Page 59 of Breathless

“Smear campaign?” Fiona said as she walked into the room, looking as if she’d been crying.

“Fiona.” Wyatt and Thoreau both stepped forward but Fiona shook her head subtly and Wyatt stilled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Nice of you to join us,” Brady said, glancing at Wyatt before turning back to Fiona. “And yeah. That’s what I’d call it.”

“Stephen has dealt with those before,” Tasha said, her eyes on Fiona’s stomach. “His constituents are thankfully smart enough to know tabloid from the truth.”

“Not exactly like this,” Ken corrected. “And not to blow my own horn, but I’ve managed to keep the worst stuff out of the tabloids. The city’s familiarity with, and love of, the Finn name does the rest. Anyway, I don’t think this particular reporter wants to publish any of her information. She has something else in mind.”

“Wyatt’s right, isn’t he?” Noah shifted with a grimace on the couch. “It’s not my ego talking, though I am still in the papers,” he joked, keeping his head down so his hat hid the scarred part of his face. “But since you’re here, and I used to know a reporter in the biblical sense, I’m assuming...”

Wyatt turned to Ken in surprise. He hadn’t made the connection. “No fucking way. There were lawyers. She signed all her rights away. It was her idea.”

Fiona looked startled. “Zach’s mother?” she said as she walked closer to Thoreau. “She moved to Seattle, didn’t she?”

“She’s not his mother,” Wyatt growled, his throat feeling raw as he swallowed his desire to ask her why she’d lied to him. “She left him so she could be a big broadcast news star. She can’t have him back now. Is Zach still upstairs?”

“He’s safe, Wyatt” Noah said. “But I don’t want him hearing about any of this unless he has to. She wants custody?” he asked Ken with a tilt of his head. “Is that where you think this is going?”

Wyatt felt Fiona’s hand on his back, and he closed his eyes, accepting the comfort she offered, despite the situation.

“No one in this room is going to let that happen, Noah,” she said firmly.

“That’s right,” Tasha agreed, hands on her hips to show she meant business. “She thinks she knows everything? Let her try to take that sweet boy from his daddy and she’ll learn something new.”

“Why no emails or phone calls? And why bring us here?” Seamus asked, bewildered.

Ken grimaced. “Because your showing up here would be routine, a visit to a recovering family member. And you can spread the word to the rest of the Finns faster than we can without drawing attention. I’d rather not talk about this over the phone right now. There are things she’s asked a few off-duty cops and pub patrons… Topics that I made sure weren’t floating in the ether. I can’t figure out where or how she’s getting her information.”

Ken couldn’t figure it out?

“She’s got her own Tanaka?” Noah asked, mirroring Wyatt’s disbelief. “Great. Wonderful. What’s she got that everyone doesn’t already gossip about at the water cooler?”

“James, for one,” Brady answered.

“Isn’t he visiting his friend in Florida?” Rory looked around the room hesitantly. “Am I the only one who got a postcard?”

“He’s in Florida,” Brady assured him. “And he did originally go there to see about a friend.”

“Alex,” Tasha said quickly. “The first time he went there, William told Bronte that James was going to see a girl named Alex.”

Ken and Brady shared a speaking look.

“See what happens when you give up control of the phone tree?” Thoreau murmured near his ear, making him smile.

“Alex didn’t want to see him yet,” Ken started.

Brady shook his head. “No, I need to tell them.” He turned to Wyatt and Rory. “James has been in rehab for the last three months. We’re going down next week to stay with him for a few days after his release.”

As the room erupted in chaos, Noah lifted his head and met Wyatt’s gaze. Neither of them was surprised. They’d known something was wrong with James for a long time. Noah had even guessed it might be drug-related because of their brother’s time in vice.

Wyatt looked down at Fiona, whose expression was full of concern. For him?

“You okay?” he asked softly, looking down at her flat stomach in wonder. “Where did you go? I told you I’d be back later.”

“I’m here now,” she said. “And I need to tell you something.”

Brady let out a whistle that hurt his ears. “That’s enough. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, but James specifically requested we wait for him to complete his program so he could work through his steps at his own pace.”

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