Adored (Masters and Mercenaries #8.5)(44)

Now she was nervous. Luckily, it wasn’t quite lunchtime. The office was still full of people. It gave her some measure of comfort. “Private investigator?”

“I’m sorry. I’m…well, I never expected that Mitch wouldn’t tell you about us. He’s never mentioned me or Chase?”

She didn’t recognize either name. “Who’s Chase? For that matter, who are you?”

“I’m Flynn Adler.” He placed careful emphasis on his last name, as though it should mean something to her. When she said nothing, he continued. “Of the California Adlers. I’m Mitchell’s brother.”

Her stomach dropped. Brother? He had a brother and he’d never once mentioned him? Mitchell knew all about her family. She told him everything. She thought he’d always been quiet because all he had was his mother, and they weren’t close. Now she found out he had a brother? Only one? “And Chase?”

“He’s the youngest. Mitch is first. He’s eight years older than me. Chase is significantly younger. He’s a junior in high school. Mitch really never told you about us?”

She shook her head. What else hadn’t he told her? How did he hide a whole family? And why? Did she mean so little to him that he didn’t bother to mention his brothers? “Did he mention you to me?”

Flynn huffed. “Uhm, no. He doesn’t talk to me, Laurel. I found out about you through the private investigator. I’m so sorry to invade your privacy this way. I had no other choice. I thought it would be better to talk to you. You’re obviously important to my brother.”

“I don’t know about that. Our relationship is fairly casual.” It hadn’t felt that way. It felt serious, but she had to question the fact that he’d hidden this part of his life from her. Was he never going to tell her their baby had two uncles?

“I thought you were living with him.”

“We’re not engaged or anything. Not really looking to do it.” Mitch had made himself plain. He would marry her, but he didn’t want to. He would do it for the sake of the baby. “I’m not sure how much I can help you. I can give you Mitch’s office address.”

He held a hand up. “No. I have it. I’ve tried to contact him about a hundred times over the last twenty years. I’ve called and e-mailed and sent letters. I’m worried that if I show up at his office unannounced, he’ll call the cops. If I show up announced, he’ll probably lock the doors and leave me outside. So I thought I would come and talk to you.”

“Why won’t he talk to you?”

“I have to think it’s more about our father than me. I’ve only met Mitch once. I was a kid. He didn’t say more than two or three sentences to me. He was really only interested in talking to Dad about the money to start his firm. Once he had that and Dad had introduced him to some important clients, he dropped us. Well, Dad. He never was interested in me. I sent him a note when Chase was born. Nothing. Not even a card.”

Mitch had told her Margot, his first wife, had been the one to go to his father. He hadn’t wanted to. Now it seemed like there was more to the story. If her baby had more family, she wanted to know about it.

Sometimes Mitch could be very stubborn. He could let really good things pass him by because he was afraid of the change they would bring to his life. She’d spent weeks thinking about him, weeks trying to dig under the surface and find the real man she knew was buried underneath his pride.

His pride would keep him from his family unless she did something. His pride might keep their baby from knowing his or her relatives, and she couldn’t allow that to happen. “Maybe we should talk. How about an early lunch? There’s a sandwich place next door. It’s not great, but if you stick to deli staples, you’ll be okay. Don’t try the special.”

He smiled. It was what Mitch would smile like if he ever relaxed and let himself be truly happy. “I promise.”




Ten minutes later she sat across from Flynn Adler, a chicken sandwich loaded with veggies and cup of tortilla soup on her side. He’d gone for the all-meat special. Another way he was an awful lot like his brother. He was courting heart disease and apparently loved cholesterol. Still, she wasn’t allowed to nag no matter how much she wanted to.

Discussing the Master’s diet was off limits. So naturally she’d taken to cooking breakfast every morning and dinner every night. She’d gotten a cookbook that taught her how to sneak vegetables into staple meals. It was meant for kids, but worked on Mitch, too.

Sometimes she felt like she had to sneak in her love or Mitch would reject it.

“So why are you here?” She took a sip of her water. It was hard not to see Mitch in his brother.

“I’m here because Dad is dying and he needs to see Mitch. I gave up trying to get to know Mitch years ago. I get it. He doesn’t want anything to do with me or Chase. I wouldn’t be here for me. I’m here for my dad.”

“Your dad, who walked away from Mitch? Who didn’t have anything to do with him for most of his childhood?” She knew enough of the story to defend Mitch a bit.

When he raised that singular brow and his jawline got hard, he really looked like Mitch, the Dom. “There are always two sides to a story, and you would do well to remember that. I’ll admit that my father was married to his first wife when he had an affair with Mitch’s mother. I don’t know everything.”