A Right to Remain Page 29

  “Yeah, I’m good,” she whispered.

  Jim nodded. “Well, get some sleep. I’ll be in touch with you guys to go over some things, but you can rest assured that Mike and Allan Wise and Adam Symons will be going away for a very, very long time. You and your husband will finally have some justice.”

  Lacey nodded, wiping away her tears once again, her face hidden into my chest.

  “Come on, Lacey, let’s go,” I whispered, kissing her on the head.

  “Okay,” she whispered back, latching onto my hand.

  We walked out through all of the chaos, finally making it to Lacey’s Jeep. She dug through her purse and placed the keys in my hand. As she gazed up at me, she looked like she was about to burst into tears once again, but instead, she threw her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear, “Thank you so much, Quinn. Thank you for always being there for me. I was so stupid to come here tonight. I was just so angry at Adam, and I wanted to get those feelings out.”

  “I get it, Lacey. I do.”

  We went back to her hotel room and this time I told her everything Jim and I had learned about her husband’s murder. She handled it well, and actually seemed a little relieved that it was finally all being put to rest.

  “I need to go visit someone before we leave,” she whispered, placing a gentle kiss on my chest as we lay in bed, both trying to fall asleep after all of the excitement.

  “No problem.”

  “I wanted to do it so badly, Quinn,” she whispered.

  “Do what?” I asked.

  “Pull that trigger. I wanted to watch him die, the same way he made me watch Aaron die. I wanted him to suffer and scream in pain. I wanted to see the fear in his eyes just before I put that bullet in him. And in that brief moment, when all of those thoughts were going through my mind, I felt as if I was losing touch with who I really was, because all I could see was getting revenge for what he had done. Then your voice, your words helped me come to my senses and made me realize if I had done that, I would have been no better than him, a heartless killer.”

  “You are so much better than him, and it’s perfectly okay to have felt that way after what he’d put you through.” I nuzzled her hair and pulled her closer.

  Stretching her neck, her lips met mine in the darkness. “Thank you again,” she whispered while her soft lips grazed mine. “For everything.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  She rested her chin on my chest and gazed up at me. “Hey, Quinn?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I know a good way to help us fall asleep.”

  “Oh yeah, what’s that?” I played along. She sat up, pulling her shirt over her head and climbing on top of me.

  “Allow me to show you.” She grinned.

  ***

  Lacey and I were heading home, but first we had to stop off to see Detective Frankild and give him a statement.

  “Okay, well, with your statements and Detective Vetnor’s statement, things are going just the way I had hoped.”

  “Detective Frankild, can I see you for a moment?” We were interrupted by a woman knocking on his door.

  “Yeah, excuse me,” Jim said as he got up and exited.

  “This seems so surreal to me. I can’t believe this is finally over, Quinn. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s totally understandable.”

  I looked up at Jim as he entered the office, puzzled by the concerned look on his face. “Mrs. Sullivan—”

  “Lacey,” she corrected him.

  He nodded. “Can you excuse us for a second?”

  Lacey started to get up, and I grabbed her hand. “No, Jim, it’s fine. Lacey needs to know everything about this case. It involves her more than anyone.”

  He let out a deep breath before giving a half-hearted nod, still unsure. “Okay, well, we got the DNA results back. We had to do a test on both cigarettes.”

  Lacey shook her head in confusion. “Both cigarettes?” she asked.

  I explained to her what had happened and how Jim was unsure of which cigarette belonged to Wise.

  “The one that was Wise’s matched the DNA in Lacey’s rape kit,” Jim continued.

  “Well, that’s good news. So, why are you still looking unsure?” I asked.

  “The cigarette that was yours, Quinn...”

  “Yeah, what about it?”

  He looked at Lacey and then back at me. “The DNA result indicated you and Aaron Sullivan are related.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t get it.”

  “We took some of Aaron’s DNA after the murder, just in case—”

  “Yeah, I get that part,” I interrupted. “I’m talking about the being related part. How is that even possible?”

  “I don’t know. I thought maybe you would know. The result is consistent with a match that would be seen between half-siblings.”

  “Well, it’s gotta be wrong. Can we redo it?”

  I looked over at Lacey, who was staring straight ahead in a daze before letting out a loud gasp and covering her mouth with her hand.

  “Aaron’s family had a house in Lake Hope that had been in his family for generations. They vacationed there all the time.”

  “Lacey, what the hell are you talking about?” I demanded.

  Her eyes locked with mine. “Your mother. She told me the guy…” She looked at Detective Frankild before turning her attention back to me. “He was one of the summer people who would vacation there. His family had money.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Quinn,” she gently whispered while my mind remained in a haze. “It was Aaron’s father who did that to your mother.” Her words cut like a knife.

  My stomach somersaulted, and I quickly looked away. All of the pieces were being put together and my worst fear since my mother had revealed her secret was coming true. I darted out of Jim’s office, rushing outside for some fresh air. My hand swept through my hair, trying to ward off the nausea overtaking me. I didn’t want to believe it was true.

  “Quinn,” Lacey whispered, coming up behind me and gently placing her hand on my arm.

  “Lacey, how could this be happening?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “He’s not my father, Lacey. I don’t care what that fuckin’ DNA says. The man who raised me will always be my dad.”

  “That’s right, he is, Quinn, and he always will be. This will never change the love or the bond you have with him.”

  I shook my head. “You know, when she told me, at first I was so angry, and I wanted to know if the scum who did it to her was my father because I wanted to find him and make him pay for what he had done to her. But then when I really thought about it, I didn’t want to know because I could never hurt my real father in that way. So, I decided I would believe what I was told my whole life. Samuel Lavery was my father.”

  “And he is, Quinn. He’s the man who’s been there since the day you were born. The one who took care of you your entire life. He’s your father and always will be. This doesn’t change who he is or who you are either.”

  I covered my face with my hands. I wasn’t going to let my emotions get the best of me over this, but when Lacey wrapped her arms around me and pulled me closer, I couldn’t keep them under control.

  “It’s okay, Quinn,” she whispered, rubbing her hands up and down my back to offer me comfort.

  “Lacey, I don’t want anyone to know about this.”

  “I promise you. I won’t say a word,” she assured me as she wiped the lone teardrop rolling down my cheek.

  I shook my head, trying to snap out of it. “I gotta get it together and get back in there. He needs me to go over some reports before we leave.”

  “Okay, well, you go back in there, and I’m gonna go pay that visit I needed to make. I’ll be back to get you in an hour?”

  “Yeah, an hour is good,” I responded.

  She smiled and caressed my cheek with her fingertips. “I love you,
Quinn. I love you so very much.”

  “I love you too, Lacey.” I hugged her, knowing no matter how low I was feeling or how much pain I was in, this beautiful girl in my arms would always be there to take it away, the same way I would always be there for her.

  Chapter 42

  Lacey

  I shuffled to the familiar place that normally put a tear in my eye, but today was different. As I looked down at his gravestone, I remembered that horrible day as I watched them lower him into the ground, feeling like a piece of myself was being buried along with him. Never in a million years did I think I would be standing in this same spot, feeling so much hope and strength.

  “Hey there, handsome,” I whispered. “I know it’s been a while since I came to your place to visit, but I know you’ve been to mine, and I know you’ll always be with me in my heart.” I looked up at the overcast sky, not even bothered by the bitter cold air. “I stopped off at our favorite bakery and got us each one of these.” I pulled out a powdered donut from the bag and placed it on his headstone. “Do you remember the time when we drove to the bakery during a snowstorm just to get some of these? You couldn’t wait until we got home, so we sat out on the bench in front of the bakery, getting covered in snow while we ate them.” I wiped the tear streaming down my face. “I miss those little moments with you so much, Aaron, and all of the other moments we never got to experience because we were robbed of them. But I promise you, I will cherish the ones we were given for the rest of my life.” I took a cleansing breath and pulled it together. “We got them, Aaron. All of them who did this to you, they’re going to pay now. I know it won’t bring you back, but it makes me feel a little better to know they didn’t get away with it.” I leaned down and traced the letters on his headstone. “I know you led me to Quinn. Now more so than ever. He’s so much like you. He’s kind and caring. And sometimes…” My voice cracked with emotion as I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Sometimes, I swear, I’m looking at you when he smiles. I can even hear a little of your laugh in his. For a while, I was feeling guilty over how I was feeling for him. I thought maybe I was betraying you for moving on without you, but I know now that it’s what you would have wanted for both of us. Even though you’ve never met him, I know you did this just as much for him as you did for me. He’s your brother, Aaron.” I shook my head and smiled just thinking about it. “And I love him. I love him so much, but I need you to know I’ll always love you too, and I’ll never ever forget what we shared together. I realize now that my heart is big enough to hold love for more than one person. You gave me my happily, and he will give me my ever after.” I took a seat on the cold ground and pulled the other donut from the bag. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to sit here and have this donut with you, like we did on that cold winter day in front of the bakery.” I closed my eyes and took a bite, remembering that moment so vividly. “I will love you forever and ever, Aaron Timothy Sullivan,” I whispered, finally opening my eyes when I felt the first snowflake hit the bridge of my nose. I tilted my head up to the sky, staring up at the big white flakes that were beginning to come down harder. I couldn’t control my laughter as the snow pelted me in the face. “You’re here! I know you’re here!” I shouted, unable to wipe the smile from my face, not even caring about getting soaking wet. Aaron was with me, the same way he was the last time we had eaten these donuts together, and even though I couldn’t see him this time, I still knew he was there, giving me his approval I had so desperately been seeking ever since the day I had fallen in love with Quinn.

  ***

  I called Quinn as I was leaving the cemetery to let him know I was on my way. He was just wrapping up with the detective and was waiting for me when I pulled into the police station. “What do you think you’re doing?” I asked when he walked over to my side of the Jeep and opened the door.

  “Driving.”

  “Excuse me?” I smirked.

  “Lacey, it’s snowing. It’s a long ride and—”

  I kissed him on the lips to stop him from talking. “Okay, I’ll let you drive, but only because I’m tired, not because you’re a better driver.”

  I scooched over and got into the passenger’s seat, laughing at the profanities spewing from his mouth when he got in and banged his knee on the dashboard because I had the seat up too far. “Haha so funny,” he mocked.

  “You know it was,” I teased, happy to see a small trace of a smile playing at his lips.

  “Who did you go to visit?” he asked.

  “An old friend of mine.” I stared straight ahead and smiled.

  “Oh, how did it go?” he asked as he adjusted the rearview mirror.

  “It went…great. But I’m ready to go home now.”

  He looked over at me, now sporting a genuine smile. “Yeah, me too,” he replied.

  After two long harrowing years, my life finally seemed to be settling down. I believed now more than ever that life had a plan in place for all of us, no matter how unfair it may sometimes seem. Everything did happen for a reason, and this past year had been a testament to that. Quinn had entered my life, my father had found me, and I had become stronger than I ever thought I could be. There was no doubt in my mind Aaron was behind all of this, allowing me to still have a very small piece of him by leading me to experience love once again with the caring, gentle, loving man sitting beside me.

  Chapter 43

  Quinn

  Time flew by, and the cold winter days turned into warm summer ones. My divorce was final. I had made amends with my mother and had kept what I had learned that day at the police station tucked away between just Lacey and me.

  Mike Wise was convicted of first degree murder of Aaron Sullivan and Lacey’s rape and was sentenced to life in prison. Both his brother and Adam were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and were given a much more lenient sentence of fifteen years in exchange for testimony against Wise.

  Detective Jim Frankild retired as a very happy man, one week after the sentencing was handed down.

  I was so proud of Lacey and how strong she was when she was called to testify, never breaking down once on the stand, saving it all for after. I was more than happy to get her through it instead of allowing those bastards to think they got the best of her. She had come a long way from that frail timid girl I had met almost a year ago. With each passing day, I saw her evolving into the person I’m pretty certain she once was before all this had happened. The same way I had been changing into the guy I was from so long ago. The one who hadn’t become lost when his marriage began to fail. I didn’t need to drink to feel better anymore, and I didn’t feel like I had to turn off my thoughts about Andrew any longer. I could think about him and smile now instead of feeling that strong burn in the pit of my stomach. Lacey had taught me that even through the tragedy of losing him, he was a happy memory, and happy memories should always be remembered and thought of often.

  Lacey’s relationship with Neil continued to grow stronger, and I couldn’t have been happier for both of them. He was a good guy who had been dealt a really shitty hand in life. It was so evident he truly did care about Lacey and wanted to make amends for his lack of presence in her life growing up. Lacey was honored when he had asked her and me to fly out to Vegas to be a part of his wedding to his girlfriend, who was now his wife. Even though she had a hard time leaving Gus, she found another trustworthy babysitter in my mother, who took good care of him for the three days we were gone.

  Lacey had opted out of applying for the permanent teaching position and instead decided to take the money from the sale of her husband’s business and invest it in her dream of owning her very own coffee shop. She took it as a sign when Jane, the owner of the shop in town, decided she wanted to sell and move down to Florida. She’d worked day and night with a lot of help from Neil and myself to turn it into what she had envisioned in her mind, and it had turned out beautiful. She had breathed new life into the place. Her booming business was proof of that. She worked her ass off to make it such a
success, and I was so proud of her in doing so. She had Neil’s wife working for her full-time, and my mother helped her out every now and then.

  As far as our relationship went, it couldn’t have been better. It was so weird to be with someone who I wasn’t constantly arguing with, and part of me wondered if it was normal for the two of us to get along so well and rarely ever get into disagreements. When we did, it was always over something stupid and they never lasted long. Even though my divorce had only been final for three months, I knew more than ever I wanted to marry Lacey. At first I had told myself I wouldn’t rush into it, that we would continue going with the way things were. We were basically living together. I would spend each night at her place or she would be at mine, but after a little while of that, I decided I wanted more. I wanted to be with Lacey forever. I wanted to start a family with her, and I didn’t see the point in wasting any more time in doing so. There wasn’t any law that said there had to be a certain amount of time between a divorce and a new marriage. I knew exactly how I felt in my heart about Lacey and those feelings would never change, no matter how much time passed. We had been through more together in less than a year than most couples would go through in a lifetime.

  I entered the coffee shop with the familiar voice of Louis Armstrong blaring through the speakers. Lacey came rushing out from the back, and a huge smile stretched across her face.

  “Perfect timing. I was just closing up.” She walked over to the door and locked it, flipping the sign to “Closed” before coming closer to me and giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

  “Louis Armstrong?” I raised my eyebrow.

  “Wow, Quinn, I’m impressed you knew that.”

  “Oh, man, do I! My grandfather loved his music. Every time I would get into his car his voice was blasting through the speakers.”

  “Call me an old soul, but I love Louie. So, I’m guessing since you were exposed to him so much as a child you know this song.”

  I listened closely to the song that began to play. “You’ll Never Walk Alone?”