Treacherous (The Wolf Pack Series) (12 page)

After another moment Sterling glanced at his watch, then pushed out a weary breath. “I’d better head back to the station. Got a lot of work to catch up on.” Celeste nodded. “You’ll check on the boys before you leave?”

“Yeah.” Michael and Marcus were spending the next couple of nights at Quentin’s house, a decision they’d made on the way back from the community center where Michael had intramural basketball practice three days a week.

“He wouldn’t even acknowledge me when he came home to pack his clothes,” Celeste said mournfully.

“What the hell do you expect?” Sterling growled. “He’s just as hurt and angry as Marcus is. If you’re looking for any sympathy from me, you’d better look elsewhere.”

She flinched at the harsh rebuke.

Impatiently straightening from the dresser, Sterling stalked to the door.

“Sterling?”

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, his jaw clenched.

“You may not want to hear this right now, but I love you,” Celeste said softly.

“You’re a wonderful husband and father, and the most honorable man I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.”

Sterling’s chest tightened painfully. Steeling his emotions against her heartfelt words, he asked in a low voice, “Do you love him?” An expression of guilt crossed her face. “Please don’t make me answer that.” Sterling stared into her eyes, thinking of the sixteen years they’d spent together, the triumphs and struggles they’d shared, the hopes and dreams they’d never realized.

“I hope you do love him,” he said quietly. “Otherwise, you’ve just ruined a lot of lives for nothing.”

And with that, he turned and walked out on her.

****

Two days later, on a deceptively bright and sunny Saturday morning, Celeste moved out of the house.

She hadn’t told Sterling where she planned to stay, and he hadn’t asked.

When he ran a secret background check on Grant Rutherford, he wasn’t surprised to learn that the doctor drove a Porsche and owned a penthouse in Buckhead.

Celeste had apparently struck gold.

On the morning of her departure, Marcus sat on the porch steps watching as Sterling and Michael loaded her belongings into the Volvo. The boy could have stayed inside the house, but instead he’d chosen the role of spectator, as if he wanted to make sure that his mother really left. His expression betrayed none of the anger and sorrow he must be feeling.

If anything, he looked eerily calm.

When they’d finished loading up the car, Celeste hugged Michael hard, clinging to him until his arms reluctantly lifted to return the embrace.

When they at last drew apart, Michael’s nostrils were flaring as he fought back emotion.

“I love you, sweetheart,” Celeste whispered to him. “Take care of your father and brother.”

Michael nodded shortly.

After kissing Sterling’s cheek, Celeste turned to face her youngest child. Her eyes glistened with tears. “Will you at least kiss me goodbye?” Marcus said nothing, staring at her with that impenetrable expression.

Celeste looked beseechingly at Sterling, silently asking him to intervene.

He just shook his head at her.

Choking back a sob, Celeste hurried around to the driver’s side of the car and climbed behind the wheel.

Marcus sat watching until the Volvo disappeared down the street. Then, as calmly as he’d ventured outside to watch his mother’s departure, he stood and went back into the house.

Sterling and Michael looked at each other.

“He’s going to be okay,” Sterling assured his son, because he had to. “We all are.”

Michael swallowed tightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He was almost the same age Sterling had been when his parents passed away. And just as he and his brother had survived that unspeakable tragedy, he knew his sons would survive this ordeal.

Stanton’s words suddenly drifted through his mind, a cruel irony in the face of what had just happened.

Nothing’s ever gonna break up the Wolf Pack.

Remembering his own response at the time, Sterling now repeated the words to Michael. Quietly at first, then again, with more conviction. “Long live the Wolf Pack.”

Michael frowned, eyeing him skeptically. “You really think everything’s gonna be okay, Dad?”

“Not right away,” Sterling admitted. “Probably not for a long while. But eventually, yeah.”

Michael mulled this over for a minute, his brows furrowed, a muscle working in his jaw as he stared off down the street.

Finally he nodded, as if he’d reached some sort of understanding with himself.

“Long live the Wolf Pack,” he repeated softly.

“Here, here.” Swallowing a hard knot of emotion, Sterling looked around the block of row houses. For the first time, he noticed several people gathered on porch steps, watching their unfolding family drama with unabashed curiosity.

A grim smile curved Sterling’s mouth. “Guess we’d better head inside now.

We’ve given the neighbors enough of a show for one day.”

“Yeah,” Michael agreed, glancing around. “Guess so.” With their arms draped around each other’s shoulders, father and son turned and walked back toward the house, knowing that their lives would never be the same again.

About the Author

Maureen Smith
is the author of seventeen novels and two novellas. She received a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland with a minor in creative writing. She is a former freelance writer whose articles were featured in various print and online publications. Since the release of her debut novel in 2002, Maureen has been nominated for four
RT BOOKreviews
Reviewers’ Choice Awards and numerous Emma Awards, and has won the
Romance in Color
Reviewers’ Choice Awards for New Author of the Year and Romantic Suspense of the Year. Her novel,
Secret Agent Seduction
, won the 2010 Emma Award for Best Romantic Suspense.

Maureen lives in San Antonio, TX with her husband, two children, and a miniature schnauzer. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at [email protected]. Please visit her Web site at www.maureen-smith.com for news about her upcoming releases.