BRIAN (The Callahans Book 1) by Glenna Sinclair

shook his head. “The cops are saying that it looks like it was intentional. Someone tampered with the brakes in her car.”
    “But how is she?”
    Killian glanced at Cassidy, then back at me, the expression on his face going from tense to concerned.
    “She wasn’t just a reporter to you, was she?” He took my arm and pulled me in close. “I’m sorry, Pops. She died on the way to the hospital.”
    The world went dark for a minute. My last conversation with Rachel was an argument over my relationship with Cassidy. She was jealous, and I was annoyed, feeling guilty because she was more right than she ever could have known. I was going to end things with her. But I didn’t…I could never mean her harm.
    “We have to think about how this is going to blow back on MCorp,” Killian said, his voice almost reluctant. “The story about you, about the company, was the last big thing she did. Everyone’s going to wonder if there was a connection.”
    “It was just an accident.”
    “Pops—”
    “We should go,” Cassidy said, moving up behind me. She didn’t touch me, but just knowing she was there was like a cool balm on a burn. Killian looked like he wanted to say more, but he stepped out of the way and let us get into the waiting SUV.
    I stared out the window as we drove through the city, passing at a distance the old neighborhood where I grew up. I found myself wondering quite often how I managed to pull myself out of that place to the world in which I now existed.
    “Why would someone want to hurt her over that fluff?”
    Killian shrugged. “We don’t know that was the motivation. But the cops will be asking questions and we have to get our ducks in a row.”
    “She was a reporter. She wrote a story and she didn’t even touch on half the stuff she’d originally wanted to write about.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “She wanted secrets, things nobody had ever written about me before.”
    Killian’s eyes narrowed. “What did you tell her?”
    “I’m not a fool, son. I didn’t tell her anything that wasn’t in that article.”
    “But you were sleeping with her.”
    “Sex doesn’t require words.”
    Killian cocked an eyebrow just like his mother would have done, but he didn’t push it any further. Instead, he leaned forward, resting on his knees.
    “MCorp will have to release a statement. And the police will want to talk to you. Fortunately, the police are looking at some ex-boyfriend of hers, so I don’t think it will be a problem. But I wouldn’t advertise your relationship with her.”
    “I won’t.”
    “Did anyone know about the relationship?”
    I shrugged, my eyes shifting to the windows again. We were in the better part of town now, headed toward my spacious—sometimes too spacious—home in Beacon Hill. For a boy who grew up in Dorchester, it was a huge step forward to have a place in Beacon Hill. I never really cared where I laid my head at night. I bought the house for Abigail and the kids. Tonight I wished I had anywhere else to go than there.
    “I suppose they’ve contacted her family, made arrangements.”
    “The police did. Her family’s in Connecticut. I heard they’re making arrangements to take her back there as soon as the coroner releases her body.”
    “Have you seen her?”
    Killian shook his head. “Didn’t see any reason to. And I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to, either. There’re going to be enough questions as it is.”
    He was worried about the family. That was the thing with Killian: family meant everything to him. It surprised me that he wasn’t married, settled down with some pretty wife who reminded me of his mother. Family was everything to him, but he was picky when it came to the kind of girl who could get close enough to even think about stealing his heart. I think he brought home one girl to meet his mother, years ago. One. The kid was nearly thirty…it was time for him to settle down.
    I was married with three kids by the time I was