“Well, what do you want to know?” he asks, sounding like he’s not sure what to talk about. I’ll take that as an improvement. When I first met him, I’d thought that Thomas said everything with the undertone of not wanting to talk to me. Now I think he’s willing, but he just seems a little lost with how to start a conversation between us.
“Tell me how you came to be with Brad.” I feel him stiffen underneath me, his arms tightening around my body.
“It’s pretty miserable. Are you sure you want to hear it?” he asks, his Irish lilt getting a little stronger with his rising nerves.
“Yes, and don't try to hide your accent. It really is lovely,” I tell him quietly. He pauses before sighing and relaxing a little.
“Well, as you can tell from the accent, I was born in Ireland. I was the youngest of six children, the only child to be born with red hair. Now, you would think it wouldn't matter in this day and age, but everyone else was black-haired and blue-eyed, so to suddenly find this green-eyed, red-haired child in their family was a great shock. I’m pretty sure my mother had had an affair, but because of my family’s devout Catholic status, that would have been a scandal, so they decided that I had been sent by the devil to test them.” He stops and lets me absorb the information, but my mind is stuck on those last few words.
There’s a bitter twist to that word—test—that causes this tangible pang in my heart. Poor Thomas, persecuted from birth because his family prized their religion and reputation over the importance of loving their child. I snuggle my body closer to him, wanting to soothe his broken psyche. No wonder he took Clarissa’s betrayal so very hard. He’d found someone he thought would love him unconditionally—and unlike Dad, Nana and Poppy, she was solely his—but she was just using him.
“Nothing I ever did was right, and my siblings learned very quickly to blame it on me when they were naughty. It seemed like no matter what happened, I would get shoved into a cage in the basement for however long they wanted, with only a bucket, some bread, and barely enough water. If I served the punishment, I was absolved, but only until they remembered that I was a walking, talking, and breathing sin simply due to my existence. It was their job, theirdivine rightto exact such extreme measures on a creature that was a sign of ungodly offense within their home.”
He takes a breath, and this time it’s his turn to shiver—though it’s not the good kind. “I’m pretty sure they would have tried to drown me, but there was a record of my birth and visits from pediatric nurses to track my development. Not to mention murder is a sin. That scandal would have destroyed them even more thoroughly than the affair. Eventually, I spent more time in the cage than anywhere else, and my teachers actually noticed. Truancy officers paid a visit to the house, and it just so happened to be on the day when my dementia-ridden grandma was home alone. She let them in and gleefully showed them the cage the devil child was kept in. Thank goodness for her addled brain because they promptly took me away. I lived in a few foster homes until one day my guardian angel appeared and brought me home. Since then, I have never looked back.”
“Nana?” I ask, and I feel him nod. I haven’t been looking at him during his story, and between his quiet voice, our private seat, and the warmth of me on his lap, it feels like we’re in our own little world. In this space, it’s safe for him to reveal these parts of himself, peeling away the protective layers on the surface to give me a glimpse at the broken heart that his brothers are so determined I can save.
“I’m sorry your family were assholes, and that girl didn’t know how lucky she was,” I mutter to him as my eyes drift shut, the emotional overload from today finally taking its toll. I pat his chest, and if my touch lingers just a tiny bit too long… Well, that’ll be our little secret. “You’re a good man, Thomas, and you deserve as much love as the next person. You just have to be receptive to it.” My words are a little slurred thanks to my exhaustion, but I still feel the faintest pressure of a kiss on my head with perfect clarity. A moment later, he shuffles me to the side and clicks me into my seat.
“Maybe you’re right,” I hear him mumble before everything goes dark.
* * *
Imust have slept a few hours since Thomas eventually wakes me for some lunch. His hands are gentle as I flounder, not quite sure where I am.
“Shh, Harlow, it’s okay. You fell asleep, but you need to get up and eat something. Otherwise, jet lag will be a bitch when we get to Prague.”
Lunch is served in the big room with the table, and the open space is filled with chatter as we devour the subs and everything else that Jilly has served up. Veronica brings around drinks, and even though she’s acting pretty subdued, her eyes are constantly drawn to Thomas as she makes her way around the table.
Once lunch is finished, we return to the movie room for the last couple installments of theDie Hardfranchise.
“You know what?” Oli asks, shoving popcorn into his mouth despite the amount of food he just ate. “Bruce Willis can do no wrong. Seriously, why isn't he in any of the Marvel movies? He’d make a great crusty commander or aging superhero.”
We all jeer at him, but he’s not wrong. Bruce Willisisawesome; he just ain’t stacked up against heartthrobs like Jarred Reed, Chris Hemsworth, or Cayden Storm. Speaking of Cayden, my mind jumps on the reminder of Max.
“What’s put that sad look on your face, buttercup?” Oli points to me, and everyone turns in time to watch my shrug.
“I was just thinking about Max. She was cagey and evasive the last time I spoke to her, and I’m worried. She’s hiding something.”
“Did you want to stop in for a visit on the way back from Prague? I’m sure we can have a quick stopover. I know Oli has something he wants to do on the East Coast,” Declan suggests, and my heart leaps before I shake my head.
“Thank you for suggesting it. That’s very sweet, but she’s still filming in California. I’m hoping she’ll come for a visit once she’s finished.”
“We can also grab some more of your own clothes,” Jaxon suggests. “Plus, it could be great to check in on Chuck and Melinda, just make sure everything is okay. We haven’t seen them in ages, and I know they’d probably love to catch up.” Now that he’s brought them up, I’m already swaying toward a yes. Hearing their names brings up a little reminder of the email and the fact that they’re already in the stalker’s sights. It could do me some good to see them with my own two eyes, not to mention the fact that if I’m there, the stalker might be too focused on me to do anything to them.
“And I wouldn't mind stopping in to check out the horses,” Jacinta says. “You know, in all the time we’ve known them, they've always come to us. We’ve never been to their place. Isn't that weird?” I feel a little guilty. I’m sure Dad was just avoiding running into my mother. Even if she wasn't working for the Bostons anymore, it still would have been possible for him to see her around town.
“Okay then, let’s stop. I’d really like to grab a few more things since I plan on staying longer than I had originally thought.”
“Oh, and I need an introduction to your tattoo artist while we’re there. I want to give her my card in case she ever wants a job,” Oli says around a mouthful of popcorn, and Holden shoves his hand over our boyfriend’s mouth.
“Nobody needs to see that, babe,” he shushes, and we all laugh.
By the time we land in Prague, everyone is a little twitchy and a lot ready to get our feet on the ground. Customs makes their way through the plane, checking our passports, and we’re eventually cleared to leave.
As we make our way off the plane, our luggage is already being offloaded by airport employees. I frown at James when he and Chris come out to wish us goodbye.
“What the hell was that? I thought you were a top gun or something?” I growl at him, and he looks a little sheepish.
