Things Lost In The Fire (45 page)

He rose to his feet and accepted the handshake, impossibly moved. “Thanks again, Dad. Seriously.”

Max’s brows lifted. “When they catch the bastard, I expect to get my gun back.”

Brody’s face broke into a wide grin as he released his father’s hand. “You always were such an Indian giver.”

“Don’t make a fool out of me, Brody,” Max retorted, standing firm. “Don’t mistake this small olive branch for a license to wreak havoc.”

“I won’t.” Brody gave a quick, grateful nod. Carrying case in hand, he turned and left the office, shutting the door behind him. He went straight to Chase’s office and collected Sadie, ushering her out to the lobby.

Once they were safely inside the elevator, Sadie turned to him. “So what happened?”

Brody frowned, still in disbelief. “He gave me a gun.”

AFTER THEY arrived back home, Sadie busied herself with cooking an early dinner.

Brody disappeared into the bedroom with the gun, intending to store it in her nightstand in case they needed to use it. The very thought terrified her, but she tried to be reasonable about it. If Drew were to show up at the house, she would definitely feel much safer knowing she could protect herself.

Brody had shown her how to handle and load the Beretta, though she’d been to the range with her grandfather a few times. If it came to it, she could do what needed to be done. She just hoped that moment never came.

While she cut up russet potatoes, the doorbell rang. Her heart jumped into her throat, but she remembered that the police were still stationed outside and probably needed to speak to her. She walked to the front door and looked through the peep hole, then let out an excited yelp.

She opened the door and launched herself at Tommy, hugging him tightly. “Hey! What are you doing here?”

Tommy released her, looking her over carefully. “We were worried about you, kid.”

Sadie glanced over his shoulder to both Isaac and, surprisingly, her father, who was staring at her with strained concern in his eyes. “You guys really didn’t have to come all the way out here from Boston. I’m fine, I promise.”

Isaac let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You seriously thought we’d stay away after what happened to you? I thought we were a family?”

Her smile faltered as guilt set in. “We are. It’s just…” Her eyes drifted back to her father, who seemed out of place and uncomfortable. But despite everything, he was still standing there on her doorstep, concerned for her. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Ben nodded, staring at the new security lights she’d installed. “Your mother thought it was best that I come see you.”

Sadie’s eyes widened. “You talked to her?”

“She called me,” he admitted, running a hand over the back of his neck. “She said you needed me here.”

Her heart broke at the hopeful tone in his voice, as if he didn’t really believe it. Unsure what to say, she attempted a smile. “Thank you.”

Brody emerged from inside the house, his teeth flashing in a grin. “Hey look, a family reunion.”

Sadie looked at him, feeling awkward. “Dad, Tommy, this is Brody Odell.”

“Nice to meet you,” Brody greeted, extending his hand to Tommy first.

A knowing grin lit Tommy’s face. “So you’re the boy who’s been watching over our Sadie-bug.”

“Well, she’s actually been babysitting me, but I can see how you could get that confused,” Brody joked, shaking hands with Isaac before facing Ben. The two men sized each other up before Brody finally held out his hand, his grin sharp around the edges. “Nice to finally meet you, Ben.”

Ben accepted the handshake with a curt nod, saying nothing. His gaze fell to his daughter. “Can we go inside?”

“Of course,” Sadie stammered, motioning toward the house. “It’s your home.”

He and Tommy went inside, Brody close behind. Sadie followed with Isaac, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“Still no word on the creeper, huh?” he asked.

She shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at the patrol car that was parked a ways down the street, keeping an eye on things. “I doubt we’ll see him again. He’s probably halfway to Mexico by now.”

“So Dad said Valerie told him it’s Lee Walker’s son who’s doing all this,” Isaac said, stepping into the house and shutting the door. He turned her so she was facing him, his hands resting on her shoulders. Concern tightened his brow. “Is it true, Sadie?”

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and nodded.

“After all this time, he’s just now trying to hurt you?”

She looked away, feeling uncomfortable. “He’s disturbed. He has a history of drug abuse and violence, mental illness...”

“Maybe you should get out of town for awhile, come back to Boston with us,” Isaac suggested.

“No.” She stood firm, her eyes meeting his. “I won’t run away.”

Disbelief flashed over his face. “This isn’t the time to stand on principle, Sadie. He tried to kill you.”

She frowned, her courage dampened by the memory of those hands tightening around her neck. It sent a shiver down her spine. “I know what he tried to do.”

“So then come with us.”

She shook her head. “What makes you think he won’t just find me there? The press reports every move I make. I can’t escape, Isaac. All I can do is protect myself while he’s still on the loose.”

“And if they don’t find him?” Isaac asked. “What then?”

“They will,” she asserted, more for herself than for him. “I have to believe they will.”

In the kitchen, Brody opened the fridge and pulled out beers for Ben and Tommy. He popped off the tops and handed over the bottles. “Hope you guys like Corona.”

Tommy grinned and lifted the bottle in a toast. “I like anything that’s free.”

Brody snickered and opened a beer for himself as well, taking a long pull from it. His eyes fell to Ben and he gave a light nod. “Can I talk to you alone for a second?”

Ben’s lips pressed together in a tight frown. “Sure.”

While Tommy went to bug Sadie, Brody followed Ben out to the backyard. They sat down in the comfortable armchairs, facing the view of the city.

Brody took a few moments to collect his thoughts. When he spoke, he tried to leave any hostility he felt for the man out of his voice. “You probably remember my dad, Max Odell.”

Ben let out a derisive sniff, taking a sip of his beer. “Val’s lawyer.”

Brody nodded. “So then you know what a coldhearted son of a bitch he can be. Being his son, I should know better than anybody. He’s spent most of my life trying to fit me into a convenient little box, but if you know anything about me, which I think you do, you know I’m something of a rebel.” He paused and drank his beer, his gaze shifting to Ben. “I know you may not realize this, but Sadie’s a rebel, too. She probably gets it from you.”

Ben’s jaw tightened, though he said nothing. He continued to stare at the city, silently listening.

“The happiest I’ve ever seen her was when she was up onstage with you,” Brody continued, sorrow and anger churning within him. “Not only was she able to be herself, she was able to be your daughter. That’s all she’s ever wanted. She inherited this voice from you, this love of music, yet you ignored her all these years.”

When Ben still said nothing, Brody let out a frustrated sigh. “At least my dad had a reason to push me away; I was an ungrateful brat most of the time. But Sadie, she’s never done anything to hurt anyone in her entire life. She’s the best person I know, and she became that way in
spite
of you. It’s the rebel in her that created an alias so she could still sing, because it’s what she loves. She’s never let your lack of love for her stand in the way of what makes her happy.”

“Of course I love her,” Ben retorted, his face still carefully devoid of emotion. He shot Brody a cold look. “After what happened to her, I made sure she was safe.”

“You sent her away,” Brody countered, temper sparking. “I’m sure your parents are great people, Ben, but they aren’t you. And what she needed after nearly being raped was her father to hold her close and tell her it was going to be okay.”

The first crack appeared in Ben’s mask, regret softening his face. He looked away, hands clenched tight over his beer. He was silent for a few moments before clearing his throat and speaking again. “With my schedule, I’m hardly ever home. She was better off in Lake Tahoe, where—”

“Christ, Ben, stop making excuses.” Brody threw up his free hand and let out a dark laugh. “Is it really so hard for you to admit you screwed up with her? That you were a shitty father?”

A dozen emotions contorted Ben’s features, all of them painful. His eyes met Brody’s, the blue in them darkening. “I didn’t know how to help her. It was easier to ship her off to someone who would know what to do.”

Brody’s temper fizzled. He sat back in his chair, taking a long pull from his beer.

Ben continued, his voice solemn. “Val and I, we should’ve never been parents. We spent so much time at war with each other instead of paying attention to what really mattered. Sadie’s the only good thing that ever came out of that mess.”

Brody glanced over at him, pleased to see him admit the truth. “Well, there’s a couple of good Albatross songs that came out of that freak show, too, but that’s beside the point.”

Ben cracked a smile, tilting his head to look at Brody. “Val said you were a funny guy.”

One of Brody’s eyebrows lifted. “Apparently she’s been singing my praises all around town. Guess I should be flattered.”

“I didn’t want to believe her. You’re still a paparazzi, after all.” Ben chuckled, drinking his beer. He sighed, a pensive look crossing his face. “Then again, Val’s usually a pretty good judge of character.”

“Except for Lee Walker,” Brody put in casually.

Ben nodded, his humor fading. “I don’t know what she saw in him.”

Brody shrugged. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

Ben tensed. “So you know they were having an affair?”

“She told us. How’d you find out?”

“Tommy.” Ben rolled his shoulders, irritation in his voice. “She has no idea I know. But she does know I blamed her for what happened to Sadie. I still do.”

Brody passed his beer between his hands thoughtfully. “If I asked you who shot him, would you tell me if you knew?”

Ben faced him, shaking his head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

O
NCE PERSUADED that Sadie was safe, Ben, Tommy, and Isaac left for their hotel. The patrol car continued to wait down the street, the officer inside ever vigilant, allowing Sadie and Brody to settle in for the evening.

They curled up together on the sofa, mindlessly watching
Casablanca
as the sun went down. Sadie rested her head on Brody’s chest, enjoying the quiet sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his arm around her. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes to savor this one moment of calm in the storm that had become her life.

A low, distant rumbling sound intruded on her thoughts. Her eyes flew open as she sat up, ears honed in on the sound, noticing that it seemed to vibrate through the walls as it got louder. Brody heard it too and muted the television.

“Is that…” Sadie began, that first flicker of anxiety washing over her.