Hostile Resolve - BK3 TPBS 1st Draft Complete

-24-

Not edited.

"Hey twirp."

Skype was a regular place the brothers got together.

"Hey there Gray! How's things going?"

"Fucking unbelievable. I'm a dad!" The pride was unmistakable as Grayson said the words.

"Shit seriously? That's fucking awesome. So do I have a niece or nephew?"

"Nephew. His name's Nicholas."

Silence fell across the line as the pair let this information sink in. Lucas was the first to speak.

"She named him after your dad?"

"Yeh"

"Fuck. Are you ok with that?" Lucas knew that he himself would never be ok using that man's name when it came to his own blood but Grayson didn't need to know that. He had enough to get through without his added input about changing a baby's name.

"Honestly brother I have no fucking idea. I just know it's a fucking unreal feeling. You gotta try it you know. Now that you're married get to it. You won't regret a thing."

Lucas stayed silent. How the fuck did it come to this?

"Twirp?"

"Yeh Gray." Lucas sighed "I fucked up."

"She already left you?" Grayson joked.

"Worse."

"Shit. What the fucks worse than that?" He looked at his younger brothers face... this wasn't good.

"Everything Gray. Fucking everything."

Grayson lent back in his chair and waited.

"So you know it was a business deal"

Grayson nodded.

"Her father lied."

"What?"

"She wasn't nineteen going on twenty. She's... younger."

Grayson looked at him and could see that there was much more to the story.

"Is the marriage legal?"

Lucas laughed darkly. "Oh it's legal... just."

"What the fuck?"

Grayson watched as his younger brother winced.

"She's living at the beach house now. Gray, I really fucked this up."

"You... how?"

"I have a fucking kid as a wife... how do you think?"

Grayson 's eyes opened wide as the stark truth slammed through his mind.

"You... fuck! What are you going to do?"

"Take care of her. Maggie's watching over her and I have a couple of guys watching the place in case someone finds oit who she is... but... as for anything else... no. Tara deserves more that what she's had so..."

"Do you care about her at all?"

"Nah. She was just a means to an end."

"What now?"

"I'll support her, put her through school, uni... whatever."

Grayson let out a small whistle.

"Fuck twirp. I don't know what to say."

"Nothing to say" Lucas shrugged "I fucked up."

"What's her father say about all this?!

"He's dead."

"You...?"

"Yep. Piece of shit didn't deserve to live."

"Well fuck man. That sux." Grayson pointed a finger at the screen "Just make sure you take care of her or I'll boot your arse."

Lucas chuckled "Yeh yeh old man, you could try. But. She'll be taken care of."

Grayson nodded once in approval.

"So I have a new nephew. That's awesome Gray. How are things with Josie?"

"How do you know it's Josie?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'd have to be an idiot to believe it was soneone else. Come on, after all these years? How is she?"

"Amazing. We're giving it another go."

"Shit man that's great. So when do I meet Nick?"

"Well, I don't know. You'll just have to visit and I'll see what I can arrange with Josie."

Grayson went quiet and Lucas watched as emotions played iver his face.

"Twirp. I want to see Mum."

"Thank fuck! You know she's still in London right?"

Grayson nodded.

"Well it's up to you. You can fly to London or wait till she comes back."

"When will that be?"

"I really have no idea but Gray... we suspected, Dad and I, that Mum might be in the early stages of dementia. Well, it's been confirmed so if I were you I'd go to her."

"Go to London?" the idea hadn't crossed his mind. He'd thought a phone call maybe...

Lucas nodded. "He did a line with you all Gray. Time to settle the score and get the truth out while Mum can remember it all."

"Shit" he whispered to no one at all. If he didn't...

"OK. I'll go... but I want contact details for his other family as well. Can you help with that?"

Lucas lent forwars and with a few clicks and a small ping he was done.

"Check your email."

Grayson chuckled "Always one step ahead..."

Lucas shrugged "It helps."