Hudson (21 page)

“Thank you for saying that.  It means a lot.”

“I messed up bad, Brie.”  His voice was so quiet she barely
heard him.

“Tell me.  Just tell me.”

Hudson cleared his throat and leaned back.  Natalia’s hand
tightened around hers.  “The day I met you, I’d been seeing someone for a
while.  She lived with me.  Her name was Christina and I knew what she was but
I ignored it because she served a need and had her place.  I never imagined
she’d use the resources I gave her to assist in running a long-range con.”

Her eyes shot wide.  Hudson’s
girlfriend
worked with
the man who conned her?

“Wait.  I threw her out that night and confiscated the stash
of fake ID’s I found of the other women she helped rob.  I’ve compensated every
single one except you.”

“You didn’t tell the police.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You were embarrassed.”  The look on his face confirmed that
was part of it.  A man like Hudson would be livid that someone close to him
managed to fool him for so long.  “There’s more.  I know there’s more.”  He
nodded slowly and she knew the rest was worse. 

This was what he was afraid to tell her.

“I’ve tracked her movements since the day she left my
apartment.  I needed to know who her male accomplice was.  Then I could
determine whether turning them over to the police was my best option…or if I
should handle it myself.”

“You know who he is.  You know the man who…who tricked me.”

“That day you described him in my car, I suspected.  I
didn’t want it to be true, Brie.  I tried to find a hundred explanations for
someone using my name, someone who looked so familiar.  I needed another answer. 
Any answer but that one.”

It was someone he loved. 

Gabriella thought back to conversations she’d had with the
pretend Hudson.  There were times she would have sworn he was angry and he
would laugh it off, using his charm to divert her attention.  Something in
particular once set him off more than any other. 

It involved her sister.

Brie stopped at the grocery store after her shift at the
winery and he pulled in beside her.  He always rented an expensive car when he
came to visit but that never mattered to her. 

She was just happy to see him. 

The man she knew as Hudson smirked at her car.  “When are
you going to buy something nice, Brie?  That car is a clunker.”

It was odd for those to be the first words out of his mouth
when she got out and walked to him.  “I’ve had this car for years.  I don’t
know what I want yet, what I’ll need when I eventually move out on my own.  I
might not need a car at all.”  She shrugged.  “I figure this one still runs so
I’ll drive it until I have a firm plan.”

“Your sister drives an Audi.”

“Izzy loves her car.  I’m just not that into material
things, I guess.” 

“Your parents should step in and help you once in a while. 
You’re the youngest.  You work a lot harder than she does.  Everything is
easier for her.”  For just a moment, actual animosity seemed to bleed into his
voice and she didn’t understand it. 

He didn’t know her family.  He always found an excuse not to
meet them.

Her smile was careful.  “Hudson, I
chose
the winery. 
I have no interest in the fashion portion of my family business.  That was
perfect for Izzy.  Our parents do lots of things for us.” 

She put her hand on his cheek. 

“We
both
work hard for our paychecks…it’s all part of
Mom and Dad’s plan to have us ready for the world.  She spends most of her
earnings and I save most of mine, but it doesn’t change that we have to
earn
what we make.  My sister is awesome and she spends a lot of her money on
me
.”

Looking at the conversation now, Brie recalled how her
“boyfriend” had pulled on a mask after his outburst.  He made an excuse about
his behavior.  An excuse that casually mentioned
an older brother
he
didn’t like very much. 

“It was your brother.  He pretended to be you.” 

Hudson closed his eyes and said, “Yes.  His name is Scott.” 

So many things suddenly made sense. 

“You found out for sure the day of my surgery.  That’s why
you lied to me.  Why you were both so stiff and uncomfortable.”  She swallowed
hard.  “Why you couldn’t visit or call.”

The pain written on both their faces made her heart hurt. 

“We messed up, Brie,” Natalia said beside her. 

She didn’t look at her.  Nothing would have made her take
her eyes off Hudson.  Something was pushing at her mind, wiggling around and
making her head swim. 

In a whisper, she said, “You confronted him.”  It wasn’t a
question but he nodded.  “You told him about me.  That I was still here in New
York.”  She closed her eyes for a moment.  “He figured I would have gone back
to my family.” 

“You’re the only one who ended up in New York.  The others
were robbed before it ever reached that point.  I don’t know why you were
different.”

Opening her eyes, she stared at the hard set of Hudson’s
jaw. 

“He never thought I’d stay here.  There is no way he figured
that you would help me.  That…that we’d get involved.  His plan hinged on you
doubting my story and me being weak, naïve, and ashamed.  I messed things up
for him.”  Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m the only one of his marks who
filed criminal charges.”

Hudson nodded again.

“I ruined his game by getting you involved.  I ruined it for
him and your girlfriend.”  She laughed softly and shook her head.  “They had a
sweet setup and I fucked it up.  I spent a fortune on a private investigator
and had no idea I’d already gotten him caught.” 

“I’m so sorry.  I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Brie.”

“He was furious.  He blamed you for everything that he
didn’t have and he blamed me for messing up his con.  The man I hired called me
two weeks after my surgery to say he was tracing a strong lead.  There was no
way your brother could touch
you
and he would have known that.” 

She stared him down and dared him to lie.  “He tried to kill
me.  Didn’t he?”

“Yes.” 

The truth was what she expected but it still hit her hard. 
It destroyed her emotionally.  She lifted the arm without leads, the one that
was casted from her thumb to mid-forearm, and pressed her eyes in the bend of
her elbow. 

“What is
wrong
with people?”  She let herself cry
even though the tears made her angry.  “I’m so tired, damn it.  I hate being
stuck in this fucking bed.”

After a long time, she lowered her arm and allowed Natalia
to wipe her face.  The woman she’d allowed herself to care about was crying for
her.  Hudson looked fierce.

Her thoughts raced and for once, she wanted them to be
quiet. 

“This man flew thousands of miles several times a year.  He
lied to me and pretended to love me…all while planning to screw me worse than
the mediocre sex I was getting.” 

The laughter that bubbled up in her chest was cold.  “That
certainly must have put a damper on things.  Knowing your lying, thieving
brother fucked me first.” 

Hudson was suddenly over her, his hand firm on the side of
her face.  “Nothing has put a
damper
on a goddamn thing since the day
you dressed me down without giving a single fuck about who I was or how much
money I had.  It made me hard and I have
stayed
hard since.”

His eyes flicked to her lips and back.  “You may have had
sex with my brother before me, Brie…but I can assure you, I was the first man
to
ever
fuck you.” 

“I’m so furious with you, Hudson.”

“I
will
make it right.”

“You can’t make it right.  You can’t undo everything.”

“No, I can’t take away your accident.  I can’t take away the
pain you’re going through.  I can’t change the fact that I thought I was
protecting you by keeping the truth hidden.” 

His fingers slid along the curve of her skull gently.  “I
can take care of you now.  I can protect you.  I can help you through all of
this to the other side.”  He gave her a small smile.  “I
do
love you,
Gabriella.  Less than half a dozen people in my entire life have made me feel
it.  You are the only one I didn’t see coming.”

She reminded herself that the way Hudson and Natalia loved
her
and the way they loved
each other
was quite different.  As she opened
her mouth to respond, he kissed her lips. 

Lifting his face, his black eyes stared into hers with more
intensity than she’d ever seen. 

“Take time to think.”  He gave her a half smile.  “I know
you’re angry and confused.  You have a long road ahead of you.  I’m giving you
time to consider what you know but understand that I will not quit.  I will run
you to ground and
earn
the love and trust you give so easily.  I need
you in top fighting form…so you feel like you have a chance.”

“Arrogant.”

“Always.”

She frowned.  “What if he tries again?”

“Impossible.”

“Why is it impossible?”

“Because Scott is sitting in an apartment he is unable to
leave.  There are armed men stationed with him as well as outside the door and
in the lobby.  Much like a safe house.  Only, in this instance, the person
being kept safe…is you.”

“Why would you do that?”

“You deserve the right to confront him.  Without police,
without lawyers.  He took your pride, he stole from you, and he tried to kill
you.  Every day you are unable to leave this bed, he will be unable to leave
that apartment.  Consider it tit for tat.”

“It could be months.”

Hudson shrugged.  “The apartment lacks for nothing and it is
far better housing than he’d receive if I turned him over to the police.  I
gave him the option.  He chose wisely.”

“What about…your mother?  Your sister?”

“They have permission to visit him.  So far, they’ve chosen
not to.”  His fingers raked soothingly through her hair.  “My mother…Brie, I
didn’t want you to dislike her because of me.  She’s exactly the person she
seems.  Gentle, kind, and a little fragile.  Not like me at all.  She liked you
so much from the first and I didn’t want to ruin that for either of you.”

“How poorly you see yourself, Hudson.” 

“I never lie to myself.  I know what kind of man I am.”

“You don’t know the man I see.”

His smile was warm.  “Only the women in my life have ever
seen it.”

Brie grinned.  “Then it’s good you surround yourself with
women.”

Strong arms slid carefully beneath her.  Through the
bandages around her torso and the hospital gown, she felt the warmth of his
skin.  He pressed his cheek to hers. 

“I need to hug you.  I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“You aren’t.  You feel wonderful.”  Natalia kissed her other
cheek and she was swept back to the afternoon they held her between them.  “I’ve
missed you both.”  Her voice trailed off and she began to drift away from the
combination of stress and drugs.

“Tell me, Brie.” 

“I’ve connected the two of you, like a bridge, and served my
purpose.  We’ll still be friends.”

“No, Brie,” Natalia breathed at her ear. 

“Remind me never to give you too much time to think.  Your
mind gets you into trouble.”  Hudson’s words didn’t sound convincing to any of
them.

“So does my heart, more often than not.”

“We’ll be careful with it.”

They stayed like that, hugging her and talking to her, for a
long time.  Gabriella didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until she opened her
eyes and the room was filled with sunlight.

This time, she knew she hadn’t dreamed them.

Hudson and Natalia stayed with Brie until the shift change. 
She fell asleep in their arms and they agreed time would heal the wounds they’d
unintentionally inflicted. 

It would also heal the wounds sustained because of his
brother.

The days passed slowly for Brie and she found herself
missing a mish-mash of things.  Her little statue, the café where she liked to
sketch, and laughing unreservedly with Riya and Tawny. 

Only when she was pronounced out of danger at the start of
her third month did her parents believe it might be safe to leave her side. 
The argument raged quietly in her hospital room until Gabriella wanted nothing
more than to sleep. 

Izzy finally convinced them. 

“She is going to be in worse pain during rehabilitation than
she is now.  You know she will spend time trying to hide the pain for your
sakes’ so you don’t worry.  I’ve set up a satellite office at her apartment and
I can continue my work here.  New York is a fresh infusion of fashion on a
daily basis so this might move our design arm to the next level.”

“You will stay here with your sister?”  Their mother was
anxious, worried, and being pulled back to Washington by their various business
interests.  “Until she is better, yes?”

“I will not leave New York until Brie is released from medical
care.”

“You will call me every day.  More if there is a problem.” 
Izzy nodded.  “I trust you to know if we need to come Isabella.”

“I know, Mama.”

The older woman released a heavy sigh and both her daughters
could see the exhaustion weighing on her.  Her parents built their empire
hands-on and as a result, it required a strong dose of involvement from the
founders.

“Mama?”  Tallila moved to Brie’s side.  “I’m alright now. 
All that’s left is the exhausting and painful road back to normal.”

Slender hands that were surprisingly strong gripped her face. 
“It is when you almost lose something you love more than you love yourself that
you see the mistakes you have made like road signs
behind
you.”

“You’re a wonderful mother.  I love you very much.”

“When you are better, when you are back to the cheerful, happy
girl I know, I hope you will consider moving back to Washington.”  Brie opened
her mouth to object. 

“Wait.  Not our little town.  I know you’ve grown out of
it.  I thought…perhaps Tacoma or Seattle.  Far enough to make you feel
independent but
closer
, Gabriella.  There is no pressure.  Just something
to think about.”

For a long moment, she considered the implications of moving
back to the West Coast.  Despite their repeated assurances to the contrary, she
was under no misconceptions about her place in Hudson and Natalia’s lives. 

“I promise to consider it carefully, Mama.  Let me fully
recover first.”

Tallila’s eyes lit up.  “That’s all I ask.” 

She was gathered in a careful hug that warmed her from the
inside out and there were tears on her mother’s cheeks when she pulled back. 

“I will make sure you and Izzy have everything you could
possibly need before we take a flight back at the end of the week.”

“Thank you for being here this long.  I know the schedule
your businesses demand.  I’m so glad you were here when I woke up.”

Her father stepped up and kissed her cheeks.  Cabral stared
down at her for a long time before tracing his finger over her temple.  “The
bruising is finally disappearing.  This pleases me, Gabriella.”  He leaned
closer and rested on the rail of the bed. 

“I will tell you this: you are not to endanger my little
mouse again.  If anything happens to you or your sister, everything we have is
worth nothing.  Do you understand?”

She nodded. 

“A car will drive you securely from now on.  There will be
no arguments about this.”

She stretched her inner independence and thought she could
handle the leash her parents needed for a little while.  “Alright, Papa.”

Izzy’s eyes widened behind Cabral’s shoulder.  Then she
grinned and mouthed, “Pick your battles.”

Three days later, Brie’s parents returned to Washington. 

The long and highly emotional farewell took everything she
had and she crashed for more than eight hours.  Her room was bright when she
opened her eyes.  She stared out the window, lost in thought. 

A sound on the other side of the room made her turn her
head.  “Hudson.  Where’s Natalia?”

For a long moment, he stared at her without speaking. 
“She’s hosting a birthday party at the club.  There were last minute
preparations.”

It was the first time Hudson had visited her without Natalia
and she knew why he was here.  Since their first conversation when she regained
consciousness, she’d been waiting for one of them to tell her what she already understood.

Did it hurt?  Oh yeah. 

Was she happy for them?  Definitely.

“Hudson, sit here and talk with me.  I wanted to tell you
something.”  He walked stiffly to the chair beside her bed and perched on the
edge.  “First, I wanted to tell you my parents returned home today.  I don’t
want them here when I start physical therapy.”

“How are you feeling?”

“That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. 
Would you mind calling the same service and having Lydia help me when they
release me from the hospital?”  She grinned.  “My phone was trashed and I have
zero phone numbers memorized.  The joys of modern life.”

“Your phone…
shit
, I never considered…I’ll get you
another one.”

He gripped the bed rail and she patted his hand.  “No, that
wasn’t what I meant.  I used to back up the contacts but…I forget all the
passwords.”  She tapped her temple.  “The doctor figures the gaps will fill in
with repetition.  I don’t even remember the name of the company.”

“Consider it done.”

“Second, I would like you to tell…Scott to write me a check
for the money he took from me.  You took care of all the others but after what
he did to me, I want my money from
him
, Hudson.  Not you.  If he won’t
do it, I’ll have little mercy when I see him.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“His
personal
account, Hudson.”

He gave her a half smile.  “I give you my word that your
money will be returned from my brother’s personal money.  What else?”

“I’d like you to take half of it and invest it for me.”  His
eyes went wide.  “Don’t you invest for other people?”

“Yes but…
half
?”

Brie couldn’t help but laugh.  “Hudson, you accidentally
make money by simply opening your eyes in the morning.  Often on projects no
one else will touch.  I know the market is chaotic and there is risk involved.” 
She shrugged.  “I trust you far more than anyone else.”

A small frown appeared between his eyes.  He said slowly,
“Alright.”

“Izzy is going to be staying with me for a while.  I might
send her to the business center at the building to work in one of the A/V rooms
when she has to hold virtual meetings.  Do you think that will be a problem?”

“There are several empty offices in my corporate building. 
I’m happy to give her space to work there.  I’ll have Lola talk to her.”

“That would be great.  I know she worries about the offices
in Chicago and she’s taking on a lot of my remote work for the winery.”

“You still work for the winery?”

She tilted her head.  “Of course.  You didn’t think my
parents would let me completely leave the family business, do you?”

“I had no idea you worked two jobs.”

“I’ll always have commitments to the umbrella corp.  I like
to stay busy.”  Hudson rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head. 
“What’s wrong?”

“You constantly surprise me.  I feel like all I’ve done from
day one is underestimate you.”

“No, you didn’t.  You didn’t
know
me.  You still
don’t
,
Hudson.”  His eyes came up to lock with hers.  “I care deeply for you and
Natalia.  You know that much, don’t you?”  He nodded.  “Since the first time I
realized your relationship, I could see how strong it was.”  Smiling softly, she
added, “I knew far better than you.”

“Brie…”

“Let me finish.  I came here with hopes for my future.  I
thought I was in love with a man who was in love with me.  I felt like mismatched
dinnerware in my own life.”  She worked to scoot her body a little higher on
the bed and Hudson stood to help her. 

“Thank you.  I hate being in this bed.”

She sighed and glanced out her window to the city beyond. 

“I felt stupid, ugly, and completely undesirable in every
way possible.”  Turning her head, she stared at him.  “Then I met two of the
most gorgeous people.  They fixated on me, for whatever reason, and I was
beyond flattered.  It helped.” 

Her laugh wasn’t humorous, though she could certainly see
the humor in the present situation.  “I tried to tell them both how perfect
they were for each other but when they insisted on gifting me with the best
orgasms I’d ever experienced…”  She grinned.  “I didn’t turn them down.”

“Let me explain.”

“I don’t need you to, Hudson.  I don’t.  You and Natalia
helped me move past one of the worst experiences of my life.  I know you care
about me, just as I care about both of you.  Despite what any of us wished for,
it isn’t love.  It will
never
be love.”

“We hurt you.”

“No, I’m grateful for the memories.  I told you once that I
could bridge what you
thought
and what
was
.  I did that.  I think
it’s the reason we met.  The two of you, you’re a couple…not a ménage.  You’ll
never
be able to include another person long-term in your relationship and there is
nothing wrong with that.”

“We can try.  We could…”

“No, we can’t.  I’m the kind of woman you might
want
to be right for you – but I’m not, Hudson.  You think of yourselves so black
and white.  It surprises me that neither of you realize how much control you
already have over the future.”

She reached out her hand and he took it in both of his. 
“Whatever you want your relationship to be,
make it that
.  If you think
home cooked meals are the be all and end all, hire a woman to make them at her
house and fill up your fridge.”  Her smile was genuine when she added, “I’ll
personally supply both of you with baked goods.” 

“We don’t
know
normal, Brie.”

“What the fuck is
normal
?  Twenty years ago, normal
was a mom, a dad, two kids, a dog, and a house.  I have no idea if I want kids
and I prefer cats.”  She winked at him.  “After my time with Natalia…who knows
if it will even be a
man
in my future?” 

The conflict on his face tore at her heart. 

“She doesn’t know you’re here.”  He shook his head. 
“Hudson, first and foremost, you have
got
to stop trying to protect the
people around you from everything.  Sometimes, we have to figure things out on
our own.  Make mistakes.  Fuck things up a bit.  Fall on our faces.  Bumps and
bruises build character.”

“You’re a good woman.”

“I just happen to know a bit about bumps and bruises.”

“What are your plans from this point?”

“After I get out of the hospital?”  He nodded.  “I’ve been
doing a lot of thinking about things, lying here with nothing else to do.”

“I can tell.”

“I told you that I’ll always have a hand in my family
business.  I enjoy it but I’ve done it so long that I could hire an assistant
to manage a large portion of my responsibilities.”  She took a deep breath.  “I
really want to make comic books.”

His eyes widened in surprise and she gave him a small laugh.

“I know it’s silly.  A lot of my web business involves me
doing whiteboard videos…do you know what those are?”

“Where someone sketches a commercial and then adds audio? 
You do that?”

“I do lots of different businesses but my clients really
like my drawings.  I sketch all the time.  Now that they took the cast off,
I’ve been drawing to strengthen that hand again.”

“Can I see what you’ve been working on?”

She felt her blush and opened the rolling hospital table to
take out her sketchbook.  He took it carefully and moved to stand closer to the
window.  His smile lit up the room. 

“
Chubby Chica in the City
?”  He frowned.

“It’s a working title.  I don’t want the
Sex and the City
people to sue my ass.”

“Interesting.  Tell me about it.” 

Brie laid back on her pillows and closed her eyes.  Hudson
watched her for a moment before he returned to flipping through her pages of
colorful drawings. 

“My demographic would be young women struggling with coming
of age issues.  Snarky instead of condescending.  Each of them would deal with
a theme of tolerance, honoring your body, and accepting yourself and others
exactly as we are.  Celebrating our differences.” 

She cleared her throat.  “A young Latina girl arrives in New
York City to go to college without a clue about the real world.  She’s a little
on the heavy side but she doesn’t let it bother her.  Everyone tries to make
her toughen up but she likes talking to people and learning about them.  No
matter how mean the people around her can be, she wants to be kind…”

She talked, explaining several of the storylines before she
began to drift off.  When she was asleep, Hudson watched her for a little while
before he walked to the nurses’ station. 

“Do you have a color copy machine?” 

“In administration but…I don’t know that they’ll let you use
it.” 

He gave the older woman a smile.  “They will.”

Twenty minutes later, he slid the color copies into an
envelope and returned Brie’s book to her table.  He stood over her, peering
down into a face that was no longer swollen and bruised. 

Gentleness radiated from her and he knew that without
meeting her, he might have never seen the woman he’d taken for granted for the
last thirty years.

He leaned closer and kissed her temple.  The whispered words
wouldn’t have been audible to someone standing on the other side of her bed. 
“I don’t forget people who change the course of my life, Brie.  Consider me
your new guardian angel…er, devil.”