The Power: Building the Circle - Book 2 Page 14

  OH, MY GOD. WHAT DID I JUST DO?

  ✽✽✽

  Adrian was dressed and ready to leave when Lucy woke up on Monday morning.

  "Wow, early start today?" She asked.

  "Good morning," Adrian said with a quick kiss. "Yep, early meetings. I was just about to head out."

  "Disregard the note I just left you," he said with a small smile. Have a great day. Please take the security people with you if you go out," he said as he walked out the door without waiting for a response.

  She had slept upstairs with him last night, but there was no hot and bothered time. He seemed like he wasn't feeling well, but now she realized he was upset.

  He's mad about the background file. Why do I keep fucking things up? Lucy thought.

  ✽✽✽

  Around 11, her cell phone buzzed with a text message.

  WILLIAM: How bored are you right now? Want some lunch company?

  LUCY: Sure!

  WILLIAM: Noah and I will be there in about a half-hour. Any special lunch requests?

  LUCY: Surprise me.

  ✽✽✽

  Will and Noah found Lucy and Ree hanging out in the backyard.

  "That kid needs a dog!" Noah yelled.

  "Yay! Uncle Noah!" Ree yelled as he ran for him. When Ree made contact, Noah fell over in the grass, like he'd just been tackled by the raw might of a five-year-old.

  Lucy laughed as Noah fake wrestled with Henry, eventually getting pinned and defeated.

  She looked at Will. "See this? This roughhousing is fine, He-man."

  "You're no fun either, Lou. He was perfectly fine," Will said defensively.

  "Why? What did you do?" Noah asked.

  "I swung him around by an ankle and made like I was going to toss him to Hennessy, roughly thirty seconds after I met them. It was not well received," Will admitted.

  Noah blinked. "Sometimes, you're not so smart, you know?"

  Will lifted his eyebrows.

  "Ha! Just kidding, man. Yeah! Dangling the sick kid by a leg is a great idea. Please don't hurt me," Noah said with a completely straight face.

  "Hey, Adrian told you it wasn't so smart, too. You didn't threaten him," Lucy laughed.

  "Adrian has a much higher pain tolerance. I'd have to really hurt him to hurt him. This one, not so much," Will said.

  "I'm a lover, not a fighter," Noah said with a wink.

  "It's nice to meet you, Noah," Lucy said, still chuckling.

  "Likewise, tall, blonde, and beautiful," he said with another wink.

  Will smacked him upside the head. "Stop it."

  "I feel like this is my role in our family. I'm the flirt. It's my job," Noah said defensively, rubbing the back of his head.

  Will ignored him. "You look better, Lou. More rested. At least a little more relaxed. Stitches come out soon?"

  "Adrian said probably tomorrow. Tuesday night is a little fuzzy. I don't know if I said thanks, but thanks. I'd probably be dead right now if you weren't there," Lucy said.

  Will nodded in agreement without trying to soften the blow. "Probably. This is why we don't bet against Sam. Ever. The only one that bets against him is Noah, but he's an idiot. And, he never bets about anything important. When Spooky Sam says something, we listen. Lesson learned?"

  "Definitely, but it's weird," Lucy laughed.

  Noah's eyebrows climbed his forehead. "You've met Sam, right? Did he scream 'normal' to you?"

  Will smacked Noah upside the head again.

  "Would you please stop doing that?" Noah bitched.

  "I'll stop doing that as soon as you stop being a dumbass," Will promised. "Let's eat. Brought sandwiches."

  "You people eat a LOT of food. Like, A LOT. I made five pounds of roasted chicken on Friday. I have no idea what happened to it. Adrian dropped it while midnight snacking, I think. The bowl was in the dish drainer on Saturday morning," she said with another laugh as they sat down at the patio table.

  Will was watching her closely. "Hmm. Yeah, we do. Adrian and I burn through a lot of calories. How are things going with you here? Do you want to go to a hotel or come to stay with me? You don't have to stay here."

  "We can't leave!" Ree said, alarmed.

  "We're fine-" Lucy started.

  William cut her off, crouching down to meet Ree's eyes. "Henry, I will not let anyone hurt you or Aunt Lucy. You are safe now. Understand? No more worrying about the bad people. No more being scared in the night. No more. You're safe, and you'll stay safe." Even pitching his voice low, Will couldn't stop it from ringing with truth and power.

  Henry wrapped his little body around Will in a hug and burst into tears. "I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all, it was scary all the time and Aunt Lucy cried about the money people and the people were in the hall. It was loud next door, and the bad people came and Aunt Lucy was scared and the people in the bar hurt her and then I was sick and-" he rambled into Will's shoulder.

  "Ree!" Lucy exclaimed as she tried to take Henry from Will.

  "He's fine, Lucy," Will grumbled. "We're just gonna sit here for a bit together. Leave us be."

  "I don't understand what just happened! He was fine!" She said, shocked.

  Well, Lucy, I intentionally asked a question I knew would scare him, then followed that fear to all the other fear I could find in him. Now I'm taking the fear from him because he's got enough on his plate right now, William thought.

  He wondered how she'd react if he said it, wondered if she knew about Adrian.

  Fuck, I wonder how Noah would react if I explained it, Will laughed to himself, confident Noah had no clue.

  "Eh, he's a kid. Sometimes just the reassurance of being safe helps clear the mind," Will said calmly. "He's good. We're good. How are you?"

  Lucy frowned. "I was better before that little meltdown. Ree, are you really OK? Feel OK? Tummy OK?"

  And, now I'm going to siphon off your fear because you also have enough on your plate. You're welcome, Will thought, enjoying his little internal dialogue.

  Henry nodded, wiping his eyes.

  Lucy sighed in relief, breathing deeply. "Lots of stress and change and scary stuff. I'm so-" Lucy paused. "I was going to say I'm sorry, but there's really nothing I could have done differently. I'm glad we're out of there. Will is right, Ree. We're OK."

  "You know what helps with relieving stress and fear?" Noah asked.

  "Wha-?" Lucy started.

  "Noah!" Will growled

  "Orgasms," Noah said with a cheeky little grin. "I can help!"

  And now Noah gets a little bit of fear. It'll be good for him.

  "What's an orgasm?" Ree asked through his tears.

  Lucy and Will both glared at Noah as he looked around in concern.

  "Did anyone else just see a bee? I hate bees. I'm allergic," Noah said.

  William laughed. "You're not allergic. You're just a sissy."

  ✽✽✽

  After lunch, as they were saying goodbye, Will gave Lucy a hug. Quietly, he said, "I meant it. You don't have to stay here. Just say the word, OK?"

  Startled by the severe tone of his voice, she said, "Uh. OK. I think the house will be ready next Thursday. But we're OK. Or, I thought so. Are we in Adrian's way? Did he say something about wanting us to go? Should we go elsewhere?"

  "He hasn't said anything. I'm talking about you and what you want. Dad and Sam pulled Ree's foundation case. If you don't want to be here, you don't need to be here. Understand?"

  "OK," she said, concerned. "Will, Hennessy has that background file-"

  "I know, and I know Adrian wants to read it. He means well. I haven't seen the file. I don't know what's in it. But the fact that Hennessy isn't sharing makes me think you should give Adrian the synopsis and not the detail. I think graphic details of you being hurt would be extremely bad for him."

  William watched Lucy closely for some spark of recognition or fear at the thought of Adrian being angry and upset. There was none. She had no idea.

  I need to talk to Adria
n, Will thought. It's time for a heart to heart.

  ✽✽✽

  Adrian came into the house talking. "Hello, pretend dog, how was your day? My day was stupid. Ignorant people kissed my ass and told me childhood hunger wasn't a thing in the US. I didn't take it well."

  Lucy met him at the side door as Adrian talked to his feet.

  "If there were an actual dog here, I'd be scratching his ears right now," Adrian continued.

  "Really? The dog thing again?" She asked.

  He scrunched up his face. "Too much?"

  Lucy made the 'little bit' gesture with her thumb and finger.

  "Eh, maybe next week," Adrian said as they walked into the kitchen. "How was your day? Where's Ree?"

  "Sleeping in the living room," she said.

  "Ah, crap. I didn't wake him, did I?" Adrian said, peeking around the corner. Henry was still out.

  "How was your day?" Adrian asked again, quieter.

  "Good. Will and Noah came by for lunch," Lucy said.

  Adrian pretended to wince. "There's no excuse for Noah. How often did William threaten to beat the shit out of him if he didn't behave?"

  Lucy smiled. "Less than ten times. Highly entertaining. Also, Noah is super scared of bees."

  "He's not allergic. Just a sissy," Adrian said as Lucy laughed.

  "How was your day?"

  "My day really was stupid. I got in an argument with entitled rich people. Not worth talking about. I was glad to be out of the office. You should know, Martha is commenting on my propensity to leave work early or on time. She likes this trend and says you should call her.

  "Please don't," Adrian said with a headshake. "She'll irritate the crap out of me until the end of time about moving."

  "Moving?" Lucy asked, surprised.

  "I told you. Martha strongly believes I should live in a mansion. For years, I've maintained I do not need a mansion for just me. There is now more than just me in this house. For the last week, she's been leaving real estate listings on my desk," Adrian said.

  "Poor you," Lucy laughed. "You're being bullied by your senior citizen assistant."

  "Poor me," Adrian agreed, pulling her close and kissing her cheek and then collar bone as Lucy put her arms around his neck.

  "Adrian?" Lucy asked.

  "Hmm?" He responded, kissing her neck and not noticing the tenseness in her shoulders.

  "Are we OK? I mean, is this OK? Us being here? Things got a little more complex, and I know this is your space, and I just want to make sure-" She stopped talking at the sight of Adrian's expression.

  Adrian took a step back from her. "Do you want to go? If you want to go-"

  "No, I just worry that you wish we would-"

  "I don't want you to go, Lucy," Adrian said sharply. "Why are you worried about this?"

  "I know you're upset about the file thing and when-" She started.

  "I'm not, Lucy. I told you I wasn't upset, and I'm not. I would tell you if I was," Adrian said, annoyed.

  "Adrian, you were clearly upset this morning and-"

  "Lucy, I wasn't upset about the fucking file," he snapped.

  There was a pause as they each stared at the other's feet.

  "When Will was here earlier, he said he'd move us out of here if we wanted to go. I thought maybe you told him you wanted us to go," she said quietly, still not looking at him.

  Adrian closed his eyes, sighing as he tipped his head back. The rage was chewing at his brain again.

  "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I don't want you to go, and I'm not upset about the file. I had a really rough night last night, I didn't sleep well," he explained.

  "I don't know why he said what he did, but I suspect William was just being William. He likes you and tends to be slightly protective of people he likes.

  "Remember what I said about Hank's integrity? We were all raised with strong morals. The money didn't change that."

  Adrian made a gesture between them. "This relationship, mixed with Henry's needs, makes us all a smidge uncomfortable. No one's suggesting we change things, but we all, collectively - the entire family - need you to understand that Ree's help is independent of you and me."

  "OK," Lucy choked out over the lump in her throat.

  "Are you crying?" Adrian asked quietly.

  "I don't know. Yeah. I think so," she said, trying to laugh at her stupid emotions.

  "Are you crying because I'm an asshole?" Adrian asked.

  Lucy let out a snotty snort, head still hanging. "Your definition of an asshole is much different than mine."

  "Am I allowed to hug you now, or are we still fighting?"

  She chuckled through her tears. "Again, very different definitions of fighting. And, I don't know why you're asking permission from me. You're the one that backed away this time."

  Lucy's head tucked back into its spot on Adrian's shoulder, facing his neck, as Adrian's arms wrapped around her.

  "I'm sorry," he breathed. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I did not make that easy. I didn't even let you finish your sentence. I'm sorry. The thought of you going away makes me feel ill."

  "There are ribeye steaks and baked potatoes and broccoli salad with craisins for dinner," she offered. "You get to grill meat again."

  "Well, that makes me feel better. I like grilled meats. Is there a lot of this feast?" He asked.

  "Enough for 6 people, so I expect leftovers to be gone tomorrow."

  "Eh, you're catching on quick!" Adrian chuckled, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm so tired."

  "I'll sleep downstairs tonight, so you get some-" Lucy stopped talking as Adrian's arms tightened around her.

  "You know what helps with bad sleep?" He asked.

  Lucy could hear the smile in his voice. "Hmm?"

  "Hot and bothered time," Adrian said, starting to kiss her neck.

  "Shocking," she said with a laugh, sucking on an earlobe.

  "I'm a doctor, I know these things," he muttered as their kiss started and the happy energy picked up.

  "Are you kissing?!" Henry asked from the doorway.

  "Gah! We've been caught by a stealthy Ree," Adrian laughed.

  "Is it OK if we kiss sometimes?" Adrian asked as he squatted down to catch Henry's running leap of a hug.

  Henry clapped his hands excitedly. "Yes!"

  "What would you have done if he said no?" Lucy asked.

  "I would have negotiated for toys and books," Adrian said without pause.

  "Oh, man!" Ree said, realizing he missed an opportunity.

  "Don't sweat it, Buddy. I gotcha covered," Adrian laughed.

  Chapter 12

  "There. Done," Adrian said, pulling the last stitch out of Lucy's face on Tuesday morning. "Give it a few months; there won't even be a scar. That ENT did a nice job. I approve."

  "I'll say it again. You're a handy guy to have around, Adrian," Lucy said with a grin.

  "I am very confident the lab will reschedule him to later today if I ask, and then I can go with you," Adrian said.

  "We'll be fine. You're sending security guards with us," Lucy grumbled.

  "Let's be clear. Hennessy is sending security guards with you. I just agree with it. Look at it this way. You have a chauffeured car."

  "There are going to be people with guns following us around," Lucy said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

  "The guns aren't going into the hospital. We've agreed on that. So, there will be people with tactical knives and tasers there with you. And, ask, but I don't think they're going to follow and lurk over you. I think the goal is to be inconspicuous. I don't think they're trying to hide, but I don't think they're trying to be obvious, either. Hennessy's hunting. You're baiting the trap," Adrian said.

  "You really think he's actively looking for them? What's he going to do if he finds them?" She asked.

  "I know he's actively looking for them. I think his actions will depend on what they're doing when he finds them." Adrian met her gaze, then looked at Ree.

  OK, Lucy thought. We'll talk
about this later.

  "Ree, be a good boy. I'll see you this afternoon," Adrian said, giving Ree a kiss on the forehead.

  "I will, bye Adrian," Ree said, dancing in place.

  "Lucy, be a good girl. I'll see you this afternoon," Adrian said, giving Lucy a grin and a kiss on the forehead.

  She swatted at him, laughing.

  "You're leaving the house for the first time in a week. Don't talk to strangers. Don't get lost. It's OK to ask for directions." He rambled off, still laughing.

  "Do you have your cards? Everything you need? I'm weirdly nervous about this," Adrian admitted.

  "Yes, I'm all set. We're even going to Walmart after the hospital," she chuckled.

  "GOD FORBID!" Adrian yelled. "You know, Lucy, people spend money there. Are you going to be OK?"

  "I'll manage," she said over Ree's giggles.

  "OK, buy me something pretty," Adrian said with a laugh as he headed out the door.

  "Eat up, Sir Henry! We have to get going soon, too," Lucy said.

  "OK," Henry said around a bite of pancake. "Aunt Lucy?"

  "Henry?"

  "I'm happy. Are you happy?"

  Lucy's heart warmed at that. "Yes, I am," she said, giving him a hug.

  ✽✽✽

  "OK. One more time, just for fun," Joann, the security consultant, said.

  "The car will be in the fourth row from the left outside the main entrance. If I have to exit in a hurry, head that way. You'll intercept us. If I see one of the bad people, I hit the panic button and walk in the opposite direction of him. You'll be within 500 feet of us at all times," Lucy recited.

  "Henry?" Joann asked.

  "I hold Aunt Lucy's hand and look both ways when crossing. If I see the bad men, I point and scream 'FIRE' as loud as I can so that everyone looks at me."

  Joann nodded.

  "Why do I scream 'fire' and not 'help'?" Henry asked.

  "People are more prone to react to 'fire.' They don't want to get involved in anyone's personal situation that might be tied up in 'help.' But, 'fire' affects everyone, so people look," Joann explained. "That's the theory, anyways."

  "Wow," Lucy muttered. That made her sad.