Corrupted Union

16

Oran had argued at recent family meetings that we’d never survive without acquiring more power. He specifically mentioned the dramatic decline of his wife’s family as a reason for his beliefs, claiming that they would still be alive today if they’d had more of a presence. As far as I was concerned, Flynn and Caitlin were without parents precisely because of their greed for power. They grew too big, too quickly, and made too many enemies, our family among them. “Yeah, well, it won’t happen again,” Oran said with conviction before disappearing back into his office. How could he guarantee that? If we had a rat who outed the location of the guns, who was to say it wouldn’t happen again? Unless … the guns were never stolen. If they’d been sold to someone on the sly, someone he didn’t want to tell us he’d made a deal with, then he could speak with authority. Had they been stolen, it was awfully ballsy of the thief to sell the s**t right in our backyard. If they’d been cunning enough to get the drop on us right after the shipment arrived, why not move the guns so we couldn’t trace them? The whole thing looked more and more sketchy by the day. I hated to think we could have a traitor in our family, but I didn’t want to ignore the facts either. I’d be watching Oran. OceanofPDF.com I wasn’t sure my hands were strong enough to strangle a man. I needed some rope because I was going to kill Keir Byrne. He had no right to confront Stetson. No right. I’d asked for help investigating, not an intervention into my relationship. I called Stetson three times after Keir hung up, relieved when he finally answered. “I don’t know what that man said, but he was lying.” “What the hell, Rowan? How do you even know him?” Stetson’s voice was curt with wariness. “He’s some mobster trying to get a favor from my dad. He was at their house the other night when I went over, and now he somehow has my number.” My boyfriend was quiet for a beat. “s**t, Ro. Why didn’t you say something?” His words lost their edge, allowing me to breathe again. “I had no idea he’d do something like this.” “You wouldn’t…? I mean … you sounded like you knew the guy.” “I talked to him briefly while Dad was busy, but that’s it. Please, Stetson, you have to believe me. You really think I’d be into that?” “No, of course not.” He sighed deeply. “He just caught me off guard. I should have known. Assholes like that love to stir up trouble for no reason.” “Exactly. I’m so sorry he upset you.” “Nah, I’m fine. Like I said, it was just unexpected.” I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince himself or if he was embarrassed about the whole thing, but I could hear the uncertainty in his voice. “Good. He had me worried,” I said softly, hoping to smooth over any remaining wrinkles of doubt. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. Can we hang out tonight?” “Well, I was going to my dad’s.” My heart thudded. “I can go up there,” I quickly blurted. “No problem at all.” “Um … yeah. Okay. I have practice until six, though.” “I’ll meet you at the field. We can ride up there together, do dinner, then I’ll head home. That work?” I asked hopefully. Any chance I had at getting inside that house was vital. It might be the only chance I’d have to figure out what the hell was going on. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Sounds good.” Stetson was distant the entire ride up to his dad’s house. I gave him space. I didn’t feel like pushing the issue, but when he started up the stairs to his room without so much as a word, I had to say something. “You don’t actually believe him, do you?” With a duffel bag full of field hockey gear over his shoulder, he paused on the stairs and slowly looked down at me a few steps below. “I just keep thinking how it’s awfully convenient that he decided out of nowhere to target you. As if a guy like that gets off on breaking up relationships in his spare time.” “It has nothing to do with me. I told you that. He’s using me to get at my father.” “You didn’t give him any reason to come after you? What were you wearing the night he was at the house?” Outrage set my blood boiling. How damn chauvinistic to insinuate the situation could be my fault for my choice of clothes. You want answers about the crying woman, right? I gritted my teeth before answering, biting back the scathing response perched on the tip of my tongue. “I was wearing the same sort of thing I always wear, Stetson,” I said with forced calm. “I don’t think jeans and a sweater are overly provocative.” Not that wearing something sexy was an invitation to be harassed … or worse. And I would have argued that point if I wasn’t already trying to smooth things over. Stetson sighed. “Yeah, I know. I guess I’m just tired. I’m gonna jump in the shower. You want to watch some TV while you wait? I may be a minute. Practice was brutal.” “Yeah, sure. Take your time.” I gave him what I hoped was a warm smile and followed him up the stairs. He turned into his bedroom while I continued to the TV room at the end of the hall, my eyes catching on the closed door to the guest room. Things with Stetson were strained, and Keir’s antics weren’t the only cause. I’d thought Stetson and I made sense from the day he asked me out. Or more precisely, from the second I’d told my parents, and their faces had lit like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t like the uncertainty of not knowing where things were going. I was also uncomfortable with how unbothered I was by the thought of a breakup. Was that what I wanted?