32. Adam

“Fuck,” I muttered to myself before leaning back in my desk chair and spinning around to stare out the windows.

With our office in the heart of downtown Fireweed Harbor, I had a spectacular view. The sun was bright in the late afternoon, glinting like shards of glass on the ocean”s surface. Boats bobbed in the picturesque harbor, and the mountains were verdant green on the lower flanks, with the jagged rocky peaks rising into a bright blue sky.

I’d loved this place since we moved back home even though home was filled with complicated, messy, and sometimes traumatic memories. I felt calmer here. Yet at this moment, I felt scattered inside with my thoughts jumping from one thing to the next. Trying to focus on numbers couldn’t even soothe me.

I didn’t have much of a temper. I suppose experiencing the abuse I’d watched and heard in my family, I’d unconsciously taught myself to be the opposite—quiet, slow to react in heated moments. At this moment, I wanted to find Rich and at least give him one hard fist to the face.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

My eyes landed on my twin brother when I spun in my chair. Kenan rested his shoulder inside the doorframe, his alert gaze holding mine.

“Oh, I forgot I left my office door open.”

“Thrilled to see me?” His tone was dry as he pushed away from the door and walked into my office, closing the door behind him.

When he sat down in the chair across from my desk, I tipped my head to the side. “You could’ve asked if you could come in. I might be busy.”

“You might, but it looks like you could use someone to talk to.”

Kenan and I knew each other so well. My heart felt cracked sharp by pain as I looked at him.

“Tessa told me that Rich will create problems with Eric if she doesn’t break it off with me.” Tears stung in the back of my eyes, and I sucked in a breath through the mix of anger and pain tightening in my throat.

“Fuck that noise,” Kenan said as he leaned forward in his chair. “There’s only so much he can do. Quinn told me that ever since he’s got his girlfriend or whatever—” Kenan paused, waving a hand dismissively in the air. “That he’s not even having overnight visits. She thought that was a good thing.”

I leaned back, running a hand through my hair. “Tessa ran into Lisa, the woman Rich has been seeing. She said she saw bruises on the inside of Lisa’s arms, and she told her if she needed anything, she would help. Clearly, Rich found out. She’ll win in court eventually, but Rich can make her life a living hell in the meantime. I just don’t know what the fuck to do. I want to help her. I’ll hire ten attorneys if I need to.”

Kenan leaned forward and fetched a pen off my desk. He began to spin it between his fingers in a rhythmic motion. He’d always been a restless thinker. That was why he did his job so well. His official title was senior executive for Fireweed Industries, but he did anything and everything we needed. He hated doing the same thing day in and day out. It was a perfect fit.

“Talk to Colin,” he finally said.

“I can try, but it’s Tessa’s call. I can’t tell her what to do.”

“Well, then talk to her about it. It doesn’t make sense to me that he can threaten her like this.”

“I know.”

“If you need anything, we all have your back.”

I held my brother’s gaze as I nodded.

A little while after he had left, I pondered how much it meant to have a passel of siblings. When things were hard, even when they were messy and ugly, I knew our family was there. Maybe we didn’t always get along, and hell, sometimes we drove each other insane, but we were a force to be reckoned with. It wasn’t because of wealth. It was because we had a bond. Tessa must’ve felt so alone. She had her uncle here and her parents in Juneau, but that was it.

Although I had reservations, I texted her to ask about her attorney.

Me:How are you? Thinking of you all day. Was wondering if you minded if I spoke with Colin. I want to get a sense of what he might recommend.

Tessa:I’m okay. About to head in for the evening weather report. I don’t mind if you talk to Colin. It’s nothing he doesn’t know, but maybe it will help.

Me:I love you. We’re going to get through this. I promise it will be okay.

Tessa:I love you too. I hope it will be ok, but I don’t know.

Colin steepled his fingers together as he leaned forward on his desk, nodding for me to continue.

“Rich is a fucking asshole.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he replied.

“Tell me there’s a way to stop this game he plays. He goes through their son to get to her.”

Colin appeared much calmer than I felt. “I know. Welcome to family court.”

I gritted my teeth. “I understand this kind of thing happens. I love Tessa. Obviously, I want to be with her. But this isn’t even about me. I just want Tessa not to have to be afraid of this. I want her to be able to live her life in peace.”

Colin tapped his fingertips together. “I know. A new judge has been assigned to the case. There was supposed to be a hearing coming up, but it got rescheduled because of the retirement of the other judge. And, honestly, the delay is worth the wait. The last judge was local here and friends with Rich’s parents. He should’ve recused himself, but he didn’t.”

“How is that even legal?”

Colin sighed. “There are ethics rules, but we have to decide when to file a complaint. In this case, he retired. Now, it means waiting another month for a hearing. In the meantime, make sure Tessa documents everything. It’s best if she only communicates with Rich via text because that creates a record.”

“There’s nothing else we can do?” I pressed.

“Unless she wants to call the police and make a report.”

At my resigned sigh, he nodded. “Even if it would eventually help, any legal involvement can ratchet up the situation.”

Although Colin was gracious and wanted to help, I left a few minutes later, feeling helpless. I called Tessa, but I just got her voicemail.

Two weeks later

Tessa wasn’t answering my calls. She was only texting. My heart hurt.