Yours Book 3: Life Mastered (15 page)

chapter Twenty-six

I Can’t Do This

Garvin

I have to protect Nick. I have a bond with Rick, but Nick is my twin. We hatched from the same egg. We all shared a womb, but Nick and I share something more. I have never met my baby brother, but I have always felt him out there.

Rick has sworn up and down that we have been doing the right thing. When we were eighteen and first started planning, it did seem like a great idea. Back then we hadn’t planned on doing anything to harm Nick. We needed Ivana to get information. Our father trusted Nick with FLI, and we need information.

We were never really going to harm anyone other than Carver. I hate that man. He deserves to rot in hell. I can’t believe he murdered his own daughter. She was already just as fucked up as Rick, and I was. He made us all this way, but Jillian didn’t deserve what he did to her.

I don’t think I will ever get that shit out of my head. It will forever remain there along with all the shit that has happened to me throughout my life. I’m not a crybaby about it. I know my life has been fucked up.

Rick doesn’t know this, but I met our mom when I was seventeen. I hadn’t meant to get so close, but she stopped to talk to a friend, and I tried to slip by. She spotted me, and she knew who I was right away.

She didn’t mistake me for Nick, she called me by my name. I was stunned and elated all at the same time. She quickly said bye to her friend and grabbed me by my hand. Twenty minutes later we were in a restaurant having lunch.

I lied to her. I made up this story of this happy life Rick, and I had. She looked so relieved. She apologized that day, and we promised to stay in touch. I wanted to, and I had planned on it.

Little did I know Harvey was having Rick, and I followed when we left the house. He came to the private house we lived in and beat the shit out of me. I try not to think of the other shit he’d done. It was the last time, though. That was when Rick had had enough.

Rick is good with numbers. He is also great with people, not that we got to be around many. Jesus was the groundskeeper at our home. He hated Carver as much as we did. He never saw what was really going on, but he sure did see the evidence of it.

Rick befriended Jesus and tipped him off to making some money, in return for investing the little money Rick gave him. It was with that money that we got away and started to put our plan in motion.

We were just kids; no one was expecting what we pulled off. Our father thought our plotting had just begun when we approached him about Harvey, but we had been in waiting for a really long time.

Ivana was a mistake. She had gotten in the way with her drama. I had cared for her, and she took advantage of that, she had her eyes set on bigger pockets. If she never went to dad with her drama, spewing her bullshit about Rick and me, mom and dad would have never been killed. Ivana distracted dad from Harvey and what needed to be done.

That was all that bastard needed to ruin our lives all over again, so, in turn, we wanted to ruin his. At least, that was what I wanted. Going through Nick was the best way for that, but I never wanted to hurt him.

In hindsight, I can see all of the damage we have done. Sephora’s friend and the video were the last straw for me. I need to get to my baby brother and help him see the snake slithering in his own garden.

That video was just a warning. Harvey is now a desperate man. It is only a matter of time before Liam realizes he was being played all these years. Sure Rick and I caused trouble for everyone, but Harvey played his hand well in the background. We were too young and stupid to see it before it was too late.

“What the fuck,” Wyatt Black growls as he pulls his gun and aims it at me.

I slipped in from the private beach. I had to walk miles of beach to do it, but I needed to get in pass Nick’s security. I know they are on high alert for Nick’s look alike.

I walk out of the shadows with my hands held high. “I mean no harm. You can check me if you like, Nick. I don’t mind you checking me, but please, Nick, I’ll allow only you to touch me,” I grimace at how my words come out.

They are not too soft spoken, but they are awkward to my own ears. My eyes scan the room quickly and land on Sephora who is pushed behind Lucian Emilsson. She is just as small and beautiful up close and personal as she is in pictures. The new haircut makes her look a little older, but not much. I see her peeking around her brother’s back at me and smile.

“I’ll do it,” she says softly.

“No,” Nick and I say in unison.

“If I were dangerous that would be unwise. You’re carrying precious cargo,” I smile broader and wink.

“You can put your hands down,” Nick sighs. “Rick told me you would be coming. God, this is crazy. It’s like looking in a fucking mirror.”

I smile at my baby brother and shrug. “You’re a half an inch taller,” I reply. “And three minutes younger.”

“But I’ve seen Rick, he… I mean, if I think of it now I guess he looks like me at a certain angle, but not like this,” Nick points at me, “Like you.”

“You and I split from the same egg,” I shrug again.

“Nick, I would feel more comfortable if you did search him,” Lucian says cautiously.

Nick nods and walks over to me slowly. I flinch when he reaches me and touches me for the first time. I told you. I am still fucked up in the head. His move is a little too sudden for me.

“Sorry,” Nick mutters with a tight look on his face.

“You’re fine,” I say and turn for him.

When he is done patting me down, I turn to face him again, and we just stare at each other. Nick is pretty easy for me to read. I know he is warring with how he feels at this moment, but I have waited too long for this.

“You’re one handsome motherfucker,” I tease to ease the tension out of the room. It works, Nick snorts then chuckles. This time, I make the sudden move with I pull my baby brother in for a tight hug. “God, I have waited so long for this,” I say in his ear.

“I’m sorry,” Nick chokes out and clears his throat. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what,” I ask. “You didn’t know, and we were babies. It could have been the other way around; you didn’t make the choice.”

And for I don’t know how long, I stand here in the same spot holding my baby brother for the first time. I love him, even if I am just meeting him for the first time.

~ B~

Sephora

After what we all heard on the phone this moment is heartbreaking. It is like watching two little boys become friends for the first time. I know it was stupid to offer to check Gavin, but the look in his eyes when he asked for Nick to do it. It tugged at my heart hard.

I can’t even begin to imagine what that horrible man did to him. They lived in a real-life house of horrors. If my dad knew about this, I know he would have helped them. I don’t understand what Nick’s father was thinking.

As much as I hated Jillian, I never wished her dead, well maybe once. Now that I know her father killed her and what she had to go through growing up I feel sorry for her. That man is a total monster. I knew there was something about him.

My rage boils as I think of it and I want to go out for blood. My babies’ uncles are all fucked up, and it is because of that evil man. He needs to pay.

“So what are we going to do about that Mr. Burns looking piece of shit,” I growl after a few minutes pass as Nick and Gavin hug.

Everyone in the room turns to me with stunned looks on their faces. I fold my arms over my chest. “What,” I shrug.

Everyone bursts into laughter, but soon the room sobers up. We all turn to look at Nick. Nick is looking at me.

“I intend to return the favor. An eye for an eye,” Nick shrug.

I shake my head at my man. He has lost his mind. There is no way I am letting him go after that man and get locked up.

“Are you forgetting that you are being watched by the FBI and possibly the local PD,” I tilt my head at him. “Nope, we have to be smart about this.”

“We, there is no we,” Nick and Gavin say in unison, and it is the eeriest thing and not the first time they have done so since being in the room together.

“Oh come on, you know I can help,” I huff. “Besides, I have an idea.”

Gavin narrows his eyes at me and Nick glare. I place my hand on my hip and glare back at both of them. I am not backing down. I want my own pound of flesh. I lost years with my Dad over this, and one of my best friends is in the hospital.

“I want to hear her out,” Ry says from across the room.

“Shut up,” Nick snaps.

“For once, I agree with the little shit,” Wyatt interjects and shrugs. “Out of curiosity.”

“Fine, but it does not mean we are doing shit she says,” Luke grumbles.

“Agreed,” Nick snorts.

“Whatever,” I mumble. “You all have agreed that Harvey is all about his money, and he is afraid of Brooklyn’s family and this other family right?”

Nick and Gavin nod at the same time. “Well, you guys have wanted to shut down his money all these years. Sorry Gavin, no offense, but I am a much better hacker than you are.”

Gavin smirks and laughs. “None taken. I have been a Lilla du fan for years. Your work is impressive,” he chuckles.

“I say that you give me a laptop and let me shut his ass down. Give me an hour, I’ll have him so fucked his head will explode. His offshore money won’t even be safe from me. I’ll have investors jumping ship from his company and all. That will get him some unwanted attention if I understand all of this correctly.

“Nick, he doesn’t know you are on to him yet. He doesn’t know you know about Jillian. We can use that in our favor. Make it look like we are still searching for her to get answers.

“You and I can go on a little trip… make it look like business as usual,” I shrug. “From what Joe said the FBI’s resource are low on your case. They won't be able to follow if we do a bit of state hopping.

“When Carver starts to panic, I have a feeling he is going to reach out to you to feel you out. That’s when you can offer a helping hand,” I pause and wiggle my brows. “A private jet with a special destination.

“Brooklyn, I’m sure you and your friends can make it so Nick and his brothers get a little face time with Harvey, before a professional steps in to finish things off,” I say and bat my lashes innocently.

Nick looks at me in awe for a moment with his mouth hanging open. His eyes sweep over me from head to toe. “Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with my innocent girl?” he asks shaking his head.

“I’m Sephora Lincoln, and I have grown up. Nobody fucks with my family and gets away with it. That bastard owes me,” I say lifting my head.

“Aye, Nick you’ve done well indeed,” Brooklyn booms with laughter. “I’ll make some calls. It’s time to put this to bed. I need be getting back home soon.” Brooklyn says like only he can. Listening to him is still taking some getting uses to.

chapter Twenty-seven

All in the Family

Nick

I can’t believe I am standing in front of not one of my brothers, but both. I am taller than both of them. A half an inch taller than Gavin and about two or three taller than Rick. This is an awkward moment, to say the least.

Gavin and I have spent the last week getting to know each other. We are a lot alike in so many ways, but total opposites in a lot as well. Kind of like a yin and yang.

Sephora adores him, and I think he feels the same. It is weird watching my identical brother interact with my wife, but he is just as overprotective of her as I am. He is even in the habit of calling her Lilla du.

Gavin and I have learned a lot about each other. He also filled in a lot of blanks for me. He and Rick were not the ones trying to frame me.

Which is how we ended up here. Gavin has been depressed about being away from Rick while we have been here in New York waiting for Carver. After a few of our first arguments as brothers Gavin convinced me to meet with Rick.

I am still on the fence about how I feel about him. To me, he is a shit starter. Brother or not, I don’t trust people that start shit. So here we are after hours, in one of the restaurants Kevin, and I own in New York.

“I still don’t like you,” are the first words Rick speaks to me.

Gavin groans and rolls his eyes. “Really, like what are we five,” he glares at Rick. “Cut the shit, Rick. He is our brother too. We are going to be uncles soon. This is our shot at the family we always wanted.”

“You think he is not going to try to send my ass to jail for shooting Sephora’s friend,” Rick narrows his eyes at Gavin.

“If he does, you deserve it. I told you, no guns. What do you go and do? You go and get a gun,” Gavin grumbles. “Shit for brains. You are the smartest, dumb person I know.”

I sigh and shake my head at them both. I have to make a decision, and I have to make it now. I can hold a grudge against my brother or can let that shit go. He honestly didn’t mean to shoot Mark, it was an accident, and one of the only two people that can prove it was him is missing still. The other I’m not too sure about but I’ll handle her.

I grab my older brother by the back of his neck and pull him to me. I place my forehead to his and inhale deeply. This feels like the right thing to do. I don’t want to spill my own blood and to harm my brother would be just that.

“Hate me all you want, you are my brother and nothing can change that. I told you I protect what’s mine,” I point to his chest. “YOU… are mine. When Mark wakes, we will deal with that hurdle. For now, Gavin is right. You are all the family I’ve got.”

“Bullshit,” Rick says with a throat clogged with emotion.

“I don’t bullshit. You know this,” I choke out through my own lump in my throat.

Rick looks into my eyes for a few moments before he nods and pulls me into a tight hug. I can’t breathe, but I don’t care. I hold on just as tightly. I feel when Gavin joins in on the hug.

Our moment is broken as hand claps fill the air, and we break the hug. We turn to see Harvey standing there watching us with cold eyes. We break apart and turn to him. We weren’t expecting him to come here.

We were supposed to get word when he landed tonight. He was going to be driven to a warehouse out in Long Island. From the look on his face, he has pieced things together sooner than we would have liked.

Sephora really did a number on his entire life with just the click of a keyboard. Gavin hovered over her shoulder the entire time in awe. Sephora made what Gavin and Rick were doing look like child’s play.

“Now would you look at this, all my boys under one roof,” Harvey croons like the slime ball he is.

“No guns, huh,” Rick mutters under his breath for just my and Gavin’s ears.

“I didn’t say that shit,” I whisper back.

“Really,” Gavin glares at us.

Rick and I shrug. We all turn our attention back on Carver as he brings his own gun into view. Rick and I side eye, Gavin.

“Fuck,” Gavin hisses.

“I have always dreamed of being the one to reunite you boys,” Carver says and licks his nasty old thin lips. Sephora’s decision of him was spot on.

“You’re a sick bastard,” Rick growls.

Harvey tilts his head to the side. “Funny, I think I remember you enjoying it the most,” Harvey laughs a sinister laugh.

Rick goes to lunge at him, but both Gavin and I restrain him. “He has a gun,” Gavin hisses at Rick.

“I figure I’m a dead man anyway,” Harvey spits. “You have called in the big boys for me. I hear I am meant to be Hushed,” Harvey snarls, but I can see the fear in his eyes.

“I never intended to let it get that far,” I say honestly. I promised Sephora I would let the professionals handle it, but my fingers were crossed.

Rick and Gavin snort beside me at the same time and say, “Neither did I!”

“That is fine because now I plan to take you all with me,” Harvey fumes. He points his gun at me then at Gavin and finally at Rick. “I don’t know which of you I want to watch bleed out first.”

“You won’t be making it out of here,” I snarl.

“I think I loved you the most. I never got a taste, but I still have the most fun with you. You were the one in the dark. The one that trusted me the most,” Harvey chuckles. “Your father just handed you all over to me not knowing all the things I had planned for you.

“But I should have watched you all more closely. You got too cocky, Lincoln. Nick my golden boy. I wanted them to take you down a notch. I never meant for you to end up controlling everything. I was supposed to gain controlling interest. But no, you come with your new ideas and then that little girl comes along and makes you a fucking billionaire.

“Watch what you say, Carver,” I hiss.

“Or what,” Harvey snarls viciously.

Just when Harvey points his gun back at me, two things happen. Sephora enters the room from the restroom where she had gone just before Rick arrived and the backroom doors burst open, with Kevin and Wyatt appearing holding up guns. I watch as Harvey glares at Sephora just before his attention is turned to the backroom door. Harvey’s eyes widen as Kevin fires a shot.

I am in a state of confusion as I hear three shots fired and see sparks fly from three different directions. I know two are aimed at Harvey. They are just not fast enough, Harvey gets off a single shot before his shirt turns red and head snaps back from the force of a bullet to his head.

It is like it happens in slow motion. I see it coming at me, but I can’t move. Suddenly, I feel myself being shoved. I turn to see Rick pushing me out of the way and throwing his body in the bullets path instead.

“
No
,” I roar and hear it echo as Gavin bellows the same. I go to push Rick down, but Gavin is the one that jumps in the way at the very last minute taking the bullet to the chest. “
No!
”

Gavin’s body jerks and he starts to tumble to the ground. I lose my shit. My brother, we just found each other. I drop to my knees and pull him to me. I know I am screaming for help, but no one seems to be moving fast enough.

I look up for Sephora to ensure she is safe. My brows crumble when I see her staring blankly in Harvey’s direction with a smoking gun in her hands. A sigh of relief pushes through my lips. In the back of my mind, I make plans to hurt Ry. I have known he was up to something.

I turn my attention to my brother bleeding out in my arms. He is losing blood too fast. “
No
,” I yell. “Fuck, Gavin you better not die on me. I need you. I just found you damnit. You’re going to be an uncle. We’re going to be a family. I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again,” I demand.

Gavin looks up at me as the life drains from his body and eyes. “My baby… brother,” he mouths. “My job…to protect.”

“What the fuck, Gav, I had it,” Rick sobs. “I deserve this shit, not you.”

“Always…have… my back. My…turn,” he mouths to Rick as blood spills from his mouth.

“Fuck man,” Rick groans. “No, it wasn’t. It’s always my turn. You’re my baby brothers shit head. I protect you both.”

“I know,” Gavin smiles just before his eyes close.

“Gavin, Gavin,
Gav, no, no, no
,” I bellow.