Redemption (A Dark Romance) (Fragile Ties Book 3) Read online

  Laughing a little, Lianna followed him to get the airplane germs off her skin before they started eating. As Harry was drying his hands beside her, she looked over at him and had the overwhelming urge to hug him, but she didn’t. “You’re a really good guy, Harry, I’m glad you’re in David’s life.”

  “I’m in your life too, sweetheart,” he corrected, handing her the kitchen towel. “I know you and David are a package deal, and I can see how happy you make him.”

  The grin wouldn’t leave her face as she turned to watch him finish unpacking the food. “You think so?”

  “I’ve known David since he was born, and I knew his parents a long time before that. Jacob was like a brother to me, and I know he’d be happy to see what you’ve done for David.”

  “Yeah...” The mention of David’s father felt awkward considering the terrible things her father had done, so she grabbed a few of the food containers and escaped toward the dining table as she spoke over her shoulder. “I’m not so sure he’d be happy that it’s me making David happy.”

  “He’s not here anymore, so that doesn’t really matter,” David said, shutting that conversation down as he and Harry brought over the rest of the food. They all sat down, and he opened his sandwich then looked up. “Can I have the chips?”

  “Sure, baby,” she answered, pushing the collection of bags into the middle for everyone to choose from. “I want to hear what else Harry has to say, though.”

  “What?” David asked, looking across the table at Harry with a doubting expression. “You really think Dad would have been fine with me ending up with Lianna?”

  “Listen, Jacob had a lot of issues, and he carried a lot of anger after he lost Elizabeth,” Harry explained, arranging his food on the deli paper. “But... just like David has seen you for the woman you are, Lianna, I think Jacob would have done the same.”

  “You really think so?” she asked, and the man’s weathered blue eyes met hers as he nodded.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  Scoffing, David ripped open a bag of chips. “I doubt it,” he grumbled, popping a chip in his mouth as she sighed.

  “I never thought you’d ever get over your anger, David.” Harry tilted his chin towards her. “But you did... for her.”

  “That’s different,” David argued, refusing to even look at the man.

  “No, it’s not, but you’re as stubborn as ever. Just like Jacob,” Harry sounded completely resigned, not even attempting to get into an argument with David over something that neither seemed willing to budge on.

  The conversation died for a few minutes, but no one seemed to mind as they started eating. She probably wasn’t the only one hungry, since her plane had landed around eleven o’clock New York time, and they’d probably left Harry’s an hour before that. For the first time in memory, David didn’t have to nudge her to finish her sandwich. She easily demolished the turkey club, along with the side salad, and almost a whole bag of kettle chips. When he reached over to squeeze her thigh, she knew he was feeling better, but without the hunger distracting her, Lianna couldn’t resist the urge to learn more about David’s family.

  Clearing her throat, she took a sip of her water before she looked up at Harry. “So… you were friends with Jacob when everything went down with my mom and his dad?”

  “I was,” Harry said, but he was stiff, not meeting her eyes as he gave the clipped answer.

  “Can’t we just enjoy lunch?” David asked, and she shoved his shoulder lightly.

  “I just want to know the truth.”

  “I’ve told you everything, angel,” he said, grabbing the little box of dessert he’d picked. “There’s nothing more to know.”

  When Lianna looked back across the table though, Harry was just staring at the table, not looking up at them anymore, not eating, not even moving, and she had to trust her instincts. “I want to know what Harry knows.”

  Harry looked up at her, then at David, but he didn’t say anything, and his face was too damn stoic for her to guess at whatever he was hiding.

  “He doesn’t know anything else,” David muttered, obviously irritated by her pushing his friend. “He knows what I know, what my dad knew. And I’ve shared all of that with you.”

  Leaning forward on the table, Lianna waited for the older man to make eye contact, and she held onto his gaze for a moment before she prompted him. “Harry?”

  Muttering a curse under his breath, Harry ripped his hat off and ran a hand over his thinning hair before pulling the cap back on with a sigh. “It’s... it’s not important.”

  “What’s not important?” David pushed the little container away from him, leaving his fork impaled in the brownie as his attention zeroed in on Harry. “Do you know something, Harry? What the fuck is it?”

  “It doesn’t change anything, won’t change anything that’s happened,” he said, scrubbing at his face before he finally looked up, gesturing toward them. “And you two are together now, which is all that matters.”

  “Bullshit,” David growled, his voice taking on an edge that seemed both angry and hurt. “Have you seriously kept some secret of Dad’s all this time? From me?”

  “Hasn’t there been enough lying?” she asked, and all she wanted to do was let out her frustration with the world by breaking something, or throwing things, but none of that would solve the issue at hand, and David needed these answers as much as she wanted them. Steadying herself, she tried to sound confident, serious. “If you know something about his dad, you should tell him, Harry.”

  “It’s not just about Jacob, it’s about that whole mess he got himself wrapped up in with Vanessa.”

  It was like the floor dropped out from under her when her mom’s name crossed his lips, and all attempts at sounding steady and calm disappeared. “Wait, this is about my mom?” she asked, voice wobbling slightly until she realized Harry wasn’t answering her. Raising her voice, she pushed. “What is it? What do you know?”

  “Just fucking tell us, old man!”

  “Hell… it doesn’t matter!” Harry groaned under his breath, resting his head in his hands.

  “You keep telling me to put this shit behind me and let it go, but I’m never going to be able to do that knowing you’ve got some bullshit secret you’re still hiding for a dead man.” David looked like he was about to rip the older man out of his chair if he didn’t start talking, and she wouldn’t blame him.

  “You know what? Fine.” Harry slapped his hands down on the table, lifting one to cut it through the air. “But after this we put it to bed. It’s over. And every one of us is moving on.”

  “Fine! Just tell us what it is!” Lianna snapped, losing her temper, and Harry looked between the two of them, shaking his head as he took a slow breath in and out.

  “Shit… I should have known you two would end up crashing into each other one way or another.” Rubbing at his forehead, Harry leaned back, looking defeated. “When Jacob saw Vanessa in that damn penthouse — when she asked him to help her — he just wouldn’t let it go. I told him to keep his nose out of it, I told him not to get involved, but he ignored me. Just like David does all the damn time.”

  “I knew that part already,” David grumbled.

  “Be patient,” Harry said, pointing at him, and she was surprised when David leaned back in his chair. “As I was saying, what you didn’t know was that he used one of our mutual connections to get Vanessa her way out. They wanted information on Mercier, and the Faures, and she was willing to trade it if they got her and your girl out of that house.”

  “Mutual connections? What mutual connections?” she asked, looking between them.

  David looked just as confused as she was for a few seconds, and then he lifted his gaze to Harry’s. “You mean the Corozzos? They were the ones helping my dad get Vanessa and Lianna out of there?”

  “Dammit, boy…” Harry groaned.

  “I don’t care if she knows who they are!” David shouted. “Were they the ones involved or not?”

&n
bsp; “They were the ones who had a plan to get her out, but as soon as things went south... they backed off,” he explained. “They didn’t want a war with the Faure family over nothing.”

  “Over nothing?” Lianna repeated, her stomach turning as confusion morphed into anger. “She was my mother! She wasn’t nothing!”

  “I know that, but they weren’t going to get any answers after Mercier made her disappear. And you weren’t exactly old enough to share anything important,” Harry replied, finally meeting her eyes.

  “That’s bullshit,” she said, or at least tried to because her voice broke on the curse. “Those... assholes! They just abandoned my mom? Me?”

  “They hung my dad out to dry?” David asked, and he sounded just as hurt and surprised as she was.

  Harry just sounded angry as he leaned forward and pointed at David. “How many times have I told you to keep your nose clean, David? How many times have I said you needed to stop going to see them? You act like you’re protected, that because you and Vincent are friends that family wouldn’t turn on you in a second… but that’s incredibly stupid. You’re not one of them, and that means you’re expendable. You always have been. You and Jacob.”

  “And my mom,” David filled in the missing blank, and Harry lifted his hands in the air, shrugging as his tone turned bitter.

  “I’ve always told you they’re not good people, boy. No matter how cheap their bar is.”

  “And Dad knew?” David asked. “Dad knew they abandoned us, left us in the fucking wind while Mercier came after us?”

  “After Elizabeth died, your dad didn’t care what happened to him… or you, really. He just wanted vengeance, and the Corozzos had the connections and the information to make that possible,” Harry explained, his voice softening a bit as he looked at David. “Why do you think I kept telling you to back off? To stop going to them?”

  “I just thought you were being an overprotective asshole.”

  “That may be true, but I wasn’t wrong. I’m not wrong. And while I don’t approve of how you two found each other, I am relieved that having her in your life has meant you’ve stepped out on your own and stopped following in your father’s footsteps. You don’t need the Corozzos, David. You never did.”

  Lianna’s head was still spinning, but she didn’t miss the meaning hovering between Harry’s words. Turning toward David, she hoped she’d misunderstood. “Wait, you were meeting with the Corozzos?”

  “Before,” he answered, not even looking at her. “When I was digging up information on your family.”

  “Then who is Vincent?” she asked, and he finally looked at her and she saw the way his eyes widened slightly before he masked it.

  “He’s a friend,” David answered, trying to sound casual. “I’ve known him since we were kids.”

  Shaking her head, she shoved his arm. “Oh, so you can be friends with a crime family, but I can’t?”

  “That’s different!” he argued, and she huffed out a laugh.

  “How is it different? You don’t even have the excuse of being related to them!” she shouted. “You were just friends with them, using them to dig up dirt on me, and my dad, and my fucking family so you could come after us? Yeah, that’s so much better, David!”

  “Maybe I should leave…” Harry said, standing up.

  “No way,” David growled, and Lianna rounded on the older man, pointing at him.

  “Sit down! I’m not done with you.”

  “You’re not dropping this bomb and leaving me here to pick up the pieces,” David continued, jabbing a finger down on the table. “Sit.”

  Sighing, Harry slowly took his seat again, folding his hands in front of him before he looked up at them both. “I told you it doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t. You two have been mixed up together since you were kids because of the decisions your parents made. Jacob was trying to be a good man,” Harry said, meeting David’s eyes for a moment before he looked at her. “And Vanessa was trying to protect you, Lianna. They both tried to do the right thing, and they both paid a high price. But no matter what shit came after, you two have pulled just about the only good you could from it.” Reaching across the table, he shoved the trash from their meal aside and grabbed their hands, laying them roughly on top of each other, squeezing David’s hand into hers as his voice grew insistent. “This is good. Out of all that tragedy, you two have each other, you love each other, and that’s all that matters.”

  Harry looked between them, keeping their hands together for a while longer, but eventually he sat back, and David wove his fingers between hers, squeezing tight. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected Harry to tell them, but she hadn’t been prepared for this. Her blood felt like a curse, like some terrible burden she’d never be able to escape; and hearing the story again from Harry’s perspective had only amplified the nagging guilt she still felt over what her family had done to David’s... and to Harry too.

  How far had her father’s decisions rippled out? How many people in the world were suffering because of what he’d done? Because of what the Faures did?

  Clinging to David’s grip on her hand, she pushed back the urge to cry, refusing to break down about this right now. Not in front of Harry, and not when David was still trying to process everything as well. As if he knew exactly what she needed, David pulled his hand from hers, replacing it with his free hand so he could wrap the arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. For a moment he just held her, and then she felt him kiss the top of her head, and it was a little silly just how much it helped.

  “Anything else you need to get off your chest, old man?” David asked, not letting go of her.

  “That’s all I know. I promise,” he said, and even though she didn’t know him very well, she believed him. But the knowledge was out there now, and it explained more than just how everything fell apart for her mom.

  Taking a breath, Lianna squeezed David’s hand and sat up straight to look the man in the eye. “At least I finally understand why we’ve never become friends, Harry.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Shrugging, she swallowed the swell of emotion down. “You lost your best friend because of my family. I’m sure you were just as angry as David over what happened, so it makes sense I wouldn’t be your favorite person either.”

  “I don’t have a problem with you, Lianna. I never did,” Harry said, gesturing at David with a huff. “I tried to get this idiot to see that you couldn’t be blamed for your father’s shit. I lost Jacob because he couldn’t let go of his anger... At least you got this dumbass to see the truth.”

  “Thanks, Harry,” David said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “You’re very welcome, boy,” Harry said, a tight smile appearing on his face as he stood up again. “Now, I really do think I’m going to head home. This is two days that I’ve got my boys at the work site alone, and God only knows what they’ve fucked up.”

  “I appreciate all your help, Harry. And everything you’ve done for David,” she added as she and David got out of their seats as well.

  “That’s what family does for each other,” he said, reaching over to hold her hand in both of his, patting it lightly. “You just keep him in line, and make sure he gets his ass back to work soon.”

  Laughing a little, Lianna nodded. “I think I can do that.”

  “I’d love to see you try and boss me around, angel,” David said, grabbing her by the hips to yank her back against his front. “We both know how that works out.”

  “David!” she shouted, blushing as she pushed his hands away so she could walk Harry to the door. “Maybe we can see you again soon?”

  “I’ll see about the boys’ schedules. Shannon and I would love to have you two over.”

  “We’ll be there,” David confirmed, reaching forward to shake Harry’s hand, but the man used the handshake to pull him into a quick hug, slapping David on the back a few times. When they separated, David was smiling. “Thanks again, Harry.”
/>   “Just remember what hill you want to die on, son, and make sure she knows you love her,” Harry said, smiling at her as he opened the door. “Every single day.”

  “I’m on it, old man,” David answered, waving at Harry as he turned toward the elevator. As soon as he shut the door and flipped the lock, David turned and grabbed her, pulling her against his front. “I finally have you all to myself.”

  “What are you going to do with me?” she asked, grinning up at him as his hands roamed down to cup her ass and squeeze.

  “So many terrible things,” he growled, just before he leaned down and threw her over his shoulder. Lianna couldn’t bite back the short scream that escaped, but it quickly turned to laughter as David landed a hard spank on her ass. It didn’t really matter what David had planned, she loved the wicked things he came up with, and whatever terrible thoughts he’d been cooking up while they were apart... she knew she’d love them too.

  Because she loved him, and he loved her, and even though the universe had crashed their lives together in the worst of ways — on more than one occasion — Harry had been right. Out of all the tragedy, all of the violence and chaos and suffering, they’d managed to pull the only good thing they could out of the ashes left behind.

  Love.

  And they’d fight anyone who tried to take that away from them.

  Seventeen

  David

  Four Days Later

  “You’re asking for salmonella, you realize that, right?” Lianna asked, and he laughed as she unlocked the door.

  “You are going to cook the chicken all the way through without drying it out,” he replied, following her inside the apartment as soon as she grabbed the bags from the ground, but he could tell she was rolling her eyes even though she wasn’t facing him. “I know you don’t believe me, angel, but I’m going to teach you how to cook without burning down the kitchen.”

  “It wasn’t my fault that the towel caught on fire.”

  Chuckling, he grabbed her by the hips, turning her around so he could wrap his arms around her. “So, you’re telling me that someone broke in, stole absolutely nothing, but decided to move one of the kitchen towels next to the burner on the stove.”