I pulled Tilly down in the chair next to me. She stiffened at the force and I lightened my hold. To not hear what John had to say would be stupid. The entitled prick was like an evil villain in a TV show, monologuing his plan to show her how much smarter he was.
John sat across from us, his face as cold as when he’d worked up the contract for his new bank. “I’m surprised to see you two together.”
“I didn’t hurt Charlie,” Tilly said through gritted teeth.
John rolled a hard gaze toward her. “As you know, he’s nonverbal and can’t speak for himself. Therefore, he can’t tell me what you did. But since I contribute considerably well to the officer’s association and the county attorney is an old frat buddy, they’re listening closely to what I have to say. In four instances, my son had injuries after your visit. In two cases, you even cared for them and played them off as results of his condition. A truly deplorable tactic.”
She clutched her hands around her tote. “It wasn’t me. And a deplorable tactic is trying to get an innocent person arrested and not find out what really happened.”
I rested my hand on hers. There was no way Tilly could afford an attorney. I was on the verge of offering my help, but as soon as I did, I’d burn any dealings with John Woods to ash. The repercussions could be as devastating as what Tilly was going through. Only her business employed one person. I employed hundreds. I had to think through what exactly I could do.
The action didn’t escape John’s notice. “Mr. Halstengard, I certainly hope you don’t plan to use your access to a team of lawyers to aid Miss Johnson in her fight. I can’t imagine the public taking kindly to such a prominent businessman helping a child abuser.”
“John—” I didn’t like threats, but the undertone of John’s words was clear. Help Tilly and he’d launch a smear campaign.
John’s sharp gaze darted between me and Tilly. “What a small world. It makes sense, I guess. Do you know why I chose your company, Flynn? Because it was local. Because I looked into your past and knew that if you ever tried to fuck with me, I could just tell my good friend at the TV station about how you run a multimillion-dollar corporation, yet your sister’s in a state-run home, receiving not a dime from her dear brother.”
My world slowed. The thump of my heart grew until it drowned out all other sounds. I withdrew my hand from Tilly’s.
Struggling to regain mental equilibrium, bits of information flowed in. John knew about Lynne. Now Tilly knew I lied.
But John had said “state-run home.” Lynne was supposed to be in a four-bed group home not far from Mom. A private-run facility she had complained cost a couple of grand a month.
“I thought your sister died.” Tilly’s soft voice broke through my haze.
I dragged my gaze to hers, so full of confusion and infusing quickly with betrayal as the realization that I’m a shit liar at the very least and a calloused and cold-hearted brother at the worst.
There was no way to explain and come out the good guy—because I wasn’t a good guy. Walking away from Lynne and trusting my mother to do right by her was deplorable. I should’ve followed up when I got on my feet instead of shoving money at Mom to assuage my guilt.
“Tilly, I—”
John laughed, the sound full of scorn. “That’s rich. When I saw you together, I thought you’d bonded over your mutual mistreatment of the disadvantaged.”
Tilly
“Flynn?” I tried again.
Mr. Woods and his superiority complex grated on my nerves on a normal day. He turned his snide gaze on me. “Died? No, she suffered brain damage from a boating accident. Flynn here hasn’t had a thing to do with her since.”
“That’s not true,” Flynn bit out. His color was returning, but the answer dulled the brilliant color of his eyes. The panic of John’s statement was fading, remorse setting in. For lying to me? Or for his alive and maybe not well sister?
“Then when are you around her? When you put her in the home? Is that what you think I should do with my son. Throw him away and forget about him? How nice of you and your mother to let the taxpayers foot the bill. I’m sure future clients will think you’re the guy to entrust with all their money on a project.”
His sister was alive? He’d let me believe she’d drowned, but she’d survived and not without major complications. State-run group home? When Flynn had a house bigger than any of the group homes I had ever seen? He could employ his own staff just for his sister, but he’d carved her out of his life.
Mr. Woods switched his attention to me and I tensed. “And you, Miss Johnson. I’ve already investigated your past. I should’ve done a more thorough job before my wife hired you, but finding someone for Charlie was so difficult.” Regret rippled over his face. The man was a complete bastard, but he cared about his son. If only he’d find out who’d hurt Charlie. “But if you think about tapping into your boyfriend’s legal resources, think about how it will look for a girl whose own parents are scared of her.”
“What?” Several heads turned our way at my shout. How could he bring up my parents? They were only scared of me because I was an adult now and not under their guardianship. The thought would almost be laughable if my abuse hadn’t been so severe.
“I had my investigator track them down. They had a lot to say. Killing stray cats? Miss Johnson, I won’t stop until you’re locked away for a long time. No one hurts my family.” He knocked on the table in front of a stunned Flynn. I flinched. “Tread carefully.
