler
. In six hours, you’ll no longer be at peace, you’ll stop sleeping and eating adequately, and your world will begin to fall apart, just as mine has been for the past few days.

Making as little racket as possible, Tyler got out of the bed, put his robe on, and walked out into the hallway. He went directly to Brian’s room and cracked open the bedroom door. The kid was snoring a little, his body was sprawled out, and a science magazine was splayed open on the floor, as if he’d dropped it when he fell asleep. Jacob had bought the subscription for him, and it was the only magazine that Brian read, cover to cover.

Heading downstairs, Tyler sat in the moonlight, coming through the large window in the living room. He could see part of the backyard, where he and Brian would toss a ball around. In reality, Tyler knew that the boy would feel safe, be loved, sleep in a warm bed, and eat healthy food…for just one more day. Come Monday, the floor could be yanked out from underneath all of them.

As the sun began to rise, he stepped outside onto the porch and called Vincent. He didn’t really need anything, but calling his brother gave him something to do, when he felt like he couldn’t do anything at all.

“Ty, I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t dare call and risk waking up Renee and Brian though.” Tyler knew his brother hadn’t slept much. His voice wasn’t even slightly groggy.

“Are you still coming over at nine?” Tyler looked at his watch. Three more hours and the fuse to possible doom would be lit.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Do you mind if I bring Carrie? She can give us a cop’s prospective of the situation. At this point, anything will help. If you’d rather it just be the four of us, I won’t bring her.” Tyler could hear him shuffling papers. He wondered if Vincent had worked all night.

“Carrie’s good people, and I know she’d do anything to help us out. Besides, she’ll be a loving friend to Renee during this and, believe me, she’s going to need one. I wasn’t kidding, Vin, when I told you Renee will come completely unglued when we tell her. Just be ready for that. I think Brian will probably remain calm, but the serenity in this house is going to stop right there. The first sign that she’s having pain in her stomach, or that she’s starting to mentally break down like she did in the courthouse, the meeting will end, immediately.” Tyler turned around to make sure the lights were still off in the house.

“I know, Ty. I can’t control how Renee’s going to react to this information, but I can present it without sounding like the sky is falling on us.” Vincent covered the phone and asked for some coffee. Elissa or Carrie must have gotten up.

“Tell me the sky isn’t falling, Vin.” He could feel his eyes starting to burn.

“I can’t do that, Brother, and it’s killing me.” Tyler listened to a long pause. “I’ll see you at nine.” When Vincent hung up the phone, Tyler felt every muscle in his body tighten, as he turned to go back inside the house.

“Tyler?” Renee’s voice startled him. She turned the kitchen light on and looked at him with concern. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”

“Are you hungry? I thought I’d sneak down here and whip up some breakfast for everyone.” He hoped the mention of food would distract her.

“At four this morning, you weren’t in the bed. No one gets up that early to make Sunday breakfast.” She eyed him suspiciously, and Tyler knew he wouldn’t be able to get out of explaining the situation.

“I dozed off down here on the sofa. I’m sorry I didn’t make it back upstairs. So how does breakfast sound? I’m starving and I feel like being the chef today!” Tyler hoped his big smile would mask the darkness he felt.

“I’ll put some coffee on, and then I’ll help you cook.” Renee walked over to the cupboard, which was a really good sign. If she was still concerned, she’d have stayed right where she was, and grilled him.

“You can make the coffee, but this chef is going to insist that you go put your feet up and relax. I’m cooking and doing the cleanup. See? I’m not just another pretty face in the crowd. I’m useful too.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.

“Well, you are one heck of an amazing man, Mr. Montclair.” Renee sat down at the kitchen table and watched him as he piled lots of ingredients on the counter. “Tyler, what all are you making? You’re not feeding an army.” Renee chuckled at him. He treasured her laughter, for he knew it would be gone in two hours.

“I’m starving. In case you’re not aware of the rule about interrupting a chef, I can remind you.” He continued to pull items out. “We’re having pancakes, eggs, French toast, ham, bacon—” Renee stood up and held up a hand to stop him.

“No. We’re not going to have all of that for breakfast, Tyler. It’ll just go to waste!” she protested and began putting items away.

“Honey, you do so much for me. I just want to make a spectacular breakfast for my family.” Tyler certainly couldn’t tell her that it could possibly be the last breakfast they’d ever have with Brian. He couldn’t hide the sadness he was feeling.

“If it means that much to you, then cook away, Babes.” Renee hugged him closely. He patted her butt as she headed towards the living room, causing her to walk away with a playful grin.

Tyler was turning the bacon over in the pan, when Brian came downstairs rubbing his stomach.

“Bacon! Yes!” He hurried into kitchen. “…And ham, pancakes, eggs,” Brian looked over the spread on the counter. “So you decided to make a feast?” he laughed.

“What can I say? I was hungry.” Tyler held out the plate of bacon so Brian could take a piece. “These should be cool enough.” Tyler poked at the remaining bacon in the frying pan.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining, because I always wake up starving!” exclaimed Brian. He went to the cupboard and grabbed some plates to set the table.

Tyler didn’t know that seeing the kid this morning would set off so many emotions, that threatened to make him crumble. What if he had to give him up tomorrow? When Brian said he was starving, Tyler knew that he’d spent most of his life being starved.

He didn’t realize how much food he’d cooked until he sat it all on the table. While Renee and Brian happily filled their stomachs, Tyler found himself having difficulty eating. Nothing tasted good, and his throat felt as dry as sandpaper. But he continued to empty his plate. He certainly didn’t need to raise their suspicions at this hour. Vincent was probably at home getting dressed and gathering his papers for their meeting. Tyler was sure that his brother was struggling, just as much as he was.

Brian insisted on helping out with the dishes, and Tyler wasn’t going to complain. He must have used every pan they had. No matter how much laughing and joking was going on, Brian could tell something was up. He kept staring at Tyler out of the corners of his eyes, and then he’d glance into the living room at Renee. He wasn’t only book smart, but he was a scholar in street survival. The ability to read people could mean life or death out there.

By the time they were finished in the kitchen, it was ten minutes to nine. Renee and Brian were still in their pj’s, and Tyler knew there’d be no way to ask them to get dressed without giving them an explanation of what was coming. He’d thrown on jeans and a t-shirt, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary
. Ordinary
.
Nothing’s ever going to be that way again.

At nine o’clock sharp, there was a knock at the door. He tried to get to it before Renee did, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in speed. Looking through the glass, Renee smiled as she opened the door excitedly and greeted Carrie and Vincent.

“Good morning!” bellowed Vincent.

“What a great surprise!” Renee motioned Brian over for hugs and hellos, then they each took a seat at the kitchen table. Tyler remained standing.

“We thought it’d be a great day to get together.” Vincent smiled, and Tyler glared at him. He knew his brother had blown it the second he’d stepped foot inside this house.

“So you always haul your briefcase around when you visit family?” Renee’s initial excitement had left her immediately. Her eyes could have burned holes through the man. “Someone better start talking.” She pushed her chair back and folded her arms in front of her.

“Seeing the three of you is always great, but you’re right. I’m here to go over a few things.” Tyler could tell that Vincent was looking for a shovel to dig himself out of the hole he’d just fallen into. Bringing the briefcase inside right away, was definitely a bad idea.

Tyler started talking as soon as he saw Vincent faltering. “As you all know, I like to make rules when it comes to family meetings. So here it goes: No one leaves this table. No one leaves the house, unless we all agree to it. We have to keep our emotions in check, and most importantly, we work out a solution as a family.” Tyler expected some agreement to his rules, but instead, Carrie and Vincent stared down at the table, while Brian and Renee stared at him as if he had three heads.

“Where’s Robert?” Renee asked through clenched teeth.

“Honey, this has nothing to do with Robert.” Tyler took a deep breath. The time had come for the sky to fall.