Page 84 of Hard To Stay

Chapter Thirty-Four

Brad

The next morning,I booked a direct flight from LaGuardia to Atlanta. The flight was full, but luckily, I snagged a middle seat. Unfortunately, I was sandwiched between a guy who was so big he needed two seats and a college kid that was built like a linebacker.

My mind replayed everything I had learned over the past 12 hours. I finally learned why I never heard back from Mac. After calling his phone for about fifty times in a row, his wife finally picked up to tell me that he’d had a stroke about a week and a half ago. I wanted to kick myself.

Captain Brown however came through for me big-time. I learned about the connection between Mayor Decapio and Senator Hunt. Never in a million years would I have guessed that they were college fraternity brothers. I didn’t even know they had fraternities back then.

I cringed as I reread the document he sent me. It was a closed file that only someone with his connections could get their hands on. My brain couldn’t compute how fucked up this was. With each passing second, I became more unhinged. It turned out Lexi wasn’t Colton’s only victim. I reviewed the details of the police report and wondered how the hell he had gotten away with it.

I spent the entire night digging up as much information as I could. I wasn’t going to Atlanta unprepared. I anxiously rubbed my hands down the length of my jeans and prayed that I wasn’t too late.

As soon as the plane touched down and the seat belt light turned off, I jumped up and moved up the cabin like a man on a mission. I felt like a ticking bomb, ready to go off.

I immediately spotted Lexi’s sister Laney waiting for me in baggage claim. The resemblance was uncanny. They could easily pass for twins. Laney and I had had a nice, long conversation after I’d tracked her down last night. I was so thankful that I left the bar early, otherwise I would not have been able to get as much done as I did. I was still running on no sleep, but that was okay. I was so damn wired I couldn’t sit still. We agreed to meet at the airport and drive over to her parent’s house together. Colton didn’t have a clue what was coming.

Let the motherfucking games begin.

The ride to her parent’s house took forever. I knew Lexi’s family had money, but this house was ridiculous.

Laney pointedto the shiny black SUV. “I don’t want you to freak out, but that’s Colton’s Range Rover over there.”

I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. “It looks like I’m about to crash a party.”

She grabbed the keys out of the ignition and paused, looking unsure. “I just hope I’m doing the right thing.”

“Laney.” I softened my voice because I could tell she was nervous. I needed her to be strong. She was the only chance I had at nailing the bastard to the wall. “I promise you, he’s going to pay. I swear on my life, he’s not walking this time.”

I reached for her trembling hand. “Don’t listen to anything he says. Don’t let him get to you. I’m going to take care of this. He is never going to hurt you or your sister again.”

She gave a shaky nod as we exited the car.

I stared at the massive front door in front of me. My hands were shaking and my stomach was turned inside out. I squared my shoulders and set my jaw. I was ready to get this over with. As soon as Laney pushed the door open, I stepped inside and scanned the room. Lexi and Colton had just rounded the corner.

I stood frozen, maybe thirty feet away from them. They both halted in their tracks as soon as they noticed me. All I saw was red. The short distance between us felt like miles. I couldn’t peel my eyes away from her. She hung her head low and buried her face in her hands.

“Lexi.” I said softly. I was so overcome with emotion, I could barely talk. The only thing I wanted to do was pull her into my arms. A flood of emotions hit me at once: relief, regret, pain, sadness; you name it and I was feeling it.

Silence fell around us as tension filled the room. An older couple, who I assumed were Lexi’s parents, stared at me with shock and confusion. It was going to be damned near impossible for this to end peacefully. Finally, my eyes landed on Colton. His spine strengthened with the privileged arrogance that I was all too accustomed to when he saw Laney standing by my side. He watched us closely.

Lexi wasted no time and rushed into my arms. I held her tight, crushing her against my body. Warmth and relief engulfed me as she held onto me like I was her lifeline. Her body trembled against mine with her head buried in the crook of my neck. Having her in my arms felt like everything was right in my world again. I continued to hold her while she sobbed against my chest, soaking my shirt with tears.

I held my eyes shut and kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I sensed movement across the room. I pulled back with her face cupped in my hands. “You need to stand over there.” I gestured towards a man who I assumed was her father.

She drew back; her tears practically drenched her skin. “Brad, please.” Her eyes flickered over my shoulder before landing on her sister. She glanced back towards me with an unspoken question. She had no idea what was going on.

Laney walked up, gently pulling her out of my arms and guided her to their father.

I advanced towards Colton. “You’ve underestimated me, Mr. Hunt.”

He narrowed his eyes and smiled that smug smile that annoyed the shit out of me. “You do realize that I could destroy you, right?

Lexi’s dad stepped forward, looking frustrated. “Could someone tell me what the hell is going on?” The question barely escaped his mouth when I heard Colton growl.

His face twisted while he looked right at me. “Meet Brad Morgan, Sir. He’s the man who turned Alexis against us.”

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