Page 123 of Fall of a Kingdom

She fell silent for a long moment.

“Hen?”

“When you get home, there’s something I need to—crap, Hawk! Stop trying to drown your brother. Flynn? I’ve got to go. Call me tomorrow and tell me how the press conference went.”

She hung up on me. I lowered my phone and stared at it, frowning. Why did it feel like every time I was on the phone with her, she was close to telling me something, but always got interrupted or sidetracked?

When I got home, I was going to sit down with my wife and get to the bottom of whatever was bothering her.

Chapter42

BARRETT

“Out of the pool,”I yelled at Hawk. “Now!”

“Mam,” he whined.

“I told you not to beat up on your brothers. And if you can’t play nice, then you don’t get to play at all.”

Sulking, Hawk dog-paddled toward the stairs. Iain stuck his tongue out at his brother, but the moment he saw me watching, he retracted it.

“Barrett the bad ass,” Ash said from the shallow end. Carys was in a flotation device, splashing the water with her fists, her giggles echoing off the high ceiling.

Quinn had been asleep on a lounge in the corner but came awake with a start and she looked around in a moment of panic. When she realized nothing was truly amiss, she settled back down.

My nerves and patience were frayed. I wanted to go home. I wanted to take the boys and Piper and wait for Flynn. I knew the moment he walked through the door, I’d spill everything. There would be no finesse, no easing him into the truth. But maybe that was how it was supposed to be.

I was sitting on information that would change the course of his life forever. It was why I hadn’t balked at the idea of PR for The Rex. Even though my time was limited, I wanted to pretend like it wasn’t. So, I would jet set with my husband and children, I’d give the interviews, I’d smile for the cameras and journalists, and only behind closed doors would I continue to deteriorate.

Hawk ascended the stairs and dripped water where he stood. He shook his head, reminding me of a dog after a bath, spraying water droplets everywhere.

I grabbed a towel on the edge of the chaise and went to him. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the puddle in my path. My foot slid through it, and I immediately lost my balance. I twisted my knee on the way down which threw off my center of gravity even more.

“Barrett!” Ash cried.

“Mam!” came Hawk’s worried voice.

“I’m okay,” I said, gritting my teeth against the pain.

“Everyone out of the pool,” Ash commanded.

“Careful,” I called out as I heard manic splashing from the pool.

I felt steady and confident hands grasp my arms, helping me sit up. It was Quinn, and she was crouched down next to me.

“I’m fine,” I assured her.

My children stood with their towels around their wet bodies, peering at me with wide, scared eyes. Parents weren’t supposed to fall. To fail. To get hurt. We were supposed to be infallible.

I forced a smile. “I just had a little accident.” I opened my arms to them and before I knew it, I was enveloped by thin, little boy arms. Noah snuggled up against me, reminding me of what he’d been like as an infant.

I had memories of them, but I wouldn’t have any new ones. They would be frozen at this age until I died, and my memories, thoughts and wishes crumbled like dust.

Just like my body.

I couldn’t stop the flow of tears that escaped without my permission.

“Why are you crying?” Iain asked, pulling back to look at me.