“Ten! So like fifteen or more ounces of alcohol? A coke can has twelve ounces. You’re talking more than that.” I shook my head. “For someone who hasn’t drunk a drop in over twenty years… don’t you find this weird? Has anyone spoken to Lyle? Was she drinking when he left for school?”
“No.”
We both turned at the sound of our brother’s voice as he, Marcus, and Travis entered the small room. Val and I rushed toward the boys, as Travis explained, “I found these two wandering around downstairs. I thought they should be with you.”
“Thank you, Travis.”
When Val finally released Lyle from her embrace, we could see his red blotchy face and hear the pain in his voice. “Val, you’re a doctor. Why aren’t you in there with her? She has to be all right.”
My heart broke for our youngest sibling. He’d lost his father. Even I didn’t want him to lose his mother. Again, Val embraced Lyle as Marcus reached out and squeezed my hand.
“I can’t be in there,” Val explained. “They don’t allow that. It’s too difficult. Doctors need to think with their head and not their heart.” She looked Lyle in the eye. “But don’t worry. The doctors here are the best. She’s in great hands.”
“Lyle?” I asked. “What did you mean when you said no?”
“I meant,” he said after wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, “she wasn’t drinking. She was fine, like normal, when I left.”
“What time did you leave?” Travis asked.
“School starts at nine. They just changed it this year. It used to be earlier.”
My eyes darted to Travis.
“Mrs. Harrington, may I speak with you?”
“Yes.” I turned to the sea of gray and green eyes and said, “I’ll be just outside.”
Once we were in the hall, Travis and I walked around the corner and found a secluded corner. “What are you thinking?” Travis asked.
“Someone did this to her. Why?”
He started to reach for my hand and stopped. “This is a warning. This was what I was talking about. Those people want your attention.”
“They’ve fucking got it. But who and why?”
“We need to reestablish the communication that Mr. Harrington had.”
I looked down and whispered, “At the warehouse?”
Travis’ large hand captured mine. “You’re shaking.”
I didn’t fight his touch. It was warm and reassuring.
“I’m cold.”
“No, you’re not. You’re scared and I don’t blame you. These are dangerous people. But I’ve been thinking about this. I think there are two different things happening. I could be wrong, but I don’t think that the people at the warehouse, the friends… I don’t think they would stoop to these tactics.”
I nodded. “All right. Who are the others?”
“Why did you ask me about the Albinis?”
“I heard the name and was curious?”
At first, Travis didn’t speak, but his dark eyes narrowed. “Then I suppose it is just a coincidence.”
“What?”
“That it was Niccolo Albini who was at Dr. Conway’s apartment the other day.”
My gray eyes snapped to his. “Tell me why you think the Albinis would want to talk to me, or get my attention.”
Travis turned toward a sound in the hall, then reached for my shoulders and shifted so that he was between me and the noise. I watched around his shoulder as two women in scrubs passed by. Once they were gone, he replied, “I’ve been trying to figure that out since the night at Dr. Conway’s. I think it has something to do with the business. Mr. Albini’s family had an agreement with Mr. Harrington. Now that you have the ability to make decisions, they want your support.”
“They try to kill my mother to get my support?”
Travis shook his head. “I know… it doesn’t make sense. We’re missing a piece of this puzzle.”
“What about Parker?” I asked.
“After what you told me he said, if he produced documents to nullify your marriage, he would be in a position to make those business decisions.”
I thought about that for a moment. “How does this all work? I mean, did Stewart pay them?”
“No, they paid him for the cover. They paid him a lot.”
“So if Parker proves that my marriage is invalid, he stands to profit?”
“Yes,” Travis agreed. “But if he gets you to sign the contract, he can keep people like Keene happy and also convince the Albinis that he’s in control of your decisions. My assumption would be that the payoff would never see your bank account. It’s really the best-case scenario for him. That way if the shit ever does hit the fan, his hands are clean. You’re the one with the business dealings that need to be explained.”
I peered again around Travis to see a tall man with dark but graying hair, and dark eyes staring silently in our direction. With his nice black suit and shiny shoes, I knew he was the man who’d been to Val’s apartment. “Travis?”
There must have been something in my voice, because immediately Travis followed my line of sight, and spun around. Instantly, he became a wall, standing between me and the rather handsome yet imposing stranger. “Mr. Albini,” Travis said with a nod.
Who was this? My uncle? The one who told my mother to have an abortion?
“No.”
We both turned at the sound of our brother’s voice as he, Marcus, and Travis entered the small room. Val and I rushed toward the boys, as Travis explained, “I found these two wandering around downstairs. I thought they should be with you.”
“Thank you, Travis.”
When Val finally released Lyle from her embrace, we could see his red blotchy face and hear the pain in his voice. “Val, you’re a doctor. Why aren’t you in there with her? She has to be all right.”
My heart broke for our youngest sibling. He’d lost his father. Even I didn’t want him to lose his mother. Again, Val embraced Lyle as Marcus reached out and squeezed my hand.
“I can’t be in there,” Val explained. “They don’t allow that. It’s too difficult. Doctors need to think with their head and not their heart.” She looked Lyle in the eye. “But don’t worry. The doctors here are the best. She’s in great hands.”
“Lyle?” I asked. “What did you mean when you said no?”
“I meant,” he said after wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, “she wasn’t drinking. She was fine, like normal, when I left.”
“What time did you leave?” Travis asked.
“School starts at nine. They just changed it this year. It used to be earlier.”
My eyes darted to Travis.
“Mrs. Harrington, may I speak with you?”
“Yes.” I turned to the sea of gray and green eyes and said, “I’ll be just outside.”
Once we were in the hall, Travis and I walked around the corner and found a secluded corner. “What are you thinking?” Travis asked.
“Someone did this to her. Why?”
He started to reach for my hand and stopped. “This is a warning. This was what I was talking about. Those people want your attention.”
“They’ve fucking got it. But who and why?”
“We need to reestablish the communication that Mr. Harrington had.”
I looked down and whispered, “At the warehouse?”
Travis’ large hand captured mine. “You’re shaking.”
I didn’t fight his touch. It was warm and reassuring.
“I’m cold.”
“No, you’re not. You’re scared and I don’t blame you. These are dangerous people. But I’ve been thinking about this. I think there are two different things happening. I could be wrong, but I don’t think that the people at the warehouse, the friends… I don’t think they would stoop to these tactics.”
I nodded. “All right. Who are the others?”
“Why did you ask me about the Albinis?”
“I heard the name and was curious?”
At first, Travis didn’t speak, but his dark eyes narrowed. “Then I suppose it is just a coincidence.”
“What?”
“That it was Niccolo Albini who was at Dr. Conway’s apartment the other day.”
My gray eyes snapped to his. “Tell me why you think the Albinis would want to talk to me, or get my attention.”
Travis turned toward a sound in the hall, then reached for my shoulders and shifted so that he was between me and the noise. I watched around his shoulder as two women in scrubs passed by. Once they were gone, he replied, “I’ve been trying to figure that out since the night at Dr. Conway’s. I think it has something to do with the business. Mr. Albini’s family had an agreement with Mr. Harrington. Now that you have the ability to make decisions, they want your support.”
“They try to kill my mother to get my support?”
Travis shook his head. “I know… it doesn’t make sense. We’re missing a piece of this puzzle.”
“What about Parker?” I asked.
“After what you told me he said, if he produced documents to nullify your marriage, he would be in a position to make those business decisions.”
I thought about that for a moment. “How does this all work? I mean, did Stewart pay them?”
“No, they paid him for the cover. They paid him a lot.”
“So if Parker proves that my marriage is invalid, he stands to profit?”
“Yes,” Travis agreed. “But if he gets you to sign the contract, he can keep people like Keene happy and also convince the Albinis that he’s in control of your decisions. My assumption would be that the payoff would never see your bank account. It’s really the best-case scenario for him. That way if the shit ever does hit the fan, his hands are clean. You’re the one with the business dealings that need to be explained.”
I peered again around Travis to see a tall man with dark but graying hair, and dark eyes staring silently in our direction. With his nice black suit and shiny shoes, I knew he was the man who’d been to Val’s apartment. “Travis?”
There must have been something in my voice, because immediately Travis followed my line of sight, and spun around. Instantly, he became a wall, standing between me and the rather handsome yet imposing stranger. “Mr. Albini,” Travis said with a nod.
Who was this? My uncle? The one who told my mother to have an abortion?
