The Sound of Secrets (The Monsters Duet #2)

Chapter 3

Win

“Is it her first crush? Is that why she’s acting out?” I rubbed the tension coiled around the base of my neck like a noose. I hadn’t stepped foot off my flight before Rocco launched into a litany of complaints against Winnie’s recent behavior. I knew something was up by how evasive my niece was when I called to tell her I was on my way home. Channing beat around the bush as well when I tried to get more information. Of course, I could always count on my head of security to fill in the blanks.

The big bald man shrugged as he navigated through the heavy city traffic. I hadn’t been home in nearly a month, and I could feel the weight of exhaustion to my bones. I didn’t plan to leave as soon as Channing came back, but I had no choice. I used every bit of leverage and negotiation skills I’d learned over the years to convince Bellamy Rose to transfer back to the States and mentor Alistair. No amount of money could sway her. She single-handedly revived a dying branch of Halliday Inc. in eastern Europe. She built the team from the ground up and wasn’t used to answering to anyone. She was stubborn and resistant to change, partly because she was banished to the faraway location years ago as punishment. My mother didn’t approve of my father having a smart, successful, savvy female executive close at hand. Through no fault of her own, Bellamy was deemed a threat and dealt with in my mother’s typical way. Instead of quitting, or letting Colette’s machinations derail her career, she took on the challenge and turned a pile of shit into a gold mine. She definitely didn’t owe the Hallidays any favors. I was certain she kept stringing me along for petty revenge.

I didn’t blame her. But I couldn’t let her go. There was no one else I felt could do the job. I played nice for as long as possible. However, when I heard about Winnie slipping her security multiple times for some boy, I decided enough was enough. I needed to be at home. Not only for Winnie. Channing and I still had a sticky web of feelings and expectations to unravel. I could only pay penance for my mother’s misdeeds for so long.

After a heated back and forth, I gave Bellamy an ultimatum. She could take the promotion and move back to Halliday headquarters, complete with the unheard-of opportunity to become a partial shareholder, or find herself out of a job when I closed her entire division down. I didn’t want to be ruthless. I was trying to be a better person. Unfortunately, when someone stood in the way of what I wanted, I still couldn’t take no for an answer. Some things were just engraved in my bones from being born into a family like mine .

Rather than see the group of people she trained and fostered with her own blood, sweat, and tears lose everything, she begrudgingly acquiesced to my proposition. I didn’t envy Alistair. I had a feeling she was going to be a tough tutor, and since there was no love lost between her and Halliday Inc., she had no obligation to treat the future CEO with kid gloves.

“The boy, Winnie likes him?” I pulled myself away from my frustrating thoughts and asked Rocco the question once more.

“He helped her out of a bind. I think it’s more appreciation than anything else. She’s never been around normal kids before. The closest she’s ever been is spending time with Channing. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s wondering how the other half lives.”

I grunted in acknowledgment. “What are you doing about the guard who let her slip out of sight?”

Rocco lifted a large shoulder and let it fall. “Goldie is one of the few women in private security who looks young enough to belong in a high school. She blends in better than anyone else we might send in. She’s got kids of her own. When Winnie begged her not to tell me about the kids giving her a hard time, she saw her own teenager in a tough spot. She didn’t have ill intentions, but she was lax with her assignment. Winnie really likes her. She’s going to feel bad if she’s the reason Goldie gets fired.”

I swore and let my head fall forward. The action sent a spike of pain shooting down my spine. One would think the burden I carried around would lessen without my mother there to add to it. I wasn’t sure how it’d become infinitely heavier .

“Winnie has to learn that there are consequences to her actions. Let Goldie go. Give her a proper severance package. I can’t have someone who goes soft in charge of Winnie’s safety. There are too many unknown threats out there.” Rocco nodded, not surprised by the decision in the slightest. I sat up and dragged a hand down my haggard face. “Did you get the information on the boys who were giving her a hard time?” I put off hiring a new assistant after my previous one conspired with my mother behind my back and died for his effort. And since I planned to step down from my position, it didn’t seem pertinent to invest the time and money to train a replacement. Which meant Rocco was stuck doing double duty for the time being.

“I did. I sent full dossiers on them and their families to your email while you were in the air. One boy has family involved in politics; the other is tied to several large car dealerships. I’m not sure how either would have information on Archie to tease Winnie.”

I grunted again. “Doesn’t matter where they hear it. I’m going to make sure they never open their mouths out of turn in the future.”

Rocco hummed in agreement and sped up once there was a break in the deadlock where we’d been stuck for over a half hour. “I assume you talked to the powers that be at the school and told them I was not happy. They assured me and Alistair that Winnie would be in excellent hands when we enrolled her there. As pricey as the tuition is, allowing such uncouth behavior is unacceptable. ”

My head of security laughed. His typically steely gaze was full of mirth when our eyes met in the rearview mirror. “I didn’t have to. Channing marched into the dean’s office and dragged them over the coals. She said the same thing, that tuition was outrageous, and there should be no reason for such an oversight. She didn’t even throw the Halliday name around, just threatened to disrupt any fundraising event they held from here until eternity unless they got their shit together. I don’t think those hoity-toity administrators have ever been spoken to in such a blunt manner. If it wasn’t a serious situation, I would’ve filmed it and sent you a copy.”

I chuckled as well. “She’s learned fast where to hit them where it hurts.” Schools like Winnie’s were so hard to get into because of the private funding and wealthy donors who backed them. They would hate it if someone aired their dirty laundry in front of potential financiers. Especially if any of those investors knew I was unhappy with how the school operated. I was still the head of Halliday Inc., and even when I wasn’t, it wasn’t wise to go against me. “Did you tell them I was coming home today?”

I wondered if Channing would still be at the brownstone or if she’d taken off upon my return. She was unpredictable. I’d never been able to guess her next move, which was frustrating.

“They know. Winnie was very concerned you might miss her birthday party. Channing assured her that you wouldn’t. She’s managed to keep everything together while you’ve been gone. ”

“She’s always been able to do that — keep things together.” I sat up and some of the heaviness weighing me down lightened when a familiar building came into view. I owned several properties throughout the city, including a penthouse apartment in a luxury high-rise. None of them felt like home when it was time to settle down and get Winnie into a new school. Alistair was the one who found this brownstone while I was incapacitated and laid up in a hospital bed. Winnie fell in love with the warmth and charm of the building when the two of them toured it together. Even though it grated on every working nerve I had, I let my half-brother purchase the place and remodel it. I had to admit that it was the first place I’d ever lived that really felt like a home.

The feeling expanded and grew, filling up my chest and banishing my exhaustion when I walked in the door. Instead of a pristine entryway and paid staff waiting to take my briefcase, there was a pile of shoes, a pink backpack, loose jewelry, a phone charger, and the smell of greasy takeout food. It was overwhelmingly normal. Other than the security measures to get in the door, it was all so blissfully domestic. It felt like I’d entered another dimension.

“Uncle Win!” A childish voice called out my name, and a minute later my arms were filled with an excited teenager. Winnie launched a million rapid-fire questions at me. I tried to keep up with them but easily got overwhelmed. All I could do was smooth her wild hair down and hug her back.

I sighed and gave her a light squeeze. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I missed you too. ”

I didn’t realize how much until I was home. I used to return because I had no choice. But now there was no place else I’d rather be.

Winnie grabbed my hand, no longer flinching at the rough and uneven skin, and pulled me toward the living room. “Aunt Channing ordered Thai food. Some of it’s really spicy, but there’s plenty if you’re hungry.”

I got willingly dragged into the open living area. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Channing sitting on the floor behind the ornate coffee table with a pair of chopsticks in her hand. She was eating out of a to-go container, her eyes skipping between me and whatever was playing on the massive TV. She looked perfectly at home. Not like she was going to bolt the minute she saw my face.

“Welcome back. You look tired. If you don’t want Thai, I can throw something else together.” She gestured with the chopsticks and didn’t seem to care that the sauce dripped everywhere. It was so different from the empty and lonely reception I was used to. I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I cleared my throat and motioned for Winnie to continue eating. “I’m not hungry. It’s been a long couple of weeks. I’m tired. I’m going to wash up and go to bed. We can catch up tomorrow.” I bent and looked my niece directly in the eye. “Don’t think you’re getting away with unacceptable behavior just because I’ve been too busy to interfere.” Winnie fluttered her pale lashes and had the good sense to look contrite. “Stay with your aunt until Rocco gets back. ”

One reason I let Alistair purchase this brownstone, sight unseen, was because the building next to it was vacant as well. I no longer kept a full staff like my mother had, but I liked to keep Rocco and the woman I’d hired to take care of household tasks close by. When they were on duty, they could stay in the staff building next door.

I walked up two flights of stairs to the top floor, which was converted into the primary suite. Alistair designed an oasis that had nothing to do with my personal style, but I had to admit I loved the big French doors that led to an outdoor terrace with impressive views of the city. It was leaps and bounds better than the panoramic scene from my penthouse. Through the glass, I could see a veritable jungle of plants I knew Channing was responsible for.

Hers died when she brought them to the Halliday manor. Maybe that should’ve been the first hint she and I were not meant to be. Everything the Hallidays touched withered away under the shadow of that name.

I stripped off my clothes as I wearily dragged my body across the room. I caught sight of the angry, red scars on my neck and shoulder in the bathroom. I wondered if I would ever get used to the difference in my appearance. Whenever I wanted to feel sorry for myself, I forcefully reminded myself that whatever marks I had from my mother’s cruelty, they didn’t touch the amount of suffering my younger brother endured at her hands.

I cranked the water as hot as I could stand. I stood under the spray for a long time to loosen the muscles that were locked tight. Being home was the biggest thing to help me relax, and knowing that Channing was still under my roof was the greatest balm to my ravaged soul. There were a lot of things I was willing to walk away from since my life flipped upside down. Channing wasn’t one of them.

I scrubbed myself down in the rustic, yet modern, shower. I had to give it to Alistair; the bastard was extremely skilled at his job. While the brownstone wasn’t my personal austere aesthetic, it was beautifully decorated, leaving me with little to complain about. Once I had time to settle in, I realized my half-brother didn’t take my taste into consideration; he was going off what he thought Channing might like if she could afford a place in this part of the city. Every square inch suited her unique, mishmashed, uncoordinated vibe. It grated on me that he knew her well enough to design an entire home around her preferences. But if she liked it enough to stay, to wait for me, I wouldn’t muster up the energy to be angry at the cheeky bastard.

When I walked out of the bathroom, I faltered. Channing was sitting on the end of the massive four-poster bed, swinging her legs back and forth. Her body leaned back on her hands as she stared at the open doorway. I knew from where she was positioned that she had a clear view of the large mirror over the custom vanity. Since I left the door open, there was no steam to coat the glass while I showered. Depending on how long she’d been sitting there, she might’ve watched my entire shower. And there was no way she could miss the scars on my body.

I wanted to be self-conscious, but her attention flitted over the scars and damaged skin as if it wasn’t even there. But her hazel eyes focused on the ugly puckered scar from where I’d been shot in the side, and the one higher on my shoulder.

Channing jumped off the bed and stepped toward me. I caught her fingers when she reached out to touch the offending spot. I squeezed her hand and held it within my grasp.

“Does it still hurt?” The question was muted, but it felt loaded.

I gave my head a shake, which sent drops of water flying. “Not physically. My hands are much more uncomfortable.” Originally, I had some issues with the internal injuries from the gunshot, but everything healed over time. My hands didn’t seem to get any better. It was another reason stepping down from my lofty position made sense. I wasn’t able to work endlessly like a machine anymore.

I was all too aware of exactly how human and flawed I was.

Channing used her thumb to trace along the raised and bumpy skin pressed against hers. “Does anything besides booze and pills help the pain?”

I attempted to pull away. She turned the tables and held onto me. I sighed and met her probing gaze. “I haven’t found anything that helps. How long are you staying, Harvey? Next time I come home from a long work trip, are you going to be off God knows where again?”

Her hands tightened on mine, and a lopsided smile played across her mouth. “What else have you tried? My boss told me you haven’t been following your doctor’s orders. ”

Frustrated, I went to pull away, but Channing held on tighter. “I need to know how long you’re going to stick around.” The uncertainty might be my undoing. I wasn’t a man who did well with the unknown. Especially after learning most of my life was a convoluted lie created by my mother just so she could live her life to certain standards.

Channing shook our hands loose and shocked me by reaching for the knot of the towel that was wrapped around my waist. Part of my brain wanted to intercept her and demand an answer to the very important question I’d just asked her. Regrettably, my common sense didn’t stand a chance against my desperate and needy cock. Every throb reminded me of the months and minutes we’d been apart. I wanted to pin her down in more ways than one.

“Maybe you need to take your mind off the pain.” The halos of blue around her irises twinkled with mischief. “I have just the thing.”

My towel hit the floor a second before her knees did. I wanted to ask how she could do this after running away from me. She went so far. How could she tolerate being so close when things between us were so unclear? I wondered if I was ever going to understand how her mind worked.

But then the next second I couldn’t think of anything at all because my hands were in her hair and her mouth was wrapped around my dick.