“I’m sorry you felt like you had to keep it from me.That’s my fault.”
“No, it’s Gabriel’s fault.All of this is his fault.”
“Yes, it is.Let’s find you a new place to live—today.”
Resigned to having to move to keep herself and her kids safe, Isla nodded.“Okay.”
They spent the next hour picking through the shattered remains of her home to salvage clothing, toys, bedding, towels and other things she’d need in her new place.When she’d gathered up as much as she could fit into the bins, boxes and suitcases she had on hand, they moved it all to Denny’s truck.
“What do I do about this place?”
“Is the lease in your name or his?”
“His.”
“Then you leave him to deal with his own mess.”
“If I can afford something better, let’s look for a house I can rent that has a little yard for the kids.”
“I have a friend who’s a Realtor.I’ll call her.”
“Thank you for everything, Denny.Not just today, but always.”
“We’re a team, you and me.”
He used to say that all the time after their parents died, leaving them to face an uncertain future on their own.
“Yes, we are.”
“Let’s figure out what’s next for you and your kids.”
ChapterEight
Julian was finishing up another long day at the office when his brother Roman came in with more mail.“Look at you.Making two deliveries in the same day.How’s the mail room treating you?”
“As you well know, it totally blows.It’s so boring, I want to stab myself in the eye with a letter opener.”
Julian smiled at his youngest sibling, the one who looked the most like him with a few of his own embellishments, including diamond studs in his ears and sleeve tattoos he was required to keep covered at the office.“Ah, yes, I remember well what it was like to want to use the letter opener for something other than its intended purpose.But the good news is, you’re almost done.”
“Two more weeks until I go back to school, and what does it say about our mail room that law school is looking good to me?”
Julian laughed.“It’s a rite of passage, my friend, and trust me, someday you’ll be thankful to Dad for making you start at the bottom.”Each of them had found it “easier” to come into the family business having spent some time in the trenches during college and law school vacations, even if it had sucked at the time.
Roman helped himself to some of Julian’s good bourbon and reclined on the sofa as he pulled off his tie.
“Make yourself at home.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
“I’m looking forward to having you here every day.”He’d always had a soft spot for his youngest sibling, who’d been born when Julian was thirteen.
“Yeah.”
“You’re not excited about joining the family business?”
Roman took a long drink of bourbon.“Did you ever want to do something other than this?”
“Like what?”
