The Absolution of Aidan (The Syndicate Series Book 3) (21 page)

“See you later,” I say to Beth, who’s feeding Diesel on the couch. I bend and kiss him on the top of the head. He looks up to me, smiling. My heart clenches.

Yeah, I need to find out what the hell my mother has to tell me, so I can make sure my family is safe. Unlike her, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure my child is safe, happy, and loved.

“Later, man.” I nudge Dilan in the knee when I pass him. He growls and mumbles a slew of swear words, only to be scolded by Beth. I suppose she’s right. Deidre and I should probably watch our mouths around him, too.

I arrive outside of Northern Airlines at JFK Airport thirty minutes after Alexis’ plane landed, thanks to the New York traffic that can suck my ass. And there she is, nice and tan with about five suitcases by her side, looking bored and impatient as usual.

I throw my truck into park and hop out, clambering onto the sidewalk in front of her.

“Alexis,” I say roughly.

“Would it hurt you to call me mother for once?” Her words sound strained. Tough shit.

“Yes, it would hurt me to call you mother,” I bite out. I don’t care if it hurts her or not. “Are these all yours?” I ask before grabbing the cherry red suitcases scattered all around her feet. I could be a bastard and make her do it, but the need to get the hell out of here outweighs anything else. I want this done.

“Yes.” She gasps loudly when I pick them up one by one and toss them in the back of my truck. I ignore her, and with a sweep of my hand, I indicate for her to get in. She gasps again. I continue to ignore her until she finally gives up and opens the door herself, then lazily hoists herself up into my truck.

“Are we going to your place? I’d really like to meet my grandson.” If I weren’t driving my truck out of this overly crowded airport, I might freeze momentarily in my spot. I’m not sure what kind of game she’s playing with me, but fuck all if I’m buying any of it.

“We will not be going to my place and you will never meet my son. I have no idea what kind of game you’re trying to play here, but it’s a little late in my life to be playing games, don’t you think? I mean, you never played with me when I was a child, so why start now, Alexis?” I glance her way. Her lips begin to quiver. She must sense me watching her because she turns her head and stares out the window.

The only sound in the cab of my truck as we drive to the place I set this meeting up at, in case this ploy of her wanting to see me is a trap, is her trying to silently hold back her sobs. A part of me feels like shit for making her cry. Maybe it’s the part of me who always wanted a mother, someone to take care of me when I cried. Hell, I don’t know. All I know is by the time we get across town and I park in the lot adjacent to Calla’s law offices, I’m ready to crawl out of my skin.

“A law office.” She looks perplexed, and I must say I love it.

“Yup. Everything you say will be documented, Alexis. I told you, I’m not playing games. Now, let’s go.” I tug my keys out of the ignition, climb out, and wait for her. Once she’s out, I hit the fob to lock the truck and walk in front of her, giving her no other choice but to follow me.

“You really do hate me, don’t you?” Now she sounds desperate, sorry even. I say nothing when we walk through the corridor of the building, the sound of her heels clicking rapidly as she tries to keep up. “Aidan Hughes for Calla Bexley,” I tell the gray-haired receptionist named Pamela when I approach her desk.

“Go on up, she’s expecting you.”

“Thanks, Pamela.” I wink and shove away from her desk, heading straight for the elevators.

“Aidan. I’m sorry.” I spin around on this viscous bitch, my nostrils flaring.

“Get in the goddamn elevator, Alexis.” I point to the now open doors. Her eyes go wide, but at least she fucking gets in the elevator and shuts her mouth.

“Hey, Aidan,” Calla greets us as we step off the elevator. “Calla. I appreciate this on such short notice.” She waves me off like it’s no big deal.

“Hello. I’m Calla. You must be Alexis.” Calla gracefully sticks out her hand to shake. With a sigh, Alexis takes it, and we follow Calla down to her office. I’m happy as hell when we walk in and Stefano is seated in one of the three chairs opposite of where Calla sits behind her desk.

Very few people know about this meeting. I made it my mission the other day to fill Stefano in on everything that’s been going on. He agreed with me that we shouldn’t tell Deidre a damn thing. Not until we absolutely have to. Just like me, he lost his shit. By the way he’s killing Alexis with his eyes, I would say he hasn’t calmed down one bit.

“Alexis. I would like you to meet Stefano La Russo. He’s Deidre’s father. You do remember Deidre, right? The mother of my son, my fiancée.” She looks flustered. I’ve tossed her into a damn snake pit. I’m an asshole, and once again, I don’t give a fuck.

“Hello,” she says nervously. I almost laugh when I see sweat form on her perfectly plucked brows.

“I would love to be able to say it’s my pleasure to meet you, Alexis. However, it’s not. You see, I don’t take kindly to people making threats against my daughter or my grandson. Frankly, it pisses me the hell off. And trust me, if you don’t tell the goddamn truth today, well,” Stefano shrugs. “I’ll see to it that you don’t walk again.” Heck yes, Stefano. I know he’s one badass in the courtroom, but shit, the guise on his face even scares the hell out of me. He is fucking pissed.

“I… Aidan. I would never do anything like that. My god, you really do hate me, don’t you?” Jesus. How many times is she going to ask me? I jerk my head back. Does she not realize the shit she’s done to me my entire life? I’m not here to hash out how I feel about her. The quicker she realizes this, the faster I can get back home to my family.

I lean into her, my eyes searing straight to her black heart. “We’re not here to talk about me and you, there never has been a mother and son relationship between us. Now, fucking talk. Where the hell is he?”

“I don’t know,” she whispers. Tears well up in her eyes. Her temperament turns from astonished to that of a woman who’s scared.

“Jesus Christ. He threatened you, didn’t he? What’s he got on you, Alexis?” I tunnel into her tainted world more.

“He has nothing on me. I have something on him,” she cries out.

This is even better. I wonder what the little worthless wonder has done to her. Something that has her shaking, that’s for sure.

“Alexis,” Calla interrupts. “You need to tell us everything. I’m here as Aidan’s friend. Stefano is here because… well, he’s already told you why he’s here.” Calla shoots a daggered expression in his direction. “Please continue.”

Alexis sighs. This time when she does cry, I know her tears are real. “When we came to you a few weeks ago, I told you Ryan was dead. You never asked me how he died. He was murdered.” She clutches her purse against her chest and lowers her head to her chest. Her body shakes, and fuck, I may despise this woman who gave me life, but my god, if what I have running through my mind right now is true, then she could be next.

I reach for her. Take hold of one of her hands. Her head lifts. Her eyes are rimmed red. Her makeup is smeared. She squeezes my hand. A slight smile curves her lips.

“Junior killed him, didn’t he?” I ask, knowing damn well what the answer will be.

“Yes,” she states.

“How do you know this, Alexis?” Stefano presses.

“I saw it. He shot him, right in his office at the dealership. You know the one on Kings Highway, Aidan. That one. I walked in on them fighting over money, over Junior taking over the business and,” she pauses. “Over getting my dad’s land.” I tug my hand away from her and run my hands through my hair, then down my face. People are fucked up, man. I knew that guy was nothing but a little weasel. But this, this sheds light on everything. Fuck. My woman. My son. If that fucker killed his own father, he won’t hesitate to take away the only two people I love.

“He’ll never get the land, Alexis. Not even if he kills me. It’s land, for fuck’s sake. My grandfather’s land. Not his. Never his, ” I shout at her. She fiddles with her purse more. Her hands are shaking.

“Ryan told him that. Well, not the killing part. Ryan told him to let it go. They bickered back and forth about it, and the next thing I knew, Junior pulled out a gun and shot him right in the head. I screamed. There was blood everywhere. I couldn’t move, and when he turned around and saw me standing there, I thought he was going to kill me, too. Instead, he told me to keep my mouth shut, that it was an accident. Then he struck me with the gun. When I came to, I was in the back of an ambulance. He made me come to you after we read Ryan’s will. He left a quarter of a million dollars to his daughter. A daughter I knew nothing about. But Aidan, I’m begging you, please. I would never do anything to hurt someone like that.”

“Oh, my god.” This comes from Calla.

“Jesus Christ,” comes from Stefano.

“That rotten piece of shit,” I bark out. It all makes sense now. All of it.

“He covered it all up, made it look like Ryan had been robbed.” She continues to cry.

“Why didn’t you tell the police?” Alexis scoffs at Calla’s question.

“Because,” she lifts her eyes to mine, stands up, and for the first time as far back as I can remember, Alexis Drexler shows me she’s my mother.

“Right before he struck me with the gun, he said he would kill you, Aidan. He left me with no choice. I haven’t had a choice since I married Ryan.” She holds my indecisive stare. Cautiously.

I let what she said sear into my chest as well as my head. All of it. “What exactly are you saying?” I instruct her to go on.

“I’m saying my husband wanted that land to turn it into his fancy condos or whatever new plan he would develop in his twisted mind. He hated you because my father made it perfectly clear to him it would never be touched because it was yours. He forced my hand when it came to you.” She breaks at this particular moment. Slumps back down in her chair, defeated.

“Are you telling me that my life was in danger even as a kid?” This is unbelievable.

“Yes. My dead husband was an evil man. I’m glad he’s dead. His death meant nothing to me. But you. I’ve loved you since the moment you were put into my arms. I have to live the rest of my life knowing my own son hates me. But I will die knowing I saved your life from that man. There isn’t anything I can do or say to change the way I’ve treated you. I see your hatred for me even now.” The grief splattered across her face is there in spades. And she’s right. It is too late, at least for now.

I’m done with this conversation. I pull my perceptiveness away from her to the astonished expression of sorrow and anger to both Stefano and Calla. I then express to them the second reason I wanted them in this meeting.

“Do you have the papers I asked you to draw up?”

“I do. They’re right there.” Calla slides a folder in my direction. Without even looking at them, I sign where the little sticky notes tell me to sign.

“Tell your dad thank you for me.” She may or may not know what I’m referring to. John will and that’s all that matters to me right now. With that, I stand and leave without even looking back at Alexis Drexler. She has no idea that she’s going to stay with John and Cecily. Looks like the roles are now reversed. I’ve more than likely just saved her life.

DEIDRE

I cannot help but laugh as I glance around my kitchen. It’s a mess; a clutter that has my mood lighter, my thoughts determined, and my passion overflowing delightfully. This is food euphoria right here.

It also has me thinking of the possibility that I need to move if this plan is going to work. I love my apartment, but shit on a shingle, there is no way I can do everything I want to do with one stove and one refrigerator, not to mention the counter space and everything else.

Most of the day was spent organizing and putting things away. I’m exhausted.

I’m also worried about Aidan. It’s been hours and not a damn word as to how his meeting went with his cunt of a mother. I’ve texted him three times, called twice, and nothing.

“You need to quit worrying about him. He’s fine. If he weren’t, I would know.” Dilan saddles up beside me at the kitchen table.

“It’s one of those easier said than done things, Dilan.” I sound like a bitch, but I can’t help it. I feel as if I’m being left in the dark about something, and quite frankly, it’s starting to piss me off.

“I hear you. But hell, woman, this is the life we live. You knew this. You need to suck this shit up and figure out a way to deal with it. Simple as that.” My mouth flies open then snaps shut at his brass but very truthful comment.

“Look, this isn’t about the mafia life. This is personal to him, and I’m worried. What’s crawled up your ass and left an asshole bomb that detonated?” Rising up from my chair, I make my way over to the cake I made. The one Anna found and helped me make. She has a knack for this as well, so does her mother.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I was out of line. Trust me. He’s fine.” Dilan’s voice is tense. Ah, and there she is, the reason why the bomb exploded up his ass. The beautiful Anna. He watches her from behind as she walks past without even seeing him across the kitchen floor.

“God. I needed to get away from my mother. Twice in one day she’s looked at me with these little, sad eyes and then says, “You need to start dating, Annabelle Drexler. I’m ready for one of these.” I’m like seriously, mom, do you not know what our lives are like right now? It’s not like I can go out on a date. Besides, the man I would love to take me out on one just happens to be our bodyguard.” She lowers her voice a little when she expresses that little bit of news.

I risk a peep out of the corner of my eye at Dilan, who happens to still be gaping at Anna. I think his ears may be flapping like he cannot believe he heard her correctly.

“So, Dilan, huh? He’s a great guy. And I know what you mean about not being able to go out on a proper date. Hopefully, this gets taken care of soon. Wait a second. Does this mean, are you two thinking of staying here?” Oh yes, Dilan’s ears are flapping like elephants’ do when they’re trying to cool down the heated blood flowing through them.