Page 95 of Hart of Redemption
“He wants you to shoot him,” I said to Bruce. “Neal, you’re not about to get out of this that easily.”
Neal smirked. “Watch me.” In a flash, he pressed the gun to the underside of his chin and pulled the trigger.
For the longest moments, no one moved. Dad finally came over and wrapped his arms around me.
I couldn’t say it felt good to witness Neal take his own life, but maybe now Dad and I could finally get the closure we’d been hoping for.
35
FALLYN
Christmas came and went. Dad and I had spent the holiday watching football and movies while his new four-legged companion, Rosie, snuggled up next to us. While I was content that the mystery of my brother’s death had been resolved, I still felt on edge. If anything kept me awake at night, it was the unresolved issues I had with Duke—or rather, the lack of opportunity to say my piece to him.
And then—color me surprised—Duke had called and asked if we could talk. I’d jumped at the chance. Although we were waiting for a warrant to arrest Duke, he was still a free man because it seemed few judges worked between Christmas and New Year’s.
I rode the elevator up to Denim’s penthouse where we were meeting. I knew it was over between Duke and me. I knew we could never be a couple. Did I want that? I wasn’t sure. For now, I did want to get some things off my chest.
The elevator came to a stop, but my pulse sped up as the doors opened into the penthouse.
A Christmas tree twinkled in the living room. The dining table was no longer in the wide space between the kitchen and living room where it had been during Thanksgiving.
Duke stood in front of the wall of windows directly ahead of me, looking out at Boston’s skyline. “I always loved living here.”
I stayed close to the elevator, not sure what to do or even say. I had a speech planned. I’d even practiced it on the drive into the city.
But when he turned around, I forgot my words for the moment. He looked better than when I’d first met him at the cemetery. Gone was the coldness in his eyes. In its place was warmth and, dare I say, peace. His sandy-brown hair had grown, and it curled on the nape of his neck. His close-shaven beard was groomed nicely, and I was digging the jeans and button-down shirt he was wearing.
“You look happy,” I said.
He strode half the distance toward me and stopped, his gaze sweeping over me. “You look tired.”
I laughed. “I have a lot on my mind. Where’s Jade and Denim?”
“They’re at Dillon’s house so we have privacy to talk.”
Tension strung us together so tightly that I was having trouble breathing.
His unwavering gaze was nail-biting, and I had no nails left after the Neal incident.
“I’m listening,” he said.
“You have nothing to say?”
He leaned his shoulder against a round beam. “I have a lot, but I understand you’ve been wanting to talk to me. So ladies first.”
His nonchalant attitude was unnerving. “Did you hear about Neal Fitzgerald?” I asked.
“Kelton told me,” he said. “I also heard Brian won’t be touched by the Feds, and neither will Vince.”
I shrugged. “The ATF doesn’t have anything to charge Brian or Vince with. But both of them should find legal ways to make money. Rosario will be charged with murder and the selling of illegal firearms. I suspect she’ll be behind bars for quite some time, unless she has a really good lawyer.”
Silence dangled for a beat as I thought of what to say next. Again, I’d planned several things to say, but looking at him, I was losing all thought. I just wanted to feel his arms around me. I wanted him to tell me everything would be okay between us. But that was a pipe dream, especially if he was going to prison.
“Are you happy, Fallyn?” he asked.
My name on his lips was a chef’s kiss. “If you think I’ll apologize for doing my job, I won’t.”
“That’s not what I asked,” he bit out, seemingly angry all of a sudden. “Frankly, if you did, then you aren’t the woman I thought you to be.”
