Beautiful Rose (Beautiful Rose 1)

"And now?" I asked.

Alex thought for a moment. "I've come to terms with the fact that Dad is never going to give me closure. No matter what we do, he is not going to give us what we need to close that wound. I think once I realized that—and I mean really realized it—things became easier."

I nodded. What he was saying made sense, but I needed to do more than just hear it. I needed to believe it.

Chapter Nineteen

Jack

The laptop sat on my desk, open to Google. I sat back on the chair, my fingers strumming against my thigh. Did I really want to do this? After nearly twenty years, what could she possibly say to me that would make things right? What if I found her and she didn't even want to speak to me?

My mind wandered to Alex. He had no idea I was doing this. If she didn't want to see me, fine, I could live with that, but if she did, that wasn’t something I could keep from my brother. I felt like I was almost betraying him by going behind his back.

Fuck. Just do this, Jack.

I leaned forward and grabbed the laptop. When I plugged in my mother’s name, the screen filled with page after page. Over one million results. Great. I racked my brain, trying to think of anything that might help me. I knew that both of her parents were dead, she had no brothers or sisters, and there was a damn good chance she’d changed her name after she left us. This was hopeless.

Picking up the phone, I called Benj.

“Hey man,” he said.

“Hey. Look, I need a favor. Do you know any private investigators? I need to find someone who is pretty well hidden.” Benj had worked a lot of security, so I figured he was my best chance of finding a decent one.

“A P.I.? Shit, Jack, not what I expected to be asked this early on a Friday morning.” He chuckled. “Um, yeah. My cousin used one last year to catch his wife cheating. Apparently he was pretty thorough. I'll get his details for you.”

“Great. And Benj?” I asked.

He laughed. “Lemme guess, keep this to myself?”

I chuckled. “You got it.”

#

Downstairs, I began to prepare for a private event that evening. The entire venue was booked out for a party of thirty-five people. It was these kinds of nights I loved—a small crowd, but maximum dollars. Tonight's party was in honor of a well-known actor, though I hadn't been given any details on who the guest of honor was. All I knew was that they had money. The price they were paying for the venue, the band and the private catering exceeded my monthly income. I just hoped they liked to drink.

Who was I kidding? They were actors; of course they liked to drink.

I looked up as the front door opened. Anger surged through me as I realized who it was. Storming over to the door, I shook my head in disgust.

“Are you fucking serious? How many times do I have to tell you it’s over?” I groaned.

Harmony frowned, her hands on her hips.

“I thought you just needed some time to cool down—”

“Cool down?” I said, incredulously. “Harmony, it’s over. Do I need to spell it out for you? Just go latch onto some other guy,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. This chick just didn't get it. I didn't want to be an asshole, but it was the only way she was going to get the message and leave me the fuck alone. “Just fuck off and stay away from me and my bar.”

Her face clouded over as her eyes narrowed. “You'll regret this, Jack. Nobody makes a fool out of me.”

“Yeah, because you do such a good job of it yourself,” I smirked.

My eyes remained on hers as they filled with a look that could only be describ

ed as venomous. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stalked out the door, slamming it behind her.

“What the fuck,” I murmured, shaking my head. The chick was insane. I just hoped she got the message now. As an afterthought, I clicked the lock on the door.

I returned back to my paperwork. Still reeling from Harmony's visit, I picked up my phone and texted Alex.