Chapter 1
As the helicopter lifted off, Carson stared out the window, tears streaming down his cheeks, watching Cody and Colton grow smaller and smaller until he could no longer see them. Blinking several times to stem the flow, he leaned back against the headrest, letting the chatter of Hunter and Fionn fill his ears. It wasn’t the first time he’d been separated from his fellow triplets but this was different; he was now on his own without any of his other brothers nearby. And the loneliness he’d fought his whole life came rushing back, threatening to overwhelm him.
It was the part of him he’d kept hidden from everyone—that is, everyone except his mother. Thinking back to his last conversation with her before leaving for France, Carson smiled as her words came back to him, helping to push back the darkness that was always lingering around the edges of his consciousness. It was one of the hardest decisions he ever made—leaving when his mother had just come back into his life—but after talking it over with her, Carson knew it was the right one.
Even so, the fear that Josiah might discover his mother survived, made him waffle back and forth about leaving, until he finally spoke to Cody who assured him the rest of his brothers were able to protect her from harm. So, he packed his clothes and personal belongings, said good-bye to his brothers, kissed and hugged his nephews and niece, promised Jackson he would keep in touch, and walked away from the only security he’d known in his life since the massacre.
It was a bittersweet moment when he said good-bye to Cody and Colton and boarded the helicopter. He saw the worry on their faces, which made him love them all themore for understanding his need to leave. Picking a seat by the window, he gave them a final wave as the engine revved up and they lifted off for the short flight to the airport.
When Carson finally got his thoughts in order, he tuned back into what Robert, their pilot was saying. They were about to land, and anticipation began to build about boarding the Dire Enterprises jet, the one Cody and Colton always raved about; now he would be on it instead of looking at pictures they always sent to him. Turning his eyes back to the window, Carson watched as they landed, light as a feather, near a hanger.
Unbuckling his harness, Carson grabbed his carry-on bag containing his computer and phone along with all the files he received from Remy Marchant during the past week. Following Hunter and Fionn as they debarked, he turned around and, looking into the hanger, saw a gleaming white jet with someone in uniform waiting for them at the boarding stairs leading up to its open door.
“Holy shit!” Hunter muttered, looking at the plane with the striking Dire Enterprises logo emblazoned on its tail.
“Mate, wait until you see the inside,” Fionn said, gleefully. “Kieran told me all about what it’s like to fuck while up in the air.”
“What’s so different?” asked Hunter.
“Uh-uh,” smirked Fionn, “you’ll just have to wait and see for yourself.” Then seeing the perturbed look on Carson’s face, he added, “Hey, don’t worry about us, this baby has a couple of bedrooms so you’ll have your own.”
Carson snorted. “Thank goodness for that. After what Mac told Colton about your nighttime activities…well, let’s just say I’ll certainly appreciate that.”
“Hey,” Hunter said, looking at his cousin, “exactly what did my brother say?”
“No way I’m telling you,” Carson chortled. “Ask him yourself…but he did recommend I pack a pair of earplugs.”
“That fucker!” Hunter exclaimed. “When I get home, he’s gonna pay for telling tales.”
Grabbing his mate’s arm, Fionn said, “You can’t hurt him, mate, Mac is now my brother, too, and I don’t want anything happening to him.”
“Listen to Fionn, Hunter. Jackson won’t like it if you hurt the doctor taking over for Ian. And besides, I didn’t pack any earplugs because I figured it was just a lot of bullshit. C’mon, let’s get going.” Letting Fionn and Hunter sort themselves out, he walked up to the man waiting for them. “Hi, I’m Carson.”
“Good afternoon, sir. I’m Paul, your steward. I’ll take your bag, and if you would, please head up the stairs. You can sit anywhere.”
After handing his bag to Paul, Carson ascended the staircase, eager to get his first look at the inside. Stepping into the cabin, he softly gasped. It was everything his brothers described and more. Pausing, he felt like he’d just fallen down the rabbit hole, smiling as he remembered his favorite childhood story. Finally, he moved forward, sensing Fionn and Hunter behind him waiting to enter the cabin. Looking at the love seat and figuring his fellow passengers would claim that as their own, he headed toward a club chair next to a small table at the back of the plane, knowing he’d be able to get some work done on his computer there. After he was seated, he glanced up and saw Paul bringing his bag to him.
“Would you like me to put this away or will you need it during the flight?”
“Thanks for the offer but I’ll keep it with me,” Carson said, taking it from the steward.
“Would you like something to drink before we take off?”
“Ahh, just water will be fine…with ice if you have it,” Carson said, smiling.
“Certainly, I’ll be right back.”
After Paul left, Carson looked around, smirking when he found Hunter and Fionn sitting on the love seat, arms entwined, kissing as if they were by themselves. Shaking his head, he bent down, lifting his computer and phone out of the bag and setting them on the table. Snapping a few pictures, he sent them to Cody and Colton with a message, before opening his computer and losing himself in the financial records of the companies Dire Enterprises planned to buy.
~/~/~/~/~
“Reemee, I’m scared!”
Hearing the panic in the voice, Remy Marchant sighed, then turned over, opening his eyes. Blinking against the darkness in his bedroom, he found his little brother staring wide-eyed at him. “Where are your brothers?” he asked.
“Sleepin’,” Galen replied.
“What woke you up?” asked Remy, tugging Galen down next to him. “Did you have another bad dream?”
