Page 18 of Vengeful Lies

“Sorry to show up when you said you needed time alone, it’s just that … you shouldn’t have to be alone. It never helps,” Susanna said softly. While she was the newest addition to their family, even though they’d known her in passing for the last three years since she was Cole’s neighbor, she’d fitted in seamlessly. The woman had major trust issues, and he respected the hell out of her for working on them, making an effort to change the patterns of a lifetime now that she finally had a place she felt safe and people she felt safe with.

Maybe he needed to learn a lesson or two about taking on his fears rather than ignoring them. If he had, maybe he would have let Gabriella know that he thought she was gorgeous, smart, funny, caring, kind, compassionate, loyal, and the kind of woman you could build a life with.

How could he argue with Susanna’s words?

They knew her story, how she’d been hurt and called a liar, how she’d built a life all on her own and yet still had such a big heart and cared for others so deeply.

“You're right,” he reluctantly agreed. Raking his fingers through his hair, he forced himself to accept that sitting alone in his home was just a way to punish himself. Essie and Gabriella were alone right now so he should be too. But his suffering didn't alleviate theirs. If anything, it made theirs worse because the deeper into this hole he dug himself, the harder it would be to get out of.

His girls were counting on him, and he couldn’t fail them.

Wouldn't.

“I am?” Susanna asked, her green eyes widening in surprise, drawing a chuckle from him.

“You are,” he told her.

“See, I'm not the only one who thinks you're always right,” Cole teased, drawing his girlfriend against his chest and touching a kiss to her temple. Despite their relationship being new, they’d fallen into such ease with one another. Cade remembered what those early days were like, you couldn’t get enough of the person who had captured your heart. You wanted to touch them all the time and spend every second with them. He wished Cole and Susanna, and Cooper and Willow, weren't having what should be such a special time tainted by the fact that they were all in danger.

Shoving to his feet, Cade headed into the kitchen. “Who wants coffee?”

After a round of affirmatives, they all bustled around his kitchen, making coffee and raiding his pantry for snacks. By the time they were all set up at his table, he was already feeling a little better. Susanna had been right, and he’d been wrong. What he needed was to be reminded that he wasn't fighting for his girls alone. An entire team was at his back, and together, they were more powerful than the men they were up against.

“Where are Con and Bec?” he asked.

“They went to the cemetery,” Jax replied.

“They’ve wanted to go ever since the ordeal at the cabin, but they haven’t had a chance yet,” Willow added. “They didn't want to go today, they wanted to be here for you, but we told them they should go. They need that time together to say goodbye to their son.”

He didn't disagree.

The whole mess of the pregnancy twelve years ago had driven Connor and Becca apart. Now that they were getting their second chance, they needed to be able to lay the past to rest, and part of that meant having a real chance to grieve their son together.

“They’re going to come by after,” Jake said.

“When did Essie get the ragdoll?” Cooper asked, glancing at the doll and teddy bear sitting side by side on the kitchen table.

“It’s not Essie’s,” he replied. Since he’d found the doll in Gabriella’s room, he hadn't been able to go anywhere without it and Essie’s teddy. Having them close felt like maintaining a link to the missing girls and he needed to cling to it right now. “It’s Gabriella’s. The only thing she had from her biological mom.”

Gabriella had been open with all of them about how she’d grown up, so he wasn't breaking any confidence. In fact, given that he’d worked hard to maintain distance between them, he wouldn't be surprised to know that his brothers knew more about her and her past than he did.

“It was in her room,” he said softly, reaching out a hand to brush a fingertip across the worn pink material of the doll’s dress. How many times had he had to curl his fingers into fists to stop himself from reaching out and touching Gabriella over the last four years? To stop himself from caressing her freckle-dusted cheek? From running his fingers through her wild red curls? From dragging her into his arms and kissing her until neither of them could breathe?

From telling her that she was more than just his daughter’s nanny, but he was afraid of losing her if he let her in?

Only he’d lost her anyway.

All that keeping distance, pretending he didn't catch the longing and heated glances she threw his way, pretending that they were just friends, pretending that he didn't crave more, hadn't protected Gabriella or him.

In the end, he’d lost her anyway.

And there might never be a chance to make things right.

September 3rd

3:29 P.M.

“Truck!” Essie announced triumphantly, beaming with pride.

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