But when I look back at my brothers, I can see they've left the worries behind for the moment, and I don't want to break the mood. I’ll give them this afternoon, then first thing tomorrow, I’ll tell them what I’ve learned. There’s nothing that can be done about it now as far as they’re concerned.
“Well, keep me up to date if you learn anything more.” I say goodbye to Jake and hang up, then I pull up Dad and Chuck’s numbers, conferencing them into one call so I don’t have to repeat myself.
When Dad answers, he’s laughing, though I have a distinct feeling that won’t last long. “Hey, Tom, did you know you’re calling both me and Chuck at the same time?” I can hear Chuck in the background, so I disconnect his line.
“Hey, Dad, can you put me on speaker? I need Chuck to hear this.”
The laughter stops, and the phone gets the echoey quality that it has when on speaker. “Okay, you’ve got both of us now. Is this about seeing Veronica this morning? How did that go?” Dad loses all amusement in his tone, and I shake my head even though they can’t see me.
“No, that.. Well that wasn’t great, but I think we’ve come up with a solution. Poor Forrest should be off on his trip with his wife. I’ll tell you about that later. I’ve just spoken to Jake, and I need to fill you in on what he told me.”
“Don’t leave us hanging, Tom,” Chuck calls out, and I lean against the bar.
“Shit, Chuck, it’s about your employee Peter.” I hear a sharp inhale.
“What about him? Don’t tell me he’s dead, too. Weeks ago, he just up and left without a word, and I’ve been dealing with the horses on my own ever since.”
“No, he’s not dead, but we did find out that Peter isn’t his real name.”
It’s not?” Chuck sounds bewildered, and I don’t blame him.
“No, Peter’s real name is Peitre Baciu,” I tell them both, and there’s a brief silence.
“That name is familiar. Why do I know that name?” Dad asks, thinking out loud.
“He was Count Bucataru’s nephew, though I’m not sure why they had different last names.”
“Oh yes, I remember Dragos telling me about them. I always thought the different last name was strange. Apparently, Bucataru’s younger brother got a woman pregnant when they were about sixteen, and their father sent them away so as not to shame the family.Dragos didn't talk about them much. Bad blood, apparently. The younger brother resented the elder Bucataru for not standing up to their father and supporting him.”
“Wait, are you telling me he’s been working for me for years? But why?” Chuck sounds confused and angry.
“Well, that’s the million dollar question, isn't it? Jake’s working on it, but I thought I should let you both know in case either of you can remember anything Peter might have said, Chuck, that made you suspicious, or anything Dragos might have said to you, Dad, about his family.”
“There’s nothing that stands out immediately,” Chucks says, and Dad murmurs his agreement.
“But I’ll think about it some more,” he promises me, and Chuck echoes the sentiment.
“Call me if you think about anything,” I tell them, and we hang up.
Shoving my phone into my pocket, I look back toward my brothers who are laughing over something. My heart aches for my family and everything we’re going through at the moment. The need to fill my brothers in wars with the part of me that doesn’t want to cause them any more stress today. Hopefully, they understand when I tell them tomorrow why I didn't do it today. Leaning over the bar, I grab another bottle of alcohol before heading back to join my brothers in our pity party.
ChapterEight
Jaxon
The man on the steps is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers on his feet. He’s probably the same age as my dad, but where my dad looks good for his age, this guy looks rough. His skin has that weathered, dry look about it, and he has a dark tan that tells me he spends a lot of time outside. His hair is mostly gray, with only a few black patches in it, and he looks like he hasn't shaved for a few days. But unlike the well-kept groomed stubble my brothers and I sometimes sport, his is scraggly.
Harlow’s gasp tells me that she recognizes the man who beat the crap out of me. I have a million questions I’m dying to ask, but I hold my tongue. The situation here is fragile, and I don't want to ask the wrong thing which could lead to one of us getting hurt, or worse—dead.
“Peter, what the hell? You and Luke were in on this together?” she asks, trying to control her emotions, but I can hear the tears she’s holding back.
The fake smile on Peter’s face disappears into a scowl. “That idiot son of mine went rogue. He killed your mother, then followed you out here. He thought he was protecting you. You were never supposed to be involved in this. If he had left your mother alone, you’d still be in Connecticut, blissfully unaware. Then the idiot started stalking you. He fucked everything up, so he had to go.”
Oh wow, that wasnotwhat I was expecting to hear.
“Luke was your son?” She sounds blown away by this information.
“Dad…” Raquel walks over to me and places herself in my lap. Disgust rolls through me as she rubs against my body, but I play along, smiling. “You told me that I could have Jaxon! When is this going to be over so we can get on with our lives?”
