Page 86 of The Restaurant on Plum Island
“It’s… okay,” Shay stuttered. “I know about Mom.” Carly turned to see the teen looking at Shaun as she said. “I knoweverything.”
“Don’t you dare!” Shaun warned her. “Remember what I told you would happen if you ever said anything.”
Carly felt Shay stiffen, and she wished her arms weren’t bound so she could put them around the girl’s shoulders.
“Don’t talk to my niece like that,” Alex hissed.
“Or you’ll what?” Shaun laughed. “Hit me with the chair you’re tied to?”
“Alex!” Carly shot him a warning look and shook her head. She was surprised to see he relented. “So you’re punishing Ethan for taking Beth away from you, and like Paul, you blame him for her death?”
Shaun shook his head. “I couldn’t believe how easily he’d believe the lies I told him about Beth’s death and how quickly he turned on Ethan.”
“So this is revenge?” Carly elaborated.
“Ethan stole my sister from me.” Shaun looked at Shay. “And forced her to have a child.”
“Shaun!” Carly growled. “No one forces a woman to have a child. It’s the most wonderful thing in the world.”
“Children are what break a relationship,” Shaun sneered. “There should only ever be two people in a relationship. It was bad enough I already shared you with the world.”
“You’re an actor, not a very good one, but an actor too,” Alex quipped.
“I’m agreatactor.“ Shaun raised his voice. “I fooled all of you.”
“You didn’t fool me!” Shay’s voice was soft but audible.
“I knew I should’ve only sent that message to your father after the house was ablaze!” Shaun sneered, his words adding to the chill that already hung in the air.
“My father didn’t kill my mother!” Shay’s voice was suddenly filled with rage. “It was you! I saw you injecting my mother. It was you!”
“Why you…” Shaun moved toward Shay as Alex broke free of his chair and punched Shaun, sending him reeling.
The room door burst open, and the three of them froze as four masked men entered. They took in the scene while Carly, Alex, and Shay held their breaths.
“Get him,” the leader said, but to their surprise, they weren’t pointing at Alex but Shaun.
The leader turned to Alex, Carly, and Shay, and handed Alex keys and a mobile phone.
“Get out of here,” the man told Alex as his men untied Shay and Carly. “We’ll deal with him.” His eyes looked at Carly and Shay. “Thanks, kid.”
When Shay was freed, she pulled a small recorder from her pocket and handed it to the man. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get more.”
“You did great,” the man told her. “Are you okay?”
“I lived through it before,” Shay said softly.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Carly asked before Alex could.
“Shay can explain to you when you meet your brother and Ethan,” the man told her. “I believe they’ve commandeered a helicopter from one of Harley’s friends.”
“This was a sting operation?” Alex gaped at the masked man.
“Come on, Uncle Alex.” Shay put her arm through his. “Let’s go.”
As they walked out of the house, a helicopter landed in the middle of the suburban road. The doors opened, and Carly’s heart lurched when Ethan pushed Harley aside to jump out and rushed toward them, scooping Shay and Carly into his arms.
“Shay, Carly, thank goodness you’re okay,” Ethan breathed, stepping back to look them over. “You are okay?”
