Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 135847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
He folded it open.
And he read it.
It was also written in his father’s hand.
Hale,
Marilyn gave me these to give to you.
Holding on to them for you was the greatest honor of my life.
Find the right one and give them to her.
Please don’t let what I did end who I am.
I promise you, love like I have for you will never die.
Dad
Fuck.
He’d signed it, Dad.
Love like I have for you will never die.
The box and note fell to the floor as Hale’s head dropped to his knees, he wrapped his arms over the top and his shoulders heaved with the first sob.
Things happened around him. He felt Tom rubbing his back. He heard Genny’s gasp, then her tears.
But it was Duncan who pulled him out of the chair and into his arms.
Duncan held him close and grunted, “I know, man. It’s fucked up how you can be so fucking pissed at him and still get it. Still love him.”
At his words, Hale groaned, and his body bucked in Duncan’s hold, but Duncan held fast.
Genny horned in and Tom did too.
And then there were more.
Chloe was there. Matt. Sasha. All of them joining the huddle around Hale.
Of course, Genny and Tom wouldn’t make him do this without them close.
Chloe was getting married that weekend.
But of course they were all there.
All holding him. All there when he needed them.
His family.
The precious gift his dad gave him.
Corey
Then…
“I can’t take these, Marilyn.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I have no use for them. And it’s far too soon for you to be giving them away.”
“I’m not giving them to you, silly. I’m giving them to you to keep safe until Hale needs them.”
It wasn’t entirely a foreign feeling, so he knew exactly what it was.
Corey felt shame.
“I don’t think he’ll want anything from me,” he said quietly.
“Oh, buddy boy.” She shook her head. “You’ve got one of the greatest minds of our time, but still, you sure do miss a whole load of important things.”
She then wrapped his fingers around the rings she’d worn ever since he’d known her. Rings that she’d placed in his palm. After that, she kissed his cheek and walked away.
It was the gathering after her husband’s funeral.
Within a year, she too would be gone.
Hale
Now…
“Vaughan?”
“Hale.”
“Where is she?”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
“She’s staying with her father.”
“Right.” Pause and, “You know you and me are gonna have to talk.”
“I know.”
“Okay.” Another pause and, “Thanks for the info.”
“Hale?”
“Yeah?”
“You already know, but I’ll say it anyway. He’d love her. He’d love her for her. But he’d also love her for you.”
Hale rolled his neck.
Then, “Right.”
He hung up on Vaughan and called Paul.
Paul probably hadn’t even gotten around the block. He’d dropped Hale off at his apartment in New York barely five minutes ago.
But now, they were going to Brooklyn.
CHAPTER 27
TRIGGERED
Hale
The worst possible person opened the door to David Cohen’s Brooklyn brownstone.
Oskar.
“You’ve got some fucking nerve,” Oskar stated on seeing him, stepping out on the stoop aggressively, forcing Hale down a few steps as he did, and closing the door behind him.
“I’d like to speak to Elsa,” Hale said, making himself do it calmly.
“No shit?” Oskar asked. “Now, do you seriously think I’m going to let you anywhere near my sister?”
“I can understand you being angry—”
“You can?” Oskar sneered. “You got my sister slashed then you broke her heart after you led her on for fucking months, Wheeler. I don’t think you understand shit.”
It was good to know, when it came to the crunch, Oskar had his sister’s back.
Even if it was frustrating as fuck right now.
“I’m asking you, Oskar, please let me speak to Elsa.”
As he was saying this, the door opened, and David walked out.
Another blow, seeing the angry and disappointed look on David’s face.
He came to stand beside his son.
“Hale, you shouldn’t be here,” he said.
“I’m sorry, David, but I need to speak to Elsa. And I’m hoping what I have to say are things she wants to hear.”
“Then call her,” David returned. “If she takes your call, you can try to convince her. This isn’t the way to go about it.”
“I hurt her, I can’t go any longer without doing something to fix that,” Hale explained.
“You did the deed, it isn’t your choice how it gets fixed, Hale,” David replied.
He held David’s gaze and repeated, “David, I hurt her, and I need to fix that.”
David and Hale stared at each other while David grappled with his decision.
During this, the door opened again.
Hale heard a gasp, and noted Inger there, her eyes narrowing on him.
But his attention focused on who was with her.
Elsa.
On sight of her, his lungs hollowed out.
She had shadows under her eyes, looked like she hadn’t slept in months, but she wasn’t gazing at him with hurt or fury.
Nope.
All he saw was indifference.
Fuck.
“Go inside, Elsa,” Oskar ordered.
She was Elsa. She didn’t go inside.
She came to stand between her dad and Oskar.