“The feds aren’t going to be interested in him for this because he didn’t have any part in planning it,” Kynan replies. “But on a local level, he could be in trouble for dealing in stolen goods.
“But with his cooperation, surely they can work out something that keeps him out of jail,” I say, my eyes on Kynan. He knows more about this stuff than I do.
Mr. Dolan’s head snaps my way, but I ignore him.
I didn’t bring up potential leniency for Brian because I want Mr. Dolan to like me. It’s important because I know it would kill Jaime if her brother went to jail. While I certainly don’t see much in the guy that makes him likable, she has a lifetime of experiences with him that I don’t. I know she loves him with all her heart.
I also saw how regretful he was after she was kidnapped, and he had no qualms about going into the devil’s lair, pretending to have money when he knew he could have easily been shot. He put his life on the line for her, so I’d like some efforts made so the appropriate people know what he did and can perhaps cut him a break.
Kynan shrugs. “They work out deals all the time. I’m sure he has helpful information the district attorney would be interested in.”
A silence falls over our group while everyone digests that Brian’s future is very undetermined. Mrs. Dolan then asks Joslyn, “If you don’t mind, I would love a cup of decaf coffee.”
Joslyn beams at her before heading toward the kitchen. “Anyone else want one?”
I decline, muttering my excuses and goodbyes, then head to my apartment, dying for a shower, but I sense someone following me. When I turn, I see it’s Mr. Dolan.
“Can we talk privately?” he asks.
“Sure,” I reply, nodding down the hall. I certainly can’t say “no” to him, even though I’m probably not mentally prepared to go toe to toe with him about Jaime. “My apartment’s right down here.”
Once inside, I turn right into the small efficiency kitchen and open the fridge door. I hold up a beer over the edge so he can see it, and he nods. I open it, hand it over, and pull one out for myself.
“You think Brian’s going to go to jail?” he asks, his expression now nothing more than a concerned but disappointed father.
“I honestly don’t know,” I reply, shutting the fridge door. I lean against the counter.
“God help me,” he mutters, glancing down at his bottle. “But part of me thinks he needs it.”
“Or maybe this is a huge wake-up call,” I offer, then try to provide him with some reassurances. “All I can tell you is he never intended for Jaime to get hurt. I’m sure had he known she was at risk, he would have sought appropriate help to make sure it didn’t happen.”
Mr. Dolan nods, then takes a pull on his beer. When his gaze comes to mine, there’s a slight chill in it. “Now… how about you tell me why in the hell you and Jaime got married without telling us about it? Better yet, tell me why you married my daughter when she didn’t even know who you really were. I want to know what your game is—because no one marries a woman with such a lie between them.”
I hold back my sigh since I deserve these questions. “First, there is no game. I love your daughter, and I wanted to marry her. I have always intended to tell her the truth from the beginning, but the lie just kept getting bigger the longer I held on to it. The more I fell for her, the more I was afraid to lose her. Your daughter takes honor and integrity very seriously, if you didn’t know.”
He nods with a grave expression. “I do know that. Which is why I’m wondering why you lied to her in the first place?”
Christ, I’d rather not get into that. The reasons were not only stupid, but they also highlight that I was not a great guy when it came to women. I mean… the lie was intended to get a woman out of my bed early the next morning, which means Mr. Dolan will know I was only viewing Jaime as a hookup when we first met.
I put down my beer bottle to face her father. He’s a big guy who looks like he can throw down.
“Okay,” I say, chin up and spine straight. “Here’s the truth.”
I then proceed to tell him what a player I was, how I lied to any woman I met about what I did for a living as I didn’t want them hanging onto me when they realized what a cool and sexy career I have. I told him it was only natural for me to do the same when I met Jaime, but by the time I’d realized just how crazy I was for her, the lie was so deeply embedded that it couldn’t be undone.