Going Down Fast (Billionaire Bad Boys 2)

She laughed. “That answers your question. Just one more thing.” Her gaze fell to the one box she hadn’t opened.

“What’s that?” he asked, his stare following hers.

“It’s got some things in it that were meant for the baby.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I couldn’t bring myself to part with them, so I hid them in my closet.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Why hide it? I’m almost afraid to ask.”

She swallowed hard. “Keith got rid of anything related to the baby immediately, so I stashed things I couldn’t bear to part with at the bottom of my closet. One night when he was out, I packed it all into a box and put it beneath old sweaters.” She shrugged. “They were the only links I had to the life that grew inside me.”

“Aww. C’mere.” He held out his arms and she walked into them.

When she was enveloped in his embrace and the comforting smell of everything that was Lucas, the pain and sadness that came with the memories weren’t quite as sharp and acute. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart and letting it soothe her.

“I want to take the box home. If Bernardi comes back, I don’t want anything that has special meaning to be left for him to tear apart.” She tipped her head up and looked at him.

“Whatever you want.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

He tapped her on the nose. “Thanking me is unnecessary. Let’s get going. I’ll put the box in the car and we can feed you.”

She knew he was deliberately lightening the mood, and she appreciated it. “Me? You’re the one who said you were hungry.” She stepped back, giving him room so he could lift the box.

“And you’re the one with the noisy stomach.”

She couldn’t argue with that. So she pulled out the keys to the unit and locked things up behind them, leaving Keith’s things where they belonged. Unfortunately, his legacy still followed her… and would until she found that flash drive.

Chapter Nine

Lucas pulled up to the standard colonial in a Long Island suburb he’d bought his parents after Blink took off. They’d been hesitant about moving, but their old house was in need of serious repair, and Lucas had talked them into moving. He’d called ahead to make sure they’d both be home, and as he pulled into the driveway, he caught sight of the car idling a few feet away, a man keeping an eye on the house. It wasn’t much, but he had Bernardi’s description. Hopefully he wouldn’t get by the detail.

He rang the doorbell, but when he turned the knob, it opened easily. Something that would change once his parents became aware of the threat.

“Mom? Dad?” Lucas called out as he stepped inside, shut the door, and turned the lock.

“In the kitchen,” his mother replied.

Lucas walked down a short hall and turned into the room. His father sat at the table drinking his coffee. His mother, it seemed, had just poured herself a cup.

“Lucas, can I get you something?”

He shook his head. “I came to talk.”

“Son, I’m not sure this is the right time,” his father said. Obviously he knew the direction of the conversation Lucas wanted to have.

“There’s never going to be a right time, and n

ow it can’t wait.”

“Why?” his mother asked. “Why can’t we leave your brother’s indiscretions in the past?”

His frustration with his parents’ denial grew. “Because they were more than indiscretions,” Lucas said through clenched teeth. “Let me put it to you this way. A guy threatened Maxie if she doesn’t turn over something that Keith had of his. And she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He already broke into her storage unit and old apartment. And I can’t guarantee he won’t come after you two or break in here looking for it, so I hired protection.”

His mother gasped and his father blanched. He walked over and put an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Lucas—”

“No joke, Dad. There’s a security guard sitting outside. So if you two don’t want to hear about your angel son, fine. Just make sure you lock the doors and set the alarm.” Lucas dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “And if you have a problem, call this number. The guy outside will be here in seconds.” He slapped the card on the table.

He’d done what he could, protected his family despite their stubborn refusal to see the truth.