Things Lost In The Fire (44 page)

“Brody?” She watched as he knelt beside her, holding two tall glasses of iced tea.

“Sadie?” he replied, handing her one of the glasses.

She accepted it, her pulse skipping as she sat up on an elbow and faced him. When he met her eyes, her lips curved. “I just wanted to thank you for being here for me.”

“Thanks for letting me hang around,” he teased, taking a long sip of tea.

“And I think you should know something…I’m in love with you.”

When he choked on his tea she started laughing. He stared at her, an odd mix of surprise and humility on his face. He rubbed his right ear, shaking his head. “Hold on. I think I might have something in my ears. I swear you just said you love me.”

“I do. I think I always have.” She looked down at her tea glass with a sad smile. “I hate thinking that if things had been different, if I hadn’t left L.A., I could’ve been here for you. We could’ve gotten through the hard times together and then maybe they wouldn’t have hurt us so badly.”

He tilted her chin so he could see her eyes, a dozen emotions crossing his face. “That’s how it played out though, Sadie. Life handed us both shitty hands, but without them we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

She nodded, knowing he was right. “Even still, I hate thinking of all the years we missed out on.”

“I know.” He leaned in to kiss her, his hand cupped around her face. “Wanna know a secret?”

“Okay,” she breathed, lost in the feel of his lips on hers.

“I realized something that day at the Pier.” He met her eyes, humor flashing in his. “I watched you enjoy what I’d always taken for granted, and it made me see that I’d been going about this life thing all wrong. I was an asshole just for the sake of being one. I didn’t care about anything but myself. But that day I did everything I could to prove to you that I was worth staying for, and instead you made me see that it didn’t matter if you stayed. I’d follow you even if you went halfway around the world, because I’m in love with you, too.”

Her eyes filled. “Even after everything that’s happened, I know I’ll never be able to go back to the life I had. I want this too badly to give up now.”

He grinned, kissing her again. “Good, because you’re right where you belong.”

T
HIS IS a really nice building,” Sadie remarked as they stood in the elevator, heading up to the Odell & Son law firm.

Brody scowled. “It’s where happiness goes to die.”

She chuckled, squeezing his hand in hers. “Stop being so dramatic. Chase won’t let that happen.”

“Are you kidding? Chase is the guy wielding the sword.” The elevator came to a smooth stop at the top floor and the doors opened soundlessly. “Come on. Let’s just get this over with.”

He directed her through the lobby, past the reception desk and back toward the private offices, not bothering to show her around. It wasn’t like he was proud of the place, anyway. It wasn’t his and never would be.

“So what do you think Chase wants?” Sadie asked, glancing around at all the frosted glass, stainless steel nameplates, and cherry wood doors.

“Probably to sign some paperwork or something,” Brody replied, coming to a stop in front of Chase’s office door. He knocked before stepping inside, finding Chase hard at work at his desk.

Chase looked up with a tired smile. “Hey, guys.” He got to his feet, rounding his desk to shake hands with Brody. He turned to Sadie, his smile widening. “Long time no see, Sadie.”

“Chase.” She hugged him tightly, truly glad to see him. “I hear you’re a dad now.”

“Yep.” He reached for the picture on his desk and handed it to her. “Her name’s Charlotte.”

“She’s beautiful.” Tears welled in her eyes as she gave back the picture. She looked him over, realizing she’d never noticed just how much he resembled his brother. Though he wore a trim, slate gray business suit and tie instead of Brody’s favored jeans and T-shirt, the similarities were there in the shape of his blue eyes and the charm of his smile. That smile faltered as he looked between her and Brody.

“So the police still haven’t found him?” he asked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

Brody shook his head. “They located his apartment in North Hollywood and are keeping a close eye on it, but he hasn’t been back there. Neighbors confirmed he drives a black Chevy Impala with tinted windows, just like the one that was following Sadie.”

Chase attempted another smile. “He’ll turn up. Don’t worry.”

“Easier said than done,” Brody grumbled. He turned and walked to the windows of his brother’s office, too restless to stand still.

Sadie stared after him, sorry to hear the stress in his voice. In truth, they were both on edge. They’d expected Drew to be in police custody by now. The fact that he was on the loose meant any control they thought they had over the situation was now gone.

He could be anywhere, preparing to do the unthinkable.

She turned back to Chase, trying to hide her worries. “So what’s going on? Do I need to sign anything to close out the lawsuit?”

Chase chuckled and stared down at his watch. “Not exactly. Why don’t you have a seat, Sadie? I can get you some coffee or tea if you’d like?”

“No, thanks.” She sat in one of the chairs opposite his desk, crossing her legs.

Brody turned and eyed his brother curiously, only to stiffen when the door opened and his father entered the room.

Max looked to Brody first, his expression impossible to read. Then he glanced down at Sadie and something that passed as a polite smile crossed his face.

“Miss McRae.”

Sadie gaped at Brody’s father, unsure what to do. She shot Brody a questioning look before meeting the older man’s eyes. “Mr. Odell.”

Not forgetting his manners, Max extended his hand to shake hers, sympathy warming his ice blue eyes. “I’m very sorry to have heard of your recent troubles.”

“T-thank you,” Sadie replied, holding his cold hand for only a second before releasing it.

“All right, what do you want?” Brody demanded, coming up behind Sadie protectively.

Irritation hardened his father’s face. “I need to speak to you.”

Brody grunted. “By all means, speak away.”

“Privately,” Max insisted, losing his patience. He nodded to Chase before leaving the room, prompting Chase to grab Brody’s arm and usher him out of the office.

“I’ll keep an eye on Sadie,” Chase murmured, patting his brother on the back. “Just hear him out, okay?”

Brody rolled his eyes. “What is this, an intervention?”

Chase grinned. “Something like that.”

He pushed Brody out into the hallway and shut the door, leaving him standing alone with his father. Brody shoved his hands into his pockets, avoiding his father’s eyes. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Max said nothing as he led the way to his own office, inviting Brody inside. He shut the door behind them and motioned for Brody to sit.

“I’ll stand, thanks,” Brody replied.

“You’ll sit,” Max ordered, settling into his desk chair. “If you want to protect Sadie.”

Brody’s eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”

“Sit,” Max repeated, nodding at the chairs in front of him.

Brody bit back a retort and did as he was told, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward and leveled his gaze with his father. “What are you talking about, protect Sadie?”

Max sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers together, eyeing Brody thoughtfully. For a long moment he said nothing, he simply watched and considered. Brody was about to ask him again when he finally spoke. “Even as a child, you were rebellious and ungrateful. We gave you everything you could have ever wanted, yet you still spoke out of turn and raised hell every chance you got. I guess that’s why it doesn’t surprise me you turned out the way you did. There was no fixing you.”

Brody’s jaw clenched, his temper sparking. “You always were great at making me feel like shit, Dad. Thanks.”

Max frowned, concern deepening the lines of his face. “There was a brief period of time when you were a teenager that I thought you might be turning a new leaf. Your grades improved, you stopped arguing with me just for the sake of fighting, and you got along better with your brother. At the time I didn’t realize what it was that brought about this change, I just assumed you were growing up. But then in the summer of 2002 you fell back into your old ways, only worse. I had no choice but to give up on you. You were never going to be the son I’d always wanted. The son I felt I deserved.”

That old pain shuddered through Brody, but he ignored it. “Yeah, well, you were never the father I deserved, either.”

To his surprise, his father nodded. “Perhaps not. But that’s not the point of this conversation.”

“What is, then? Because I don’t have all day,” Brody countered, crossing his arms and sitting back in his chair.

Max let out a long, slow exhale, keeping his gaze focused on his son’s. He pointed an index finger at the door, in the direction of Chase’s office. “That girl out there is what did it. I know because I see the good in you now that she’s back in your life. And I know that if you lose her again, I may never have my son back.”

Emotion tightened Brody’s throat as he shook his head. “I didn’t realize you wanted me back at all. You’ve made that pretty clear.”

“I didn’t,” Max admitted bluntly, the first flicker of regret passing over his face. “But that doesn’t mean I lost hope I might one day change my mind.”

Brody was at a loss for words. He turned over what his father said in his mind a dozen times, figuring the angles and the intention. What was the old man trying to say?

“So what’s the goal here, exactly?” he asked finally, eyes narrowed.

His father’s mouth was set in a firm, unwavering line, revealing nothing. He opened up his right hand desk drawer and pulled out a gleaming steel pistol, which he set on the desk in front of him.

Brody stared at it in shock, a million different scenarios playing out in his mind, most of which included his father shooting him in the chest.

He started to stand up, but Max only nudged the gun across the desk toward him.

“Take it,” he instructed, his face still carefully blank and his voice edged with ice. “And protect that girl.”

Brody’s eyes went from the gun back to his father’s face, unsure he’d heard him correctly. “Just…take it?”

Max nodded, watching closely as Brody lifted the gun and inspected it. “It’s a 9mm Beretta. It’s loaded, so don’t take off the safety and for Heaven’s sake don’t point it anyone unless you intend to kill them.”

Brody stared at the gun, admiring the stainless finish. He set it back down on the desk, his gaze meeting his father’s. “Did Chase put you up to this?”

A cynical half smile twisted Max’s features. “He actually tried to talk me out of it.”

Brody laughed, certain this was some kind of sick, messed up dream. But when he held the gun in his hand again and felt the weight of it, and saw his father muster up a smile for him, he knew it was reality. A very strange, warped reality, but real all the same.

“Thank you,” Brody said slowly, unused to those words being directed at his father. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes. “I don’t know if you realize what this means to me, to be able to protect her.”

Max tilted his head in consideration. “Ms. Ryan and I discussed you and her daughter at length the other day. She said she’d been proven wrong about you. I tried to convince her otherwise, but she was persistent. She claimed you were taking care of her daughter better than even she ever had. I can see now that she was right. For the first time in your life, you’ve stepped up to the plate.”

Brody nodded, realizing it was the truth. “I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my entire life. I’d die for her.”

“Let’s hope you don’t have to.” His father stood and reached into the cabinet behind him for a small black carrying case. He handed it to Brody. “Unload the pistol and put it in this. Keep it in the trunk of your car. If you get pulled over, any paperwork you need is inside. Just show it to the police and if they have any concerns, they can contact me.”

Brody popped out the magazine and checked the chamber, then stored the pistol inside the case. When he looked up, he noticed his father had his hand held out for him.