Someone To Believe In (39 page)

“Price.” The guy sounded sleepy.

“Net, it’s me Clay. I’m sorry to wake
you.”

“Shit, Senator, where have you been? I’ve
called your cell a thousand times.”

“I was in a car accident on the way home from
finding Taz. I’ve been in the hospital, apparently overnight.”

“You all right?”

“Yeah. What’s gone down? Did you get Mazie
Lennon?”

Absolute silence.

“Ned?”

“Yeah, Senator, we caught Mazie Lennon. She’s
behind bars.”

Relief surged through him. This was going to
be all right. Bailey was safe. “Don’t let her get the slip on you
this time.”

“She won’t. She’s in maximum security.”

He thought a minute. “Isn’t that unusual for
a kid under eighteen?”

“Clay, look, there’s something else.”

“Oh, God, is Bailey all right?”

“Far as I know. Though I heard she was shaken
when she found out.”

“About Mazie?”

A long pause. “No, about Taz Gomez.”

“Shit, Bailey knows I came up here?”

“Not that I’m aware.” The tough cop’s voice
was hoarse. “Clay, I don’t know how to soften this; Mazie Lennon
shot Taz Gomez before we could get to her. When we finally did
catch up, Mazie still had the gun.”

His heart in his throat, he asked, “How...how
is Taz?”

The cop said, “She’s dead.”

LOOPING HER SCARF tighter around her neck
against the bold November wind, Bailey walked toward her family’s
pub; she was exhausted, and feeling hollow. It had been twenty-four
hours since she’d found out Taz was dead. The young, beautiful
girl was no more. Bailey could still remember her words
online...

How come she in a gang if she got family like
you?

She could still hear Taz’s voice the few
times they talked...

You married...you got a guy?

Any kids? I love them.

She could still see Taz’s gorgeous
Hershey-kiss eyes. Now the light was out in them forever.

Biting back a groan, Bailey pushed open the
door to the pub. Taz was dead. Killed by her home girls because, at
Bailey’s dogged insistence, she’d tried to get out of the
gang....

Don’t get out of no gang, lady.

Yes, yes you do. ESCAPE has
programs. We have people trained to help. We can protect
you.
The words stung, the poison of guilt shooting
through her veins.

As the comforting smells and feel of the pub
surrounded her, Bailey pushed the memory away. If she thought about
how responsible she was for Taz’s death, she’d go crazy. Instead,
she’d think about the baby. After she removed her coat, her hand
went to her stomach. But thoughts of the baby only led to thoughts
of the baby’s father. Whom she hadn’t been able to get in touch
with nor had she heard from in twenty-four hours.

Sinking down onto the barstool, she buried
her face in her hands. Would anything ever be right again?

“Hey, lass, what are you doin’ here?” She
looked up to see Patrick had come out of the bar. He was followed
by Aidan. Paddy ambled down behind the counter and Aidan outside
it.

“I had to do
something
. Once Rory went to school, I couldn’t
stand being alone.”

Resting his hand on her shoulder, Aidan
kissed her head. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t want to talk about Taz.” Only to
Clay; he’d make sense of this; he’d make everything better. “But
I’m really worried about Clay.”

“You still haven’t heard from him?” Aidan
asked.

Patrick took out a cloth and began to wipe
down the bar.

“No. It’s so unlike him. I know he’s mad at
me, but this...”

Paddy’s head shot up. “Why’s he mad?”

She hadn’t told anybody, not even Aidan,
about the baby, the wedding, or their fight about her safety; she
was waiting for the right time. Then all this happened. “Long
story.”

Her phone rang. She checked the readout but
didn’t recognize the ID. “Hello.”

“Bailey, it’s Father Tim. I just heard about
Taz. Where are you? I’d like to see you.”

“Oh, Father Tim, thanks, but I...” She looked
around the bar. Bit her lip, to keep her feelings inside. “I can’t
see anybody now. I can’t talk about this.”

“Then I’ll just come and sit with you.”

“No, please. I’m at the pub with my brothers.
I’m going to stay here.” Until Clay calls. Or comes to find me.
Then things would be all right.

It took some convincing, but the priest
agreed to go to ESCAPE instead, to see if he could help the others
deal with what had happened. Bailey held on to the phone when he
clicked off, wishing it would ring again and be Clay.

“You should go home and sleep.” This from
Aidan.

She ran a hand through her hair. Had she even
combed it this morning? Glancing down, she saw she wore jeans and a
fuzzy pink sweater that she didn’t even remember putting on.

“I can’t sleep.”

Paddy honed in on her. “Then take a
pill.”

Her hand went to her stomach, beneath the
bar. “I can’t. Look, I’ll just stay here and help out with
lunch.”

Her brothers exchanged a concerned look. “You
wanna work here?” Paddy asked.

“What about ESCAPE?” Aidan asked.

She felt her face blanch. “I’m not going back
there.”

“Why?”

Abruptly she stood. “Look, if you’re going to
rag on me like this, I’ll go somewhere else.” Her heart clenched.
“But I wanted to be with you here today. You always make me feel
better.”

“We’ll lay off, honey.” Aidan handed her a
towel, which she wrapped at her waist.

She circled around to the back of the bar.
“I’ll wash the glasses, Paddy. Go do something else.”

Paddy kissed her head and went to check on
things in the kitchen. The familiar smells were beginning to waft
out and made Bailey’s stomach queasy.

Aidan stayed where he was, watching her. She
stole a glance at him. “I said don’t start.”

“What’s going on with Clay? Why was he mad at
you?”

She bit her lip. “Got an hour?”

“I got all day, B.”

The emotion started to come again, and she
couldn’t let that happen. “I know you mean well, but I’ve got to
keep this all under control. I’m not up to answering questions.”
She turned pleading eyes on him. “Please, A., do as I ask this
time.”

“Okay.” He reached over the bar and squeezed
her arm. “I’m here if you need somebody to talk to.”

She swallowed hard. “Thanks.” But, she
wouldn’t talk to her brother this time. She’d talk to Clay. Only
Clay. He’d make her feel better. He’d make her see...she didn’t
know what, and she didn’t care. She just knew she needed him
now.

After she finished with the glasses, she
checked her phone for messages. None. She couldn’t believe it.
Where was he? Who could she call to find him? Jon? His offices in
D.C? She tried his cell again. No answer. She closed her eyes. If
something had happened to him, too...

For a moment, the possibility made her woozy
and she grasped on to the bar. No, no, she wouldn’t think that way.
She wouldn’t buy trouble. She had enough of the real stuff.

She held on through the lunch crowd, which
kept them all busy, even though she had trouble looking at the
food. She even kept it together when she saw on the TV over the bar
the report about Mazie. She had to turn away, though, when Taz’s
picture came on. Through it all, she waited for Clay.

The lunch crowd dribbled out and she was
wiping the last of the tables in the corner when the door to the
pub swung open. She turned.

And there he stood.

“Oh, my God, Clay.” She flew to him.

He caught her and held on to her tight.

Once in his embrace, Bailey came apart.

CLOSING HIS EYES, Clay held on to Bailey as
she dissolved in his arms. He bit the inside of his jaw, forcing
back the guilt and self-loathing he’d been experiencing ever since
his phone conversation with Ned Price this morning.

As she plastered herself to him, and wept
wrenchingly, Clay was overcome with what he’d done—he’d reduced her
to this. Because, as always, he thought he knew better than she
what was best. How could he have been such an idiot’? He was
responsible for a young girl’s death—he, Clayton Wainwright, who’d
spent his career trying to save kids.

Her brothers, all four of them, strode to the
front of the bar and stood before them. Their faces were washed
with a myriad of emotions—shock, sadness, and a little bit of
fear. He kissed Bailey’s head and anchored his hand at her neck.
“That’s it, baby, cry it out.”

He heard Aidan say, “She hasn’t cried at all
since we found out.”

All the more reason to let her get rid of the
emotion. She did, eventually. Her brothers stood guard until she
finished the catharsis. Liam handed Clay a handkerchief, which he
gave to Bailey; she mopped her face and turned in his arms. He left
one hand on her neck, the other at her waist. “Don’t start,” she
said when Paddy opened his mouth to speak.

“I wasn’t going to. I’m glad you cried. You
needed it. If this guy was what did it for you, fine.”

Her eyes narrowed on her brother. “He’s what
I need, Paddy.” She scanned the others. “He’s my husband now.” Her
hand went to her stomach. “And I’m expecting his baby.”

“What the hell—” This from Dylan.

But Patrick stepped forward. “Stop, Dylan.
Bailey can’t handle our shit now. She’s too raw.” He leaned over
and kissed her cheek. “When you’re ready, honey, you can tell us
all about this.” He straightened and shook his head at his
brothers. Then he turned to Clay. “There’s a back room. You can go
there.”

Clay nodded, holding on to Bailey. When they
took a step and she wobbled, he scooped her up in his arms.
Cuddling her to his chest, he panicked at the thought of telling
her his part in Taz’s death. But he wouldn’t let himself think
about the repercussions. He strode to the back room and tried to
lay her on the couch. She clung to him, whispered, “Nooo, please,”
so he sat down with her on his lap, biting back a groan at the
movement. He was running on empty, and he still hurt
everywhere.

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

“I know. Me, too.” She buried her nose in his
chest. “It’s my fault.”

Oh, God.
“No,
baby, no. It’s not.”

“Yes, if I hadn’t been so sure I was right.
Always so right. If I’d listened to you and let the cops do their
job, instead of interfering, she might still be alive.”

She’d be alive if I hadn’t
intervened.
“Bailey, honey, you can’t blame
yourself.”

“I do. “ She drew back. “If I—oh, God, Clay,
what happened to you? I didn’t even...” She touched the bandage on
his temple and studied the bruises on his face.

“Car accident.”
When I was coming back from betraying your trust.

“Are you all right?”

I may never be all right
again
. “Yes, but I was knocked out, spent the night in
the hospital.”

“That’s why you didn’t call me. I thought for
sure you’d call as soon as you heard. I...tried to call you.” Tears
again. “I need you to help me through this, Clay. I can’t do it
alone.”

“You’re not alone, sweetheart.”
Even after I tell you what I did
.
“You’ve got me and your family.”

Tightly she gripped the lapels of his
suit. “No, no, I need
you
.
Please, Clay, promise me, you won’t leave me for the next few days.
I need you—just you—to get through this.”

A bit shocked at her response, he swallowed
hard. Had he just been given a reprieve, or sentenced to purgatory?
Could he help her through what he himself had caused without
telling her what he’d done, which he’d planned to do as soon as he
saw her?

“Clay, please. I know we fought that day we
came back from getting married. I know you’re upset...”

“Shh. It’s not that.” He pulled her to his
chest. “And of course, I’ll be here. For as long as you want
me.”

“Forever,” she mumbled and cuddled into
him.

Probably not
,
he told himself. But for now, at least she’d take his
comfort.

He was wallowing in the depths of guilt when
Bailey fell asleep; he stretched her out on the couch, covered her
with a blanket, then walked back to the bar proper. Her brothers
deserved an update on how she was. And they probably had something
to say about the bombshell Bailey had dropped.

Aidan was behind the bar. The others weren’t
in sight. Sinking onto a stool, he saw a beer set down in front of
him.

“You look like you could use this.”

Clay took a sip. “You have no idea.”

Aidan angled his head to the back. “She
asleep?”

“Yes. I think she needed the outlet to
rest.”

“I’m sure she did.”

Clay blew out a heavy breath. “Listen, about
the other stuff?”

“What, that you’re married and have a kid on
the way?”

“She would have told you. But it all happened
so fast—finding out about the baby, getting married right away.
Then as soon as we got back, the rest of it started to go
down.”

He told Aidan of Mazie’s threat, of the fight
they had over it, of Bailey’s stubbornness about her safety.

Aidan listened, alternately swearing and
thanking God. When Clay finished—omitting his part in all
this—Aidan stared hard at him. “If I were you, Wainwright, and it
were my wife and baby at stake, I’d have done more than yell at
her.”

Clay looked up. “Yeah? What would you have
done?”

“I’d have gone to look for Taz. Gotten the
whereabouts of Mazie and her gang from the girl to protect
Bailey.”

“You would have?”

“Yep.”

Frowning, Clay shook his head. “Then you’d be
responsible for what just destroyed the strongest woman I’ve ever
met in my life.” His voice was hoarse, just thinking about how
Bailey broke down.