Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Solomon took off the tiara and followed him, elbows on the counter as he watched Seamus finish making four turkey sandwiches and slice up a bowl of strawberries for his daughter. She’d started asking for them at every meal. He wasn’t sure why, but it was healthier than her previous fixation with jellybeans, so he went with it.
“Thanks for taking the kids for me. I’m sure you have better things to do with your free time.”
“Haven’t had enough of it to find out.” Solomon lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You know I usually work through lunch, but I have the information you were looking for.”
The throb that instantly started at his temple told Seamus he wasn’t going to like what he heard. “Did you get a name?”
“Bellamy Demir. I ran him through our computers but he’s not on anyone’s list. He’s just some rich hotshot from New York with no priors. I’m thinking of asking Tanaka to get us more information. The hacker knows his—”
“No.” Seamus interrupted, his voice rougher than he wanted it to be. “Don’t mention this to Ken, okay? Please.”
Solomon’s eyes narrowed. “You know him.” It wasn’t a question.
“I do.” It might shock him if he knew how well.
“And if you’d had any idea he was involved, you wouldn’t have told me about your problem at all.” Solomon scowled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn it, Seamus, what else are you keeping to yourself? I still can’t believe you’ve been doing this for six years without anyone’s help. You know I’m all for a man’s right to keep a few secrets—I have a few of my own—but something like that? That isn’t something you have to carry alone. No one should. With everything that came to light last year, it’s a wonder no one found out.”
“I know it.” And if it weren’t for the man he’d met five months ago, they never would have. Damn him anyway. Bellamy knew everything now. The secrets he’d kept due to expectations, and the one that was his lifelong obligation. His burden alone.
What was Demir doing? After months of silence, why now? Why this? “I appreciate your help, Solomon. I didn’t mean to drag you into this, but I can handle it from here.”
“You didn’t drag me into anything. And you shouldn’t keep this to yourself, Seamus. At least your parents.”
Seamus sighed. “Not yet, okay? Things are finally back to normal. Dad’s healthy, Finn’s is doing great, Tanaka doesn’t have men guarding our houses and no journalists are hiding in our bushes looking for the scoop on Senator Stephen. It’s practically peaceful around here lately. I’ll tell them, I promise. Just not right now.”
“What about Demir?”
“I told you, I can deal with Bellamy. Now that I know it’s him, I know exactly what to do.” He forced a confidence he didn’t feel, unwilling to let Solomon see how thrown he really was. “Let’s switch gears. Tell me what your brothers are up to.”
The change in topic did its job distracting Solomon. He was a lot like Seamus in that way, a big brother to his bones. Neither one of them knew how to turn it off.
“Get ready to have holes shot through your practically peaceful idea,” Solomon grumbled. “Things on my side of the Finn fence are anything but.”
“James?”
“Still avoiding me and everyone else. Nothing new there.”
“Rory?”
Solomon sighed. “Better, but not back to his old self yet. Not since Owen’s wedding.”
Seamus knew Brady was doing great. Better than that, he’d told everyone about his and Tanaka’s engagement. They hadn’t set a date yet, but they were madly in love.
“Don’t tell me Wyatt finally took off his shirt in the wrong place and got arrested,” he joked weakly, hoping it was something that simple.
Solomon shook his head. “Noah’s in trouble, Seamus. The kind of trouble only you could understand.”
“That narrows it down.”
“The morning show host popped up after eight months to tell him he was going to be a father.”
“You’re kidding.” After Owen’s wedding, Noah had disappeared with the one reporter Stephen had allowed to attend for two days, coming back with a wicked grin and an insincere apology for not turning on his phone. That was the last time any of them had heard of the woman until now. “Didn’t he use protection?”
“Every time but one it seems, but once was all it took.” He ran his palm over his short buzz cut. “She asked if Noah wanted the baby.”
“Jesus.” Seamus felt an ache of sympathy in his chest and pushed his own worries away to focus on Noah. “Has she talked to her family? If it’s about finances or—”
“Her parents are in a retirement home in Florida and she doesn’t want them to know.” His cousin’s expression was grim. “And I don’t think it’s about money as much as it’s about her career. There’s a talk show in Seattle offering her a spot and she’s already found a place to live there. After she dropped her bombshell, she informed Noah she’d put the baby up for adoption if he said no. That was her original plan, but then she remembered the research she’d done on our family. She mentioned you and the kids specifically.”