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6

TALLIE

“ H ow did it go?”

“I’m not sure.” I shrugged. “They don’t have any leads yet.”

“Can you go?”

“Yes, but we have to come back tomorrow. The detective wants to ask you and Ford some questions.”

“But I’ve already talked to one of the detectives.”

“He’s just trying to be thorough.”

“Well, there’s only so many times I can say I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me.” I knelt down next to Ford and took his hand in mine. “How are you holding up, kiddo?”

“I want to go home.”

“I know. Me too. Let’s get your grandmother home first, and then…”

“Please stay with me tonight,” Mom interrupted. “I know you have been through so much tonight, but I really don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay. We can do that.” I glanced down at Ford as I asked, “That going to be okay with you?”

I could tell by his expression he wasn’t crazy about the idea, but he answered, “Yeah, as long as I don’t have to sleep downstairs.”

“You can sleep with your mom or on the sofa,” Mom answered. “Wherever you feel most comfortable.”

“We’ll figure it out when we get there.”

I motioned them towards the door, and they both followed suit. As we started towards the parking lot, I couldn’t help but notice a sleek black Mercedes with dark tinted windows that was parked across the street. There was something about it that caused a flicker of unease to pass through me. I paused and gave it a hard look, then shook my head and pushed my doubts aside. With everything that was going on, paranoia was the last thing I needed.

We hurried to the car, and I did my best to shake the weight of the day as I got behind the wheel and started the engine. But just as I started driving, I noticed that the Mercedes pulled out behind us. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but with every turn I made, it followed quickly behind.

My hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Mom, do you know who that is?”

“Who?”

“The Mercedes behind us,” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Do you recognize it?”

She glanced back and after a quick look, she answered, “No, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“I don’t know. I think they’re following us.”

“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”

Before I had a chance to argue, we came up on an intersection. I took the turn, but the Mercedes kept straight. I let out a shaky breath and told myself I was imagining things. But deep down, I wasn’t so sure.

Half an hour later, we were pulling up to the house I once called home. We were all exhausted, so we wasted no time getting inside and ready for bed. Mom helped me get Ford settled in my old room, and once he was asleep, she suggested, “Why don’t you go take a hot bath?”

“I’m fine.” I turned to face her as I said, “It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Oh, honey. I’m okay.” Her eyes drifted to the ground as she admitted, “I’m still running on shock.”

“But the shock will eventually run off.”

“Yes, and I will deal with everything then.”

“I’m so sorry, Mom.” I stepped over and wrapped my arms around her. “I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.”

“It doesn’t seem real. I keep waiting for someone to tell me this is all just a bad dream and he isn’t really gone.” She hugged me tighter as she started to cry. “How could somebody do this? He wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t deserve this.”

“Of course, he didn’t.”

“I know this may sound strange…” Mom released me from our embrace and wiped the tears from her eyes as she continued, “But I was almost expecting something like this to happen.”

“You were expecting this?”

“No, not exactly. It was just a feeling that I was going to lose him. And to be honest, it felt like he’d been pulling away for almost a year. Lately, it’s been even worse.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“You have your own things going on with moving back and getting your shop open. Besides, we all know how you feel about your father.”

“Mom, Dad and I had our disagreements, but I loved him. I would never want anything bad to happen to him, especially something like this—even after everything he did.”

“I know, sweetie. I also know he did those things because he loved you and wanted the best for you.”

“Yeah, well, sending me away to art school was one thing. Forcing me to completely cut ties with Holt was another, especially after he found out about Ford.”

My father had always been controlling, but when he decided to put an end to me and Holt, he became ruthless. He sent me to Paris and told me he was giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but I knew better.

Everyone did.

He wanted us apart, and he didn’t care how he did it.

Once I was at school, he restricted my ability to make international calls and monitored my emails. He even had someone from his firm "check in" on me every few days to make sure I wasn’t trying to contact Holt.

When I found out I was pregnant, I thought the idea of his grandson might change things, and he would soften a little. But it only made him worse. He told me if I dared to reach out to Holt, he’d make sure I never saw or spoke to him again. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I wasn’t taking any chances. He was a powerful man who was close to other powerful men. I knew he had the means to keep his word, so even though it broke me, I did as he said.

Mom heard both sides of it, and while she knew I was devastated, she supported the decisions my father made. It was hard not to hold it against her, but she was my mother. I needed her, and more than that, I loved her. I wanted her to be in my life and Ford’s.

As the months passed, I became less and less afraid of Dad and his threats. I’d grown up and realized that there was only so much he could do, so when Ford turned two, I decided to reach out to Holt and finally tell him about our son.

I wasn’t sure how to reach him, so I tried calling his folks. When I didn’t hear back, I tried getting in touch with some of his old friends. Rooks got word that I’d been trying to find Holt, and that’s when he broke the news to me that he was gone. He’d been killed during an attack on his brigade. It had happened just a few months earlier.

Not that it mattered when it happened. Either way, I had lost my chance to tell him about our son. I’d also lost any hope of ever seeing him again, and that nearly broke me. I loved him and always believed that we would find our way back to one another. Now, that would never happen.

I don’t think I would’ve gotten through it if it hadn’t been for Ford.

He gave me the strength to keep going, but I was never the same.

“That was a hard time for us all,” Mom replied, pulling me from my thoughts. “You were so far away, and I so wanted you to come home.”

“And I wanted to come home, more than you can imagine.”

“I know, dear, but think of all the opportunities you would’ve missed out on.”

“I don’t want to get into this tonight.” I sighed. “I don’t have the strength.”

“I understand.” She reached over and patted me on the knee. “We both could use a good night’s rest.”

“Definitely.”

“I know the detective wants to talk to Ford, but I was thinking that we could ask Glenda to keep an eye on him for a couple of hours. I just hate for him to be exposed to any more of this investigation mess. It could be traumatic for him. We could ask the detective if he really needs to speak to him, and if he does, we can take him back later. What do you think?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

“Great. I’ll give her a call.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I reached over and gave her another hug. “I’ll be just down the hall. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you, sweetheart.”

I waited until she disappeared into her room, then I went back to check in on Ford. As I’d hoped, he was still fast asleep. I didn’t want to wake him, so I went across the hall and slept in Rooks’ room. I’d finally gotten settled when I heard Mom crying across the hall. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go to her and give her comfort, but something told me she needed the time alone.

So, I gave it some time, and eventually, the crying stopped. She went to sleep and I did the same. The next morning, we slept in and took our time getting ready to go back to the police station. While we wanted to help in any way we could, it was hard to relive everything.

We both just wanted a moment to collect ourselves and prepare for Dad’s funeral, but that wasn’t going to be possible until this investigation was behind us. That thought weighed on my mind as I helped Ford gather his things and walked him over to the neighbor’s house. Once I was sure he had everything he needed, I went and joined Mom in the car.

“You ready?”

“No, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be.”

“It won’t be that bad. You’ll see.”

I wished so much that I could take this all away and make things better for her, but we were stuck. We had to see this thing through, so I started the car and pulled out of the drive. We hadn’t been driving long when I noticed the same black Mercedes trailing behind us. My chest tightened as I glanced over my shoulder for a better look. There was no doubt that it was the same car, so I pressed the gas, quickly picking up speed. I thought I might lose them, but the car stayed with us, shadowing every turn.

“Mom,” I said, my voice sharp with panic, “The Mercedes is back.”

“What?” She turned to look but stayed quiet, her expression tense. “Are you sure it’s the same car?”

“I’m pretty sure. It looks just like it.”

“What do you think they want?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to find out.”

Just as the police station was coming into view, the Mercedes suddenly veered off down a side street, and in a blink, it had disappeared from view. I didn’t slow down until we were in the parking lot, but even then, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding. “I think they’re gone.”

“Should we mention something to the detective?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it was nothing.”

“You’re probably right. Let’s just see how today goes, and if we see it again...”

“We’ll tell him.”

I nodded, and once we were parked, Mom and I went into the station. I let the girl at the front desk know we were there, and then we went to have a seat in the waiting area. I couldn’t imagine being more uncomfortable. We were surrounded by strangers, and the plastic chair beneath me creaked every time I shifted.

My mother sat next to me. Her back was stiff, and she was clutching her designer purse like she was afraid someone would snatch it. She hadn’t said much since we got here, just an occasional, clipped comment about how long this was taking or how "inappropriate" it was to keep us waiting.

I wasn’t really listening, though.

I was too busy wishing I was anywhere but there. Every time the door opened, my breath would catch, and I would wait for someone to call out my name or deliver the news I wasn’t ready to hear. I glanced at my mother again. She looked composed as ever, but the way her jaw clenched told me she wasn’t as calm as she wanted me to believe.

It seemed like we’d been waiting for hours before Detective Joyner came and took us back to his office. He asked about Ford, and when I explained the situation, he agreed to come by the apartment to see him. Once we had that sorted, he asked me more of the questions he’d asked the night before. But his questions for Mom took a different direction.

His brows furrowed as he asked her, “Are you aware that your husband was leading a merger between the city and the Conistone firm?”

“No. Tom didn’t discuss his business dealings with me.”

“So, he never mentioned any concerns or issues he might’ve been dealing with?”

“I’m afraid not.” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you think this merger has something to his murder?”

“We were hoping you could answer that.”

“I honestly don’t know.” Mom glanced over at me for a brief moment, then turned her focus back to the detective. “He seemed a little more stressed than usual, but, like I said, he never really discussed his work with me. Client privilege and all that.”

“Yes, I understand.” Detective Joyner studied Mom for a moment, then lowered his pencil and said, “I appreciate you both coming in today.”

“Of course.” Mom gave him a kind smile, then stood and said, “Please be sure to contact us if you find out anything.”

“I certainly will, and I’ll be in touch about meeting with your son.”

“Sounds good.”

We both shook his hand and made our way out of his office. Once we were in the parking lot, I took a moment to scan the area, checking to see if I saw any sign of the black Mercedes, but there was no sign of them. Relieved, I got in the car and drove Mom back to her house.

I helped Mom out of the car, and as we started up the front steps, something felt off. The front door was slightly ajar, and there was a dark smudge on the brass door handle. Concerned, I looked over to Mom and asked, “Did you leave the door open?”

“No, I didn’t,” Mom clutched her purse tightly and stepped cautiously in front of me. “I’ll go check it out.”

“Not without me.”

“Fine but stay behind me.”

We both hesitated before stepping through the doorway. The hair prickled against the back of my neck as we made our way into the living room. At first, nothing seemed out of the norm. Then, I spotted the door to Dad’s office was wide open when it was always shut. I stepped closer, and my stomach dropped when I saw that it had been ransacked.

All his drawers had been yanked out and dumped on the floor. There were papers and files scattered all over the room, and his antique desk had been smashed to pieces. Books and binders were torn from the shelves, and pages were ripped out and crumpled on the floor. Someone was clearly looking for something, but I had no idea what.

“Oh my God,” Mom whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. “Who would do this?”

I didn’t answer.

My gaze landed on the wall behind the desk, where Dad’s certificates and degrees used to hang. The frames were shattered, and the glass shards glittered on the floor like tiny daggers. It killed me to see his life’s work destroyed and tossed to the side like it meant nothing.

Mom’s voice pulled me from my thoughts when she asked, “What if they are still here?”

“We need to go outside and call the police.”

Mom nodded, and we both rushed out of the house. As soon as we were back in my car, I locked the doors and grabbed my phone. Mom’s face was pale, and her hands were trembling as she listened to me call 911. My voice was steadier than I felt as I explained the situation, and relief washed over me when the dispatcher told me there was an officer in the area and would be there shortly.

I hung up, and Mom and I sat there for several moments in complete silence. It was too much. I was on the verge of completely losing it when Mom muttered, “Thank God Ford was next door when they came...”

“Yes, thank God for that. We should call and check on him.”

“We need to call your brother first.”

“Mom, he’s in London. There’s nothing he can do about all this.”

“I know. He needs to know what’s been going on though.”

“Okay. I’ll call him.” I nodded and then dialed his number. As soon as he answered, I filled him in on what had happened, and just as I expected, Rooks lost it. “What do you mean someone broke into the house?”

“They only went through Dad’s office. I’m pretty sure they were looking for something.”

“Like what?”

“I wish I knew.”

“My next flight is in an hour, but with my layover and travel time, it’s going to be morning before I can get there.”

“Okay. That’s fine.”

“Just do me a solid and stay in your car until the cops get there.”

“We will.”

“I’m sorry about all this, Tal.” He sounded truly sincere as he said, “I wish it was me instead of you.”

“I don’t. I wish it was neither of us.” I let out a breath. “Regardless, we’ll get through this. Just get here when you can.”

I ended the call and immediately dialed the neighbor’s number. I let her know what was going on and promised to pick up Ford as soon as I could. I had just ended the call when the first officers arrived. They went in to make sure the house was clear, and then Mom and I joined them in Dad’s office.

They had just started asking us questions when Detective Joyner arrived. He took a quick look around and shook his head. “I don’t want to worry either of you, but this break in wasn’t random. Whoever did this was looking for something.”

“I thought the same thing, but what could they be looking for?”

“That’s what we need to figure out, and we need to find out fast,” Detective Joyner answered as he opened his notebook and jotted down a few notes. “Do you have any idea what’s missing?”

“No,” Mom answered. “We went outside as soon as we saw that someone had destroyed the office.”

“That’s good.” Joyner turned to one of the other officers and ordered, “I want a full sweep of the place. If you find something, I want to be the first to know.”

“You got it.”

“We were followed last night,” I announced. “It was a black Mercedes. They followed us this morning, too.”

Joyner’s brows furrowed. “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“I thought it was just my imagination or something.”

“I thought I made myself clear.” He stepped closer. “If you know of something, no matter how big or small or insignificant it might seem, you need to tell me. It could make or break this case.”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”

“Can you describe the Mercedes?”

“It was a newer model. Black with tinted windows.”

“And they followed you home last night?”

“Yes, but they turned off a few streets before we reached the house.”

“I see.” He wrote in his notepad, then asked, “And today? When did you notice them following you?”

“We weren’t far from the house... Maybe around Clay Brook Drive.”

“And did they follow you all the way to the station?”

“No, sir. They veered off just a few blocks before.” There was no hiding the concern in my voice when I asked, “Do you think they are the ones responsible for all this?”

“There’s no way to be sure.” He closed the notepad, then looked up at me and said, “I think it’s best for you and your mother to find somewhere else to stay for a couple of nights.”

“You think they will come back?”

“There’s always the possibility.”

“This is crazy.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Warren. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“It’s fine. We can go stay at my apartment.”

“Or we could stay at a hotel,” Mom suggested with a hopeful expression. “It’ll be safer.”

“That’s a good idea.” Detective Joyner nodded. “I’ll have officers patrol the area and keep an eye on things.”

“That would be great. Thank you, Detective.”

“Not a problem. Just let me know if anything comes up, and I mean anything .”

“We certainly will.”

Mom rushed upstairs to pack a bag, and the entire time, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It wasn’t just the mess that unnerved me. It was the intent behind it. Someone had come into our home, and they hadn’t just taken Dad’s papers and books. They’d taken a piece of our peace of mind.

Once she had everything she needed, we drove over to the neighbor’s and picked up Ford. He’d barely gotten settled in the backseat when the questions started rolling in. “Why were the cops at Nana’s?”

“They were checking Papa’s office for clues that might help them with their case.”

“Why did you tell Ms. Glenda that we were going to a hotel?”

“Because we are.”

“But why?” Ford pushed.

“Because I need some time away from the house.” Mom’s eyes skirted over to me, and I knew she was just trying to protect Ford when she told him, “It’s hard for your mother and I to be there without your grandfather.”

“But why do Mom and I have...”

“ Because we do ,” I cut him off. “It’ll just be for a few days, and then, things will start to get back to normal.”

“I wanna go back to New York,” Ford grumbled in the backseat.

I felt sorry for the kid. He’d been through a lot over the past few years. He’d moved countries, lost all friends, made new ones, only to lose them when we moved back home, and he’d done it all with an absentee mom. I was constantly in class, and when I wasn’t, I was in the studio working on my next big project. I was hoping things would settle down now that we were back home, but that hadn’t been the case. If anything, it was worse.

When we got to the hotel, Mom got us a suite, so Ford and I would have our own room. Ford seemed pretty hesitant about the whole hotel thing until he saw that they had hot chocolate and fresh cookies in the lobby. The second he spotted them, his whole demeanor changed. “This place is awesome.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, they have a pool and everything.” He stopped and crinkled his nose with a pout. “Oh, man. I don’t have my trunks.”

“I can go grab them.” I looked over to Mom as I said, “I need to grab a few things anyway.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, there’s no need in that. I’ll just run, get what we need, and come right back.”

“It’s an hour there and back.”

“Which is why you guys should stay here.” I reached over and gave her arm a tender squeeze. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Please be careful.”

I nodded, then knelt in front of Ford. “Be sweet to your grandmother and do whatever she tells you.”

“What if she tells me to jump on the bed?”

“Well, you gotta do what you gotta do.” I gave him a wink before kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll be back when I can.”

With that, I turned and headed back out to my car.

I was running on empty.

Over the past couple of days, I felt like I’d been through hell and back, and I had. It was bad enough to witness my father’s murder, but I’d also been questioned by the police, followed by a strange car, and we had someone break into the house. I felt like I might crumble under the weight of it all. I just wanted to crawl into my bed and let the grief and exhaustion pull me under.

But that wasn’t possible.

Mom and Ford needed me to keep it together, so I kept putting one foot in front of the other. As I started up the steps, I thought about all the things I’d need to grab from my apartment. It wasn’t much, just some more clothes and a few toiletries. Once I had them, I could head back to the hotel and crash for the night.

I planned to do just that, but when I rounded the corner, I was surprised to find three men standing at my door. They were big men, barely able to fit in my small hallway, and they were wearing leather jackets with embroidery I’d never seen before. They were clearly bikers, but none that I’d seen before.

Two of them were talking in low voices, but the third was turned toward my door, his hand raised as if he’d just knocked. Thinking they might have something to do with my father’s death, I panicked and started to take a step back. I’d barely lifted my foot when one of them noticed me.

He had a handsome face and kind eyes, but his muscles and tattoos made him look menacing as he took a step towards me. His lips curled into a smile as he said, “Hey there, beautiful. Where you runnin’ off to?”

Before he could answer, the man who knocked at my door turned, and my breath caught somewhere between a gasp and a sob. It was Holt, but that couldn’t be.

My mind had to be playing tricks on me, or I was dreaming, but it couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be him. It wasn’t possible. Holt was gone. He’d died overseas. I’d grieved for him. I’d cried endless tears for the life we never got to have.

But there he was, standing right there in front of me.

I could see that he was as alive and real as the ache in my chest.

“It can’t be,” I whispered to myself. “There has to be some mistake.”

But when his eyes locked on mine, full of that same fire I used to know, I knew. They’d lied. They’d all lied.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run into his arms or fall apart on the spot.

It didn’t matter. I couldn’t move if I wanted to. I felt like my soul had been yanked from my body, and I was nothing more than a puddled mess. My legs felt like lead, and my heart was pounding like thunder.

My mind struggled to process what I was seeing. His hair was longer, and his shoulders seemed broader. But those familiar, piercing eyes left me with no doubt. They were the same eyes I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. And they were the same ones I’d seen in my son every single day since the day he was born.

“It can’t be,” I cried. “It’s not possible.”

“Tallie?”

His voice was low, but it was him. I would recognize that voice anywhere. His gaze softened for a moment, and for a heartbeat, I saw the boy I’d loved all those years ago. The boy who used to make me laugh and promised me the world.

My mind started racing with all the lies I’d been told. I couldn’t believe it.

The people I trusted the most lied to me. They shattered my hopes and dreams, and now, I was left to pick up the pieces of their betrayal.