Redemption and Regrets (Chastity Falls, #4) (16 page)

~

I
must have fallen asleep because I awoke to a suited man dripping a bottle of ice-cold water on my head. It trickled off me, landing on my t-shirt as I glared up at him. Somewhere in the recesses of my memory, I recognized him. Maybe from some of the old photos Dad had lying around the house when I was a boy. I couldn’t be sure.

“Get up.” The guy turned his back on me and stepped away giving me space to haul my ass off the floor. My quads protested, sore and heavy from being in one position for too long, but I managed to straighten up.

Light streamed into the room from the slightly ajar door and I got a better look at the guy. His suit looked expensive, the kind Dad used to wear.
So this is O’Connor?
He walked to the middle of the room that I could now see was square with racks along the far side housing various boxes. There was a wooden chair in the middle of the room.

“Sit,” he said with little emotion. The guy was a closed book, giving nothing away.
Whatever, two can play that game
. I moved to the chair and dropped down, relieved for the change in position.

“I take it you know who I am?” He faced me, his eyes trained on mine.

Raising my hands to my jaw, I scrubbed them across the stubble and shrugged dismissively. His eyes narrowed, anger flaring in them. “Do not test me, Braiden.”

“Let’s cut the bullshit. I know you, you know me.” I hesitated unsure if pushing his buttons was the right move, but the fighter in me stirred and I smirked as I said, “We’re a happy family.”

Anger morphed into hatred, rolling off him in waves. “You should really be a little more respectful of your situation.”

“My situation?” My brows knitted together.

“You’re here under my orders. But I’m willing to help you. In fact, we can help each other.”

“Oh, yeah? Because last time I checked, you paid some pussy to come at me with a shank.”

“Exactly, Braiden. I might have made a mistake in paying someone like Shaughnessy, but really, it worked in my favor.”

“Your favor?” I asked.

“You see, I knew Jack Doyle was looking to recruit you, Braiden. All I had to do was bide my time, but you popped up in Forest Grove and it was like all my lucky stars aligned. Really, it couldn’t have gone more to plan.”

As I watched O’Connor spout off his bullshit about lucky stars, it was hard to believe he was Cara’s father. She was vibrant and short fused and passionate. She moved in a room and you looked. You couldn’t help
but
look in her direction. But O’Connor was lackluster. While I saw the same temper bubbling underneath, he didn’t possess the same energy as Cara did.

The idea ignited something inside me. And then another thought crossed my mind ... he hadn’t mentioned her. Didn’t he know our paths had crossed in the small town? Or was he waiting for me to own up? It made sense that Jason was trying to cover his tracks since he was supposed to be looking out for Cara.

I locked eyes with O’Connor and searched his face for some small sign of what he knew, what he wanted, any hint of what he had planned. His composure wavered for just a second and then his lips tugged up to one side in a smug grin. “You would be six feet under if I wanted that. Make no mistake, Braiden, we are not friends. I am not the good guy. I’m just a man who needs answers, answers you have. If you cooperate, you’ll live. Simple.”

“And if I don’t?”

“We’ll make you talk or you’ll die, but you’re not walking out of here until I get the information I need, Braiden. It’s up to you. One of my men will bring you some more water. I’ll give you some time to consider my offer.”

He walked out of the room as if he hadn’t just issued a death sentence. Because let’s face it, I knew nothing. Not really. I couldn’t provide answers I didn’t have. And even if I did, would I give them up knowing what it would mean?

Fate had finally caught up with me.

~ Cara ~

“A
re you going to keep up the silent treatment? Because it’s a long ride. It could get difficult to keep up the act.”

“There’s no act, Jason. You’re a fucking idiot, and I have nothing to say to you.”

“You’re acting like a child, Cara. I already apologized for the other night. I was drunk, horny, and thought you felt the same. I wouldn’t have pushed you to do anything you didn’t want to.”

“Whatever,” I murmured really not wanting to get into this with him again. He had apologized, again and again, but he could go to hell. After seeing him point a gun at Braiden, any shred of friendship I felt for him was gone.

Jason was nothing to me now.

“Fine, however you want to play it.” Jason turned up the volume on the radio and readjusted his sunglasses.

For the last two days, I’d racked my brain for ways to escape making the journey up to Seattle with him, but he had been right when he said it would look too suspicious. We always rode home together. So here I was. And it was going to be a long fucking ride.

~

M
y eyes fluttered open as the car approached the house. I stretched and yawned, ignoring Jason next to me, just as I'd done for the last four hours. Mom's black Porsche was parked next to the house, but Dad's car was nowhere in sight. I relaxed back into the leather seat of Jason's Audi. I wasn't ready to face Daddy. Not yet. Even if he didn't know the true extent of my involvement with Braiden, he would know something was wrong, and there was no way in hell I was ready to discuss Jason with him.

The car rolled to a stop, and I picked up my small bag from the floor ready to dash from the car, but Jason's hand captured my knee. My eyes snapped to his as he said, "Remember what I said, princess. No letting on about you and Donohue. Got it?"

I pulled the handle and opened the door, ripping my leg from his grip as I climbed out, making a beeline for the house.

"Cara, baby, is that you?" Mom appeared in the reception area with a huge smile on her flawless face.

Relief spread through me. I’d always craved independence from my father, but Mom was a different story. I missed her so much when I was away in Forest Grove, and although we kept in touch via email and text, it wasn't the same as feeling her arms wrapped around me.

She squeezed me tight and said, "Let’s get you unpacked. It's so good to have you back."

I choked down the tears building. I couldn't cry in front of her—there would be too many questions—so when she released me, I forced my lips into a smile. "I've missed you too, Mom." I followed her down the hallway to the elegant staircase. The deep red carpet covering the stairs made me wince, reminding me of the dreams that had haunted my sleep for the last three nights. Mom chatted casually, asking me about school and classes and track, but I knew that giving anything more than one or two-word answers was impossible. She would hear it in my voice, and for as much as I wanted to confide in her, she wouldn’t be able to keep it from my father.

We reached my room, and Mom pushed open the door. It was just as I’d left it, almost two years ago, when I left for Forest Grove, and a sense of comfort filled me. Living under Frankie O’Connor’s roof might have pushed me to perfect the art of escaping out of my first-floor balcony and shimmying down the huge oak tree right outside my window, but it was still home.

“Can I get you anything, baby? A drink? Something to eat?”

“I’m good, Mom, thanks.” I dropped onto my bed and smoothed a hand over the familiar pale lilac comforter. “To be honest, I’m wiped. It was a long journey. I might take a nap if that’s okay.”

Mom tilted her head, surveying me, and I dropped my eyes avoiding her stare. She knew more than she was giving away, but she didn’t push the matter. “Sure, baby. Take all the time you need. Dinner is at six, and Miranda is making your favorite.”

That earned a smile. Miranda—our housemaid and cook since I was just a child—made the best mac and cheese. “Great. I’ll make sure I’m washed up before then.” My eyes lifted and met my mother’s. She smiled softly and stepped toward me. “I know something is going on with you, Cara. When you’re ready to tell me, I’ll be here.”

She left the room, closing the door behind her, and I flopped back onto the pillows and closed my eyes trying to ignore the giant hole in my chest. Being home was going to be harder than I had anticipated.

~

“H
ere she is.” My father pushed back his chair and rose, moving to meet me as I entered the dining room. It was a long room, running the length of the house, and used to entertain. Friends, family, Daddy’s business associates. Like the rest of the house, it screamed sophistication and elegance; chrome and black accents set off with the odd splash of red.

Red
. How the hell was I supposed to sit and eat a meal when all I could think about was Braiden and whatever was happening to him right now? I was no fool. I knew the lengths my father would go to protect his assets.

“Daddy,” I said curtly as I stared at the man responsible for the scar on Braiden’s jaw—for keeping us apart now. An anger I hadn’t expected flared deep inside me as I sucked in a sharp breath, overwhelmed by my reaction to seeing my father.

Everything had happened so fast, I hadn’t really given much thought to how I would feel standing face-to-face with the man who wanted to see the guy who had captured my heart dead. He was my father, after all. The man I was supposed to look up to, to turn to in moments of uncertainty. Our relationship had been strained long before I met Braiden, but now, as I looked him in the eye, I didn’t know what to feel.

“Cara, is everything okay? You look a little pale.” Concern flickered in his eyes, and I forced my lips into a curve feeling Mom’s stare burn into the side of my head. “I’m fine, just a little sleepy still. And hungry. Is that Miranda’s mac and cheese I smell?” I brushed past him and took my seat opposite Mom avoiding her eyes.

Consumed with emotion, it wasn’t until I sat that I noticed Jason sitting next to her. He flashed me an insincere smile, and I narrowed my eyes almost growling at him.

“Excellent. Now, we can eat.” My father took his seat and dropped his napkin into his lap. “Jason, how are classes? Keeping up the hard work, I hope?”

Jason swallowed a mouthful of macaroni and flashed my father a huge grin. “Piece of cake, sir. Actually, I was telling Mrs. O’Connor that I think I’ve narrowed down my major.”

“Jason, please call me Annie. You’ve been a part of our family long enough now.”

My mouth stopped chewing as I digested what I was hearing.
If only you knew.
I caught Jason’s eye and sent him a knowing look. If Mom knew what he’d done to me, Jason wouldn’t even be at the table. But Jason acted cool, returning my scowl with one of his trademark smirks. I dropped my head and focused on the food in front of me. He knew I wasn’t going to rat him out to my parents, so for now, he had the upper hand. I would sit here and play happy families and eat my mac and cheese and pretend everything wasn’t falling apart around me.

“Sorry, Annie. You know me ...”

I switched off, concentrating on stabbing the macaroni with my fork and bringing it to my mouth. I chewed each piece meticulously and swallowed despite the lump in my throat. Before repeating the process again. At various points of the meal, I felt eyes on me. Sometimes Mom’s, sometimes Jason’s, occasionally even my father’s. No doubt, they were all wondering what had gotten into me, but the weight of everything was almost too much to bear.

“I’m finished.” I dropped the cutlery onto the plate and pushed back my chair. “I’m going to take a shower and finish up a paper.”

“Cara, hang on a minute. We were hoping to tal-”

I froze on the spot and turned slowly, still unable to meet Mom’s eyes. If I looked at her now, I felt certain I would fall apart. And that wouldn’t end well for any of us. So I schooled my features and said, “It’s almost seven, and I really need to get this paper finished tonight. Tomorrow? We can talk tomorrow.” I added my best smile to appease the concern shining in her eyes.

“Okay, baby. Do what you need to do. We have all weekend.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my father watching me with interest. But he didn’t say anything as he waved me off. I rushed out of the room not sparing them a backward glance.

I needed air before Miranda’s mac and cheese made a reappearance.

~

I
left the dining room and returned to my room, closing the door behind me loud enough that everyone would hear it. Somewhere between dinner and now, the sun had set and my room was plunged into darkness. I switched on the floor lamp in the corner of the room and moved to the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the yard and beyond that to Washington Park.

Miranda's mac and cheese still sat heavy in my stomach, but I yearned to run. Fresh air would clear some of the thoughts clouding my head and the feel of the ground underneath my feet would release some of the tension; maybe even work off the headache that had developed over dinner. Decision made, I rummaged through my closet for some old track pants and pulled out my trusty sneakers. They were plenty worn but slid on my feet like comfy slippers. I moved to the window and unlocked the safety latch, pushing open the pane. A decorative balcony wrapped around the entire second floor of the house, and although it wasn't meant for standing on, I'd used it on more than one occasion to escape from the prison of my room.