“The ultimate mindfuck,” Nixon added.
“And they don’t tell because they think they’re in love.”
“A teenage girl’s emotions are fragile,” McKenna said softly.
Jonny’s hands went to his temples and his eyes closed. When he opened them, his expression was tortured. “Been a cop a long time. I thought I’d seen pretty much all there was to see. I know we live in a small town and we don’t have the same crime as they do in big cities. But people still rob, kill, and harm around here. Never did it occur to me that…” Jonny gritted his teeth. “Fuck, what else have I missed?”
“You can’t find things that people don’t want you to find,” Chasin told Jonny.
“Then what the fuck am I doing?” Jonny stood and shook his head once. “Appreciate you all coming in on a Sunday.”
“Jonny,” Alec called out, and Jonny stopped in the doorway but didn’t turn back.
“Whatever you’re gonna say, don’t. I’m a fucking cop and this sick shit has been happening in my town, under my watch for a long goddamn time. If I can’t even protect my own fucking father from my piece of shit brother, then what fucking good am I?” With that parting shot, Jonny was gone.
And there it was—the truth.
Jonny was still struggling with the death of his father and brother.
“We’ve gotta get his ass sorted,” Alec said.
“Agreed. This shit’s gone on too long and he’s retreating more and more,” Holden said.
All eyes swung to Holden. There were varying degrees of the same ‘what the fuck’ expression. Jameson’s was accompanied by a smirk. Weston’s was a frown. Nixon had narrowed his eyes. Alec was shaking his head. But it was Chasin who was smiling.
“Pot, have you met kettle? His name is Holden,” Chasin jabbed.
“Never said I was a smart man,” he admitted. “But I’m sure as fuck not stupid. So just to clear the air, I know my head was up my ass. I know I was wrong. I know I should’ve opened up. I know I should’ve told you all the truth, but more, I should’ve told Charleigh. Now, can we please move on and talk about Jonny?”
“Sure, after you explain to us why you still haven’t put a ring on that woman’s finger,” Weston asked.
“It’s been about a minute since our world was rocked. I figured I’d come in, participate in a meeting like I actually worked here, then I’d hit the jewelry store on High Street. I know it’s hard for a man like you to understand, since you clapped eyes on your woman, knocked her up the second she let you into bed, then had your band on her finger before the haze had cleared. Which was a smart move on your part, because Silver is way out of your league, friend, so you had to be speedy before she figured it out. But some of us like to bask in the moment.”
“Bask in the moment?” Nixon sputtered. “Holy fucking shit, Holden just said bask. Do you know what that word even means?”
Holden leaned back in his chair and took in the scene around him.
Some of the good-natured insults hurled his way were hard to understand seeing as they were said through laughter. Others were things he’d said to his friends as they struggled through the beginnings of their relationships. But the bottom line was, Holden enjoyed every minute—dare he say, he was basking in a brotherhood he was blessed to be a part of.
But Holden wouldn’t be Holden if he didn’t do it with his middle finger extended.
34
“You’ve lost your mind,” I told Holden.
And the room exploded into laughter. Everyone was back at the house—that was Evie’s uncle’s house, not the house that Holden was currently putting a bid on.
“You like it?” he asked.
“Well, yeah, it’s beautiful. But it’s also more house than we need and expensive and you haven’t seen it.”
“Told you I didn’t care.”
Obviously, he was telling the truth because right then, he had his phone to his ear and he was talking to Jodi. To bid on a house he’d never seen—not even a picture on the internet, nothing. He was actually going to purchase a house sight unseen because I liked it. Or maybe he was buying it because Faith had prattled on and on about how much she loved it. And then Rory put in her two-cents about how awesome the finished room above the garage was, which I learned was called a FROG. Faith had declared that room would be her playroom and had even picked out which room she wanted for her bedroom.
Next, the women had all added commentary about all the great things about the house. McKenna and Silver were all for it, since the house’s property butted up against theirs. Kennedy and Macy both admitted the house was beautiful but wasn’t close to their houses so they voted to keep looking and find something close to them.
But it was Evie who’d cinched the deal when she told Holden I’d absentmindedly said the house felt like home. And it did. The house was big, but it just had this homey vibe. The interior was stunning but it didn’t feel like you were in a showroom. And the living room with the big fireplace made you want to lounge on the couch and watch a movie. And the firepit out back screamed Holden
