Deadly Secrets (Hardy Brothers Security Book 11) (13 page)

“This is so exciting.”

Emma stood at the bottom of the stairs, clapping her hands as James and Grady grunted and heaved the couch up the narrow stairwell.

“It’s the highlight of my life,” James grumbled.

“You’re grumpy,” Grady said, shifting the couch so he could grip it easier. “I thought Mandy came home last night.”

“How do you even know that?” James asked. “She never got on her phone. We climbed into bed and passed out for ten hours.”

“Ally and Sophie talked last night,” Grady said. “By the way, Ally is the one who told Mandy it was okay to go home. You might want to buy her a present.”

“I’m going to buy her a house,” James said.

“Are things … okay?”

“They’re pretty damned far from okay,” James said. “She’s letting me touch her, and that’s about it.”

“Does that mean you’re doing dirty stuff?”

James scowled. “That means she put her head on my chest and let me get some sleep. She’s still barely talking to me, and there’s definitely no sex.”

“This is my fault,” Jake said, appearing on the stairs and sliding in beside Grady so he could help him lift.

“It
is
your fault,” James agreed.

Grady shot Jake a sympathetic look. “You know you handled this wrong, right?”

“I know. I screwed up badly, and I lost the most important thing in my world. Trust me. I know.”

“We’ve all made mistakes,” Grady said. “We’ve all been forgiven for them, too.”

“I would give anything to be forgiven,” Jake said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”

“Ally is extremely quick to anger, and she can hold a grudge like you wouldn’t believe,” Grady said. “She’s also got a huge heart, and her capacity to forgive is amazing. I believe she’s going to forgive you.”

Jake swallowed the lump in his throat. “Thanks.”

“What are you guys doing?” Finn asked, appearing behind James. “Are you stuck?”

“We’re having a bonding moment,” Grady said. “Give it a rest.”

“A bonding moment?” Finn was confused.

“Jake is a broken man and James is grappling with a lack of love from his wife,” Grady said. “They’re both wrecked.”

“Does that mean you can’t carry the couch up the stairs?”

“Shut up,” James grumbled.

“Speaking of the other women in our lives, where are Sophie, Mandy, and Ally?”

James sighed. That was a really good question.

“I DON’T
want to do this,” Ally said, sipping from her chocolate martini and leaning back on the lounge chair.

After Mandy promised they would have the house to themselves for a girls’ day, Ally reluctantly agreed to leave the confines of her house – tired of hiding away – and join Mandy and Sophie for a rousing afternoon of liquor and bitching.

So far, it had pretty much lived up to her expectations.

“It will be fun,” Sophie said, popping open her laptop and settling on the chair next to Ally. “Now, tell me, what does your dream guy look like?”

“I’m not going to an online dating site,” Ally said. “I … can’t think about that right now. I’m not just saying it. It’s just … too much.”

Sophie’s face softened, and she snapped the laptop shut. “I’m sorry. That was stupid. I just … I thought it would be funny.”

“I don’t feel like being funny right now,” Ally said. “I’m still trying not to be rampantly depressed.”

Sophie and Mandy exchanged a worried look.

“How about you?” Sophie asked, fixating on Mandy. “How are things with James?”

“Quiet.”

“Didn’t you spend the night in the same bed?”

“Yes. However, we had a moratorium on speaking because I was afraid it would end with a screaming match.”

“Did you have sex?”

“No.”

Sophie arched an eyebrow, surprised. Mandy and James were known for their fights, but they were also known for their legendary make-up sessions. “Did that kill you?”

“Not really,” Mandy said. “I just needed to sleep next to him.”

“How was he?”

“Upset.”

Ally’s dark eyes narrowed. “Why is he upset?”

“He’s mad at the world and hurt on your behalf,” Mandy said. “He’s also angry because I won’t listen, frustrated because he believes in Jake, and terrified I’m going to spend another night away from him. He’s a big ball of unexpressed fear and rage. It’s a potent combination.”

“Has he said anything about Jake?” Ally asked.

Mandy was unsure how to answer. “What do you want to hear?”

“I’m not sure. The truth would be nice for a change.”

“He says that Jake and Cara are in danger because of something that happened when they were in the military. I didn’t listen to the story because I didn’t really care,” Mandy said. “Cara is staying at Jake’s because it’s the only place she can lay low.”

“Are they sleeping in the same bed?”

Mandy shook her head. “I wouldn’t let him say a lot. I do know Cara is staying at Jake’s house, and Jake is staying at the Hilton on Gratiot.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Ally said.

“Jake is angry,” Mandy said. “He’s angry with Cara, and he’s desperate to win you back.”

Ally bit her bottom lip. “I see.”

Sophie rubbed Ally’s arm softly. “Do you want him to win you back?”

“I … .”

“It would be okay if you did,” Sophie said. “I know what you guys saw through the window was horrible, but from what Grady said, Cara was the one in the wrong. Jake told her that, and now he’s being really hostile toward her.”

“She’s still alive,” Ally said. “Apparently he’s not being hostile enough.”

“I don’t know how much you guys want to know about what’s going on over there, but Grady gave me an earful after spending an hour in the guesthouse with James last night,” Sophie said.

Mandy and Ally leaned forward in unison, obviously interested. Sophie couldn’t hide her smile.

“So, first off, James apparently threatened to snap Cara’s neck if she said a bad word about either of you,” Sophie said. “He also gave some speech about how much he missed Mandy.”

Mandy pressed her lips together, conflicted. “What kind of speech?”

“I don’t know it word-for-word,” Sophie said. “I do know he explained how much he loves you and how he didn’t care about missing sex as much as he cared about being able to hold you. I guess Cara was speechless.”

Mandy’s heart flipped. “I love him.”

“He loves you,” Ally said, slipping her hand into Mandy’s. “You shouldn’t have stayed away from him.”

“I was scared to stay with him,” Mandy admitted. “I thought I was going to say something truly awful.”

“Maybe it was good to be away from him then,” Sophie said. “It made him realize how much he wanted to solve this situation. Trust me. He’s extremely motivated.”

“What about Jake?” Ally asked. “Is he motivated?”

“He’s crushed, Ally,” Sophie said. “He knows what he did was wrong, but I think he honestly thought he was protecting you. His heart is as broken as your heart.”

Ally pushed herself off the lounger and started pacing, her heart flopping painfully with each step. “I’m confused.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Mandy said. “Let’s talk it out. What are you confused about?”

“He promised he would never lie to me again.”

Mandy’s shoulders hopped. “Here’s the thing, Ally: truth is very important,” she said. “You can’t have a relationship without honesty. Everybody lies, though.”

Ally lifted her eyes and met Mandy’s concerned countenance. “What do you mean?”

“There are big lies, and there are little lies,” Mandy said. “Most of the time, people tell each other little lies. Your hair looks great. You don’t look fat in that outfit. No, that purple dress doesn’t make you look like a giant grape.”

Ally snorted.

“The big lies are harder to swallow,” Mandy said. “That doesn’t mean they don’t come from a good place, though. Jake didn’t want to worry you. He didn’t want you to feel insecure about Cara. He wanted to protect you.”

“That doesn’t mean he should have lied,” Sophie said. “If it’s any consolation, Jake knows he did things in the worst possible way. You need to decide what you want.”

“You also need to decide what you can live with,” Mandy said. “Can you live with Jake lying to protect you?”

“And can you live without him in your life?” Sophie added.

Ally pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead. “What if I don’t know?”

“Then we’ll drink until you do know,” Mandy said.

Ally giggled, the weight of her heartache lifting, if only briefly. “I love you both so much.”

“We love you, too,” Sophie said. “I’ll make another pitcher of martinis.”

“THAT’S
everything,” James said, walking into the apartment and glancing around. “You definitely need more furniture. You have a kitchen table and a couch.”

“We’re looking around,” Finn said. “We don’t want to waste money, so we’re looking at stuff that can easily fit into a house, too.”

“You’ll be able to muddle through for a few weeks,” James said. “Once the pool table is out of here, though, this place is going to look pretty empty.”

“Are you feeling nostalgic?” Grady asked.

“About what?”

“This was the first home you shared with Mandy,” Grady replied. “You have to be feeling something.”

James shrugged. “I have learned that a place is not a home,” he said. “My wife is my home. Wherever she is, I’m at home.”

“That’s so sweet,” Emma said, lifting her hand to her heart as she started to tear up. “Why don’t you ever say things like that about me?”

Finn scowled. “Thanks.”

James rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Are we done here?”

“What are you going to do?” Grady asked.

“I’m going to go home and force my wife to forgive me,” James said. “I can’t take it. You can think I’m schmaltzy … and you can think I’m weak … I really don’t care. I need her to forgive me. I’ve felt sick to my stomach for days.”

“I don’t want to make things worse, but you know that you’re not going to get Mandy back completely until Jake gets Ally back, right?” Grady was serious as he regarded his brother.

James shifted so he could study Jake. The man was standing in the corner, staring into nothing. “I know.”

“How are you going to fix Ally and Jake?”

“I can’t fix Ally and Jake,” James said. “The thing is, deep down, I think Ally wants Jake to fix things himself.”

“I think you’re right,” Grady said. “Ally is desperate for Jake to make things right. We both know she’s proud, though.”

James ran his tongue over his teeth, considering. “Jake, come on.”

Jake jolted, turning to James with a blank look on his face. “Where are we going?”

“You’re going to get your woman back so I can reclaim mine.”

“She doesn’t want to see me,” Jake said. “You heard her. Shouldn’t I respect her decision?”

“Do you want to respect her decision?”

“No.”

“Then you’re not going to do it,” James said. “I’m tired of this. I’m tired of sad faces. I’m tired of tears. I want to be able to hear my wife laugh again, and she’s not going to do it until you make Ally laugh again.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Bring your wallet,” James replied. “We’re stopping at a flower shop.”

“Do you honestly think Ally is going to forgive me because I buy her a bouquet of lilies?”

“You’re buying a dozen blue roses, too,” James said. “You owe me.”

“I have no problem buying Mandy flowers, too. How do you know that Ally is going to forgive me?”

“Because she wants to,” James said. “The only thing we have now is faith. We’re going to use it, and we’re not letting those women out of the house until they forgive us.”

James clapped Grady on the shoulder as he moved past. “We’ll send Sophie home to you as soon as we get there.”

“Good luck.”

“We’re going to need it.”

“I’m terrified to see her,” Jake admitted, his eyes scanning Ally’s sad face from the dining room. The men were collecting their courage before joining the women out on the patio.

Ally looked miserable. Her face was pale and her hair was tugged back in a harsh bun. She was wearing no makeup – which Jake genuinely liked – but her eyes were so lifeless it shredded him.

Mandy and Sophie were busy trying to cheer her up, but every joke fell flat. Ally’s mouth never moved, and the perpetual frown was painful for Jake to see.

“I know you’re scared,” James said. “I’m scared, too. If you don’t manage to beg your way back into Ally’s life I’m not going to get my wife back – and you have no idea how badly I need my wife back.”

“I’m sorry this has come back on you.”

“If this goes on too long, I’m going to have to fire you,” James said. “You know that, right?”

“You can fire me now,” Jake said. “I deserve it.”

“Let’s see if we can get through the next few hours first and then take it from there,” James said. “Now, go and get Ally to forgive you.”

“DO
you guys want to order some pizza?” Sophie asked.

“I’m not hungry,” Ally said.

“Have you eaten since this all happened?”

“I’m fine. My stomach can’t take food. I’m going to drink my dinner tonight.”

“And then spend your morning throwing up instead of eating breakfast.” Sophie shifted her attention to Mandy. “Don’t you think she should eat something?”

Mandy shrugged. “Generally I would try and shove something down her throat and make her eat it, but my stomach is upset, too. Leave her alone.”

Three heads shifted as the sliding glass door opened. No one was surprised to see James walk through, or the blue roses in his hands. Jake’s appearance was an entirely different story.

Mandy jumped to her feet. “What the hell?”

James moved quickly, shoving the flowers into Mandy’s hands and then grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her over his shoulder. “Sophie, you need to go home. Grady is waiting for you.”

“I … .” Sophie looked conflicted, her gaze bouncing between James and Ally.

“Go, Sophie,” James ordered.

Sophie got to her feet, shooting a sympathetic look in Ally’s direction before disappearing into the house. Ally was frozen to her spot, and Jake looked so unsure James was momentarily worried he would bolt.

“No one is leaving this house until we hash all of this out,” James said. “You guys can take the patio.”

“James!” Mandy was fighting in her husband’s arms, livid.

“We’re going to be out in the guesthouse,” James said. “Do not go out there. I don’t care what you hear, including the sound of breaking glass. You two deal with your problems. We’re going to deal with ours.”

JAKE
watched James carry a writhing Mandy to the guesthouse, not saying a word until they were safely inside. When he risked a glance at Ally, he felt as if he was standing on the edge of a knife. He didn’t know what to say. He’d been thinking about it for almost two days, but now words failed him.

“How are you?”

“Nice opening,” Ally said, resting her martini glass on the small table next to her chair. Her hands were shaking.

Jake moved cautiously toward her. Slow movements allowed him to settle next to her without jolting her, and he shifted the lilies in her direction as he watched her. “How are you?”

“Rotten.” Ally avoided eye contact.

“I know how that feels,” Jake said. “I haven’t slept more than twenty minutes in one shot since the other night, and I feel like my insides are twisted.”

“I’m sorry for
your
emotional upheaval.”

“Ally, please don’t do that,” Jake said. “I want to talk to you. I want to explain a few things. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I don’t deserve forgiveness. I just need you to know the truth.”

“I already know the truth,” Ally said. “I know Cara is in danger. I know you’re in danger. I know she’s been staying at your house, and you’ve been lying about it.”

“All of that is true,” Jake said. “You should know that the only reason I let Cara stay at my house was because Cameron Mitchell is a dangerous guy, and he wants us both dead. I never stayed the night there with her. I never … touched her. I never wanted to.”

“I saw you touch her,” Ally countered.

“To stop her from what she was trying to do. You’re the only thing in this world I want to touch.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me.”

“I know it doesn’t,” Jake said. “So now I’m going to tell you everything. When I’m done, you’re going to have a decision to make. I will abide by whatever decision you make.”

“Even if I tell you to go?” Ally’s despondent brown eyes finally met his desolate orbs.

“The last thing I want to do is ever leave you, Ally,” Jake said. “I respect you too much to ignore your wishes, though. So, if you listen to everything I have to say, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Ally sucked in a breath, rolling the offer over in her mind. “I’m listening.”

Jake started his story, and because he’d promised her absolute truth, he didn’t leave anything out.

“I CAN’T
believe you brought him here.”

Mandy paced in front of the hand-carved bar, her hands busy as she gestured wildly.

“Have a drink and sit down,” James instructed.

“No.”

“You’re staying in here until we make up. You might as well make yourself comfortable.” James sipped from his own glass of whiskey, watching Mandy’s blonde hair stream behind her as she walked back and forth across the same small parcel of flooring.

She looked better today, he thought, tilting his head to the side. She was still paler than he liked, but the dark circles under her eyes were lighter than they had been yesterday. She was a little too thin, and he knew he had to get some food into her, but he wasn’t giving her anything to throw at him until she was calmer.

“You’re kidnapping me?” Mandy was incensed.

“If you want to look at it that way,” James said. “I look at it as intensive marriage counseling.”

“What do you want me to say to you?”

“I want you to forgive me,” James said.

“I … can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because … .”

“You feel that I put Jake in front of you and Ally,” James supplied. “Even though you know more of the story right now, you can’t shake the feeling.”

Mandy waited.

“Here is the basest truth I can give you,” James said. “I will never choose anyone over you. That’s not what happened here. Jake is struggling. What happened overseas has been haunting him for years.

“He did the right thing,” James continued. “He tried to save a child from being raped. Later, he attacked an animal and inadvertently hit a woman – something he’s going to be ashamed of forever. Then he thought he put the animal away, and things slowly got better.”

Mandy slid into the chair next to James, not touching him, but closing the distance as she listened.

“Jake struggled to move forward for years,” James said. “The only thing that finally helped him was meeting us and finding Ally. When Cara came back and told him about Cameron Mitchell, he was thrown.

“He thought that part of his life was behind him,” he continued. “He did what he had to do to protect Cara. He feels responsible because Mitchell wouldn’t even know who Cara is if it wasn’t for him. He couldn’t just abandon her.”

“He could have told Ally the truth,” Mandy said.

She was so stubborn. She wasn’t going to give in quite yet. James fought the urge to smile. “Jake knows he did the wrong thing,” James said. “In his own way, he was trying to protect Ally. He didn’t want to talk about what happened, and he certainly didn’t want Ally to feel insecure. He’s really sorry.”

“Are you sorry?”

The question surprised him. “I’m sorry that Ally was hurt, and I’m sorry that you feel like I’ve betrayed you. I am not sorry for sticking by Jake. He’s part of our family now. He needs help.”

Mandy sighed. “Fine.”

“Fine what?”

“I’m no longer mad at you.”

James cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Then you have to come to me,” James said. “I’m going to sit here until you can’t stand it for one more second and you throw yourself on me.”

“Do you really think that’s going to happen?”

That sounded like a challenge to James. “Yes.”

“AND
that’s everything?” Ally asked, her heart somersaulting as she ran Jake’s story through her mind.

“That’s everything,” Jake said.

“And why didn’t you want to tell me that?”

“I … it was too much to think about,” Jake said. “I can’t ever forget that little girl’s screams, and I can’t forget the rage I felt when I attacked Mitchell. I hit a woman. I’m ashamed of myself.”

“I’m sure the woman in question understood why you were out of control once she was informed of the situation,” Ally said. “You didn’t do it on purpose, and you were trying to avenge a little girl who lost her childhood.”

“That doesn’t make it right, Ally.”

“No, but everyone makes mistakes.”

“It’s something I can’t let go of,” Jake said.

“It’s also something you could’ve shared with me,” Ally said. “It wouldn’t have made me think any less of you.”

“The lies did that all on their own, didn’t they?”

“Yes.”

Jake nodded, cracking his neck as he tried to void some of the tension from his shoulders. “About Cara … .”

“I don’t care about Cara,” Ally said. “I knew she was after you from the minute I saw her. I know you couldn’t just abandon her. You could’ve told me, though.”

“And you would have understood?”

“I would have been crazy insecure and forced you to go to bed with me every night and wake up with me every morning,” Ally said. “I’m aware of my limitations. I would have been jealous.”

Jake pressed his eyes shut briefly.

“I still would’ve understood.”

“So you’re saying I lost you for nothing,” Jake said, his heart rolling painfully.

“I’m saying … .” Ally broke off, shifting her gaze to the blue pool and thinking hard for a moment. When she turned back to him, her face was unreadable. “Do you even want me? Really?”

“You’re all I want, Ally,” Jake said. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted. I didn’t know you were the thing I was searching for until I found you. The thought of losing you has frozen me. I can’t fathom going on without you.”

Something was lodged in Ally’s throat, and when the sob finally wrenched itself free Jake was already reaching for her. He pulled her into his arms, pressing an endless stream of kisses into her hairline as he rocked her back and forth. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry.”

Ally was shaking, her body wracking with sobs.

“I’m so sorry,” Jake said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh.” Ally lifted her mouth and kissed Jake, eliciting a sob from him the moment her soft lips touched his. The kiss was needy, desperate even, and had the couple not been out in the open at someone else’s house, they would have made love right there.

When they finally parted, Jake refused to let Ally move too far away from him.

“Let’s go home,” Ally said.

“Really?”

Ally nodded. “I just … can we ride together?”

“Ally, if I had a choice in the matter, I would never let you out of my sight again.” Jake kissed her again softly.

“Let’s go.”

Jake wrapped his arm around Ally’s waist as he helped her up, watching as she pressed the bouquet of lilies close to her chest. “Should we tell James and Mandy we’re leaving?”

“I don’t think … .”

As if on cue, the door to the guesthouse flew open. Mandy was in James’ arms, their bodies fused together as James struggled to hold her upright and focus on them at the same time. “Lock the door when you leave. No one better bug me for twenty-four hours. I’m not joking. Someone better be dead if you call me.”

The door slammed shut again, and the distinctive sound of Mandy’s squeals assailed their ears.

“I guess we’re not the only ones who made up,” Ally mused.

Jake knew they weren’t all the way back to where they were before, but for the first time in forty-eight hours, there was hope he would get everything he ever wanted – and give Ally the same in return.

He could finally breathe again.