Brady Remington Landed Me in Jail

  Kid's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't going to do anything with her."

  "You called her."

  "Yeah, I did, but that was it. When I saw her, I knew it was pointless. The girl is so stupidly in love with you, it makes me sick. Do you know how lucky you are? Girls aren't made like that. I haven't found anyone as nice as Rayna or as pure as her."

  "You two make me sick," Frank's voice interrupted. Disdain dripped from his words. "She's a whore. She's nothing, but another weak-minded slut who will get on her knees for any guy who shows her attention."

  Kid and Brady turned as one.

  Frank continued from his bed, "I never slept with Leann Janke, but I wish I had. I wish I had used her, screwed her so hard she wouldn't walk for a week. I wished I had cu-"

  "Shut up, dad!" Kid shouted and lunged for him. Before his hands could take hold of his father, he reared back and threw himself sideways into the wall. His chest heaved as he couldn't speak for a moment.

  Brady had grown still, eerily still. He looked at his father and smirked before he took a step towards the bed.

  "Brady, what are you doing?" Kid gasped as he tried to contain himself.

  Frank turned his head and watched his older son in a similar fashion how a wolf might study a panther.

  "I don't know Rayna's mom, but for the fact alone that she rejected you makes me think she's the exact opposite of everything you think Rayna is. And you're wrong about her. You're wrong about Rayna, so much that it makes you look like the weak-minded pussy. You're old. You're losing your power in town. Everybody hates you. And the money you got, we both know someone who has more."

  Frank paled and his eyes widened a fraction.

  "I know that you're my biological father."

  "What?" Kid jerked from the wall.

  Brady never looked away from him. "My mother came looking for me a few years ago. When she asked you where I was and didn't get a response, she came herself. She told me that you raped her."

  "She was nothing. The girl had the mind to demand money from me to take care of you. When I didn't, she deserted you. I found you in the trash can outside my house. What kind of a mother does that to her son? Don't believe her lies. Kristina was always good at lying. She came onto me that night. I was drinking and upset about Leann. I missed her so much that night and your mother came in. She knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted a rich baby daddy, but this baby daddy never paid. Who looked the fool then?"

  Kid watched his halfbrother across the bed, tense.

  Brady waited. He wanted Frank to think that he considered his words, but then he laughed shortly. Frank's small grin vanished and Brady leaned forward. "She went to her home and had me. She brought me back because her family disowned her. She couldn't raise me on her own. You said you'd take care of me. You said that you had a plan for me. She trusted you."

  Frank's eyelid twitched.

  "I grew up in foster care. Was that the plan?"

  "I never wanted that," Frank objected, but clamped his mouth shut. A beat later, he was more controlled. "It doesn't matter. That's where you ended, but I've watched you the whole time. I would've stepped in if anything had happened to you."

  "No." Brady's voice had grown somber. "I wouldn't have wanted you to. I don't want anything to do with you. I found out a long time ago. I've had time to adjust and the only thing I have a hard time taking is that a part of me is from you. I believe her when she said you raped her. I'm surprised you didn't rape Leann, but maybe that's why she left. Maybe that's why she couldn't come back."

  Kid had been quiet, but he spoke now, "I came back because I found out about you. I found the letter your mom sent to him." He glanced at his father. "It was on your desk underneath your phone. My cell wasn't working and the house' land line was tied up. I tried using your business line, but I hit the phone. It moved a little and I saw the piece of paper underneath it. You had it taped in place for all those years." He looked back to Brady. "He had a hard plastic thing over it to protect it, but he never threw the paper away. I read it. She knew your name."

  He jerked his head in a nod. "She gave me the name. It's how she found me when she came to town."

  "Well this is all nice and sweet. We should have tea." The sarcasm was rich in Frank's voice. He looked down his nose at them. "I can't believe you. You're bonding over this? You're both a disappointment. Kidrick, he's everything you should've been. Brady—"

  "Don't talk to me." His eyes were cold. "You have no goddamn place to speak to me. I disowned you in my own way. I want nothing from you, nothing at all. I don't give a shit what place you might think you have in my life. Your seed helped with my D.N.A. That's it. You're nothing else. You told her to abort me then when she didn't, your plans changed, but I don't care. I came here to find out one thing and I know it now. Thank you for that. If you ever come near me or Rayna, I will destroy you. You're not the only one who watches. I've been studying you this whole time too, but I'm better than you. You have no idea." Then he turned for the door.

  "She knew."

  Frank's voice stopped him in his tracks.

  Brady looked back and Frank gave him an evil grin. "Rayna knows I'm your father. If she's so wonderful, why didn't she go to you first?"

  He stared at him, long and hard as Brady grew pale. Then he jerked forward again.

  "Brady." Kid started after him.

  "Don't." He threw a hand up to stop him.

  "Where are you going?" He followed down the hallway.

  "I'm going for a drink. That's where I'm going."

  "Where?"

  Brady shoved through the last doors. "To Highpoint Bridge."

  The hospital was busy with people rushing back and forth. I walked inside, but stepped back as two policemen rushed past with a guy in handcuffs.

  "You don't see that every day." Clarissa stood behind me with wide eyes.

  I didn't care. I was on a mission. "What room?"

  She gestured straight ahead. "The best in the hospital."

  I zeroed in and walked past a group of hospital staff. No one dared stop me as I moved ahead, but I stopped in my tracks. Frank Stephens seemed empty as he stared at me. His eyes didn't blink. His body didn't move. There was no reaction at all.

  Then he murmured, "I lost. How did I lose?"

  "You lost Brady?"

  He nodded, but his eyes watched something that wasn't there.

  "What happened?" I clenched my hands together. A part of me didn't want to know what else he knew, what else I should've told him I knew.

  "He..." Frank Stephens shook his head.

  I watched as his hand jerked beside his leg. It was like he was coming to a decision, but what that was—I had no idea. I just knew he'd made it when he choked out, "He knew everything." Then he blinked at me. "What are you doing here?"

  "Where's Brady?"

  Frank Stephens closed his mouth.

  "What did he say when he was here?"

  He shook his head and a wall came over him. "Why the hell would I tell you anything? You're nothing. My son can do better, will do better—"

  I stepped forward. "You might not have a great opinion of me, but that's your problem. You think you're above everyone else, but you're wrong. No one cares about you. No one likes you. No one wants you. No one thinks about you, least of all him."

  He jerked with every statement I said.

  "I don't know what your thing with my mother is or what you thought your thing with Brady was, but I know it's wrong. You're wrong."

  His eyes darkened and he opened his mouth, but the door opened behind me. "Rayna, it's Brady."

  Every tentacle was stretched inside of me. Then those words flipped everything on its head. I whirled around to Kid. "What happened?"

  His face looked like a mask as he looked from his father to me. "He's at Highpoint Bridge. He's been drinking."

  No one said a thing. No one had to. Highpoint Bridge overlooked a fall of more than a hundred yards. It was a dam twenty minutes away. "I thou
ght he just left…"

  Kid clipped out, "He did, but he was driving fast."

  I already knew what could happen. My insides wanted to hurl. "I have to go there."

  "I'll take you." Clarissa shouldered through the door. "You're in no condition to drive."

  I moved to follow her, but Kid grasped my elbow and pulled me tight. "He's dangerous right now, Rayna. He's not who you think he is."

  "I've known him almost my whole life, you're right. I don't know who he is at all."

  "Sarcasm doesn't fit you."

  I shrugged off his hold and glared. "This is how I am. I don't know what happened between you and him, but I'm tired of people getting between Brady and me. Even if we're not together, he's still my best friend. Look up the word loyalty."

  Then I followed behind. Clarissa was quiet as we got in the car and turned into traffic. All I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat.

  "Did Brady say anything? Do you know what happened back there?" I wanted to know if there was more.

  Clarissa's hands were clenched around the steering wheel. "He went in and I heard yelling. I know someone got hit. I didn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't sound good."

  "Why would they fight? Kid told me he knew. If Brady knew and Kid knew and Frank knew, why is everyone fighting?"

  "I have no idea what any of this is about so you're in the dark with me," Clarissa snapped.

  "Huh?" Why was she pissed?

  "I'm pissed because it's the three of you in your little circle of secret trusts and I'm on the outside. I'm tired of it."

  My mouth fell open. "Uh—?"

  She continued her rant with her arms in the air, "I just, forget it. Forget it. I'm done. I'm done, okay?"

  "Okay."

  “Okay? You think it's okay?" Clarissa exploded and jerked forward in her seat to slam back against it. "It's not okay! This is not okay. I want to know what's going on."

  When she pinned her beady eyes on me, I shrugged. "I have nothing. I'm worried about Brady."

  "AHHHH!" Clarissa screamed and then started to mutter under her breath.

  I didn't speak until we got closer to Highpoint Bridge. With Clarissa, I never knew what I was going to get. Her eyes took on a crazy look the closer we got, but I oly focused on Brady. I didn't know what had happened back there or if Frank was my father, but it didn't matter.

  "There he is," Clarissa muttered. She peered straight ahead.

  He was on the fence that separated the road from the steep incline. The dam was ahead. The sound of falling water was overwhelming when we got out of the car.

  "Straight whiskey. Just what he likes when he's in a mood," Clarissa noted.

  Brady glanced over his shoulder before he took a long drink from the bottle. "You better have a damn good reason for bringing her."

  We stopped, frozen for a second. Then I opened my mouth. "Brady—"

  "Not you," he interrupted. "Why'd you bring her, Clarissa? I don't want her here. I don't want either of you."

  His rejection slammed me. My mouth closed with a snap.

  Clarissa stumbled out, "Uh, she's, what's going on, Brady?"

  "None of your business." He was so cold. "Just leave. There ain't anything here for either of you."

  A third swallow.

  Clarissa looked at me. I knew she wanted me to say something, do something, but I didn't know what. He was furious with me and I wasn't sure why. I'd never really seen him like this. I'd seen him livid, but never at me. It wasn't a good feeling. The fetal position in bed was starting to look tempting.

  "Brady, I—" Clarissa stammered out.

  "Leave!" he roared. Then he turned and threw his bottle at us.

  Clarissa jumped and ducked out of the way and that's when my nervousness left. I knew that bottle wasn't going to hit us and it didn't. It sailed clear over our heads and shattered into pieces across the road. Brady would never hurt us, not physically.

  A calm came over me. "I already know."

  He flinched. That was enough for me. I stepped even further. "What happened at the hospital? Why'd you leave me at the jail?"

  Clarissa said, "I just wanted, I came up here because I was worried. I brought her because you two are—"

  "We are not anything!" he roared again and jumped off the fence to land in front of us. He moved like a cat, lean and fluid.

  Clarissa stumbled backwards. "I was trying to help. I was worried and I wanted to help and she's usually the ticket. What's wrong with you?"

  He wasn't going to listen to her. I moved between them. "What happened?"

  Brady jerked as his hand tightened into a fist. Then he grabbed another bottle from his car.

  "Brady," I murmured. "Please tell me. What happened?"

  He shook his head and turned back to take a long drink. "Did you think I was going to jump? Is that why you guys came up here? I wanted to be alone."

  "Kid was worried. I'm worried. Rayna's worried." Clarissa glanced at me.

  "Rayna can't be worried!" Brady exploded. "She's the reason for all of this." Then he seethed at me, "You didn't think I wouldn't find out? How long did you know? Or a better question, how long did you know and not tell me? Has it been since we were together? The first time or the second? Obviously your grandmother knew. Did you think it was funny? Were you both laughing at me?"

  "Ooh." Clarissa stepped back even further, almost to the other side of the road. "I should go. This is between you two. I should, yeah. I'm going to go."

  Brady whipped his glare at her and taunted, "What, Clary? You don't want the gossip? You don't want all the sordid details? Can't handle the aftermath of what you do?"

  She sent me a pleading look.

  "You're just as bad. You've used me all my life. You like screwing the guy at the top. You like the power it gives you."

  "Brady." Clarissa made soothing motions with her hands. "We're friends. We've been friends forever."

  "Friends don't fuck each other." Brady looked at me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  "What are you saying?"

  Brady looked at me like he could commit murder, but he didn't say anything more. He reminded me of his father at that moment.

  I pressed again, "What are you saying?"

  Still nothing.

  I couldn't look away from him. He was about to say something neither of us could take back. I wasn't going to let that happen. No matter how angry, for whatever reason, he wasn't going to throw us away. No chance in hell so I demanded this time, "What. Are. You. Saying?"

  He opened his mouth, but again no sound came out.

  "Say it!" I screamed this time. "You're not going to do this to us, to me. You're not going to make me go away, so stop it. I'm never going to want to not see you again so stop trying to make me."

  I forgot about Clarissa. I didn't care what she overheard.

  "Brady, tell me what happened. You're going to have to. At the end of the day, it's you and me. Always you and me and you know it."

  "Always you and me?" He gave me a crooked, mocking smile as he