Holden's Resurrection (Gemini Group Book 6)

who’d slept together once, in a drunken one-night stand. Then we did what he felt was best for my unborn child.
Or did we?
Paul had spent the last eight months of his life in a loveless marriage.
And I’ve spent the last eight years mourning the loss of a friend I’d done wrong, while harboring so much guilt there were days I wasn’t sure I could breathe. Then there was Holden. I’d never stop grieving the man I loved.
“You’re full of shit, Patty.”
And with that, I hung up.
I wouldn’t put it past them to make up more lies about me and I was sure they knew plenty of shady people who they could get to lie for them, too. But pictures? Bullshit. They didn’t have any because none existed.
For the five millionth time, I wished Paul was here.
And for the five millionth time, I was reminded I was all alone.
Me and Faith.
The dynamic duo.
No matter what, the two of us would be okay.

2
Something was going on.
Holden heard it in Nixon Swagger’s curt tone when he’d called and told him to come into the office early. He saw it on Jameson’s face when he’d mutely passed him in the hallway. The vibe in the Gemini Group office was tense—the atmosphere so thick, Holden Stanford could guess what the problem was, or more to the point—who.
Charleigh Towler.
The woman drove Holden mad. He avoided her at all costs. Truthfully, he avoided her daughter, Faith. The very sight of the little girl cut so deep, hurt so badly, he couldn’t bear to be within a hundred feet of her. Her cute face and pretty brown eyes sent Holden reeling back to a time and place he couldn’t afford to revisit. For years, he’d wished Faith was his. Cursed the universe for taking away his chance while dangling the one thing he’d wanted so desperately in front of him. Family. Something Holden would never have.
But Faith was not his, she was Paul Towler’s. She was Charleigh’s. She was theirs.
Fuck life.
“She’s moving.” Holden heard McKenna tell her husband as he approached Nix’s office. He stopped just before the door and listened. “She said she was going to wait until the school year was over, but she’d made up her mind.”
“That might not be a bad idea.”
“Nix,” Micky huffed. “That’s a horrible idea. I don’t want her to leave. Plus, with those people trying to take Faith from her, she needs to be close so we can help her.”
Holden’s anger skyrocketed.
“Those people” could only be Paul’s mom and sister. It wasn’t the first time they’d fucked with Charleigh. Almost two years ago, Holden went down to Virginia to help Charleigh when Beatrice Towler tried to sue Charleigh. It was a bogus lawsuit and had been thrown out, but what came after had been bad. Bea and Patty harassed Charleigh and scared Faith so bad the little girl had refused to go to school.
It seemed they were at it again.
“You know we’re not going to let that happen. I’ve already called a friend to look into the pictures they supposedly have of Charleigh. Though I can tell you right now, she never cheated on Paul, and if there are pictures, they’re fakes.”
What the actual fuck?
A sick feeling Holden hadn’t had in a long time roiled in his stomach.
Flashes of memories he didn’t want.
If only his team knew the truth.
The whole situation was twisted and fucked-up. It had been one gigantic disaster and Holden couldn’t deny his part in it. He was the catalyst that ruined four lives. His mistake had sparked a chain of events that would forever mark him.
Fucking hell.
There were a great many number of things that needed to change around Gemini Group before this situation got worse. The women seemed to be taking sides and it was causing friction. Especially between Genevieve and McKenna.
Holden was close to Evie. He’d almost died protecting her, and from that grew a tight bond. Not that he wasn’t close to all his friends’ wives, but he was closest to Evie. So naturally, she’d side with him. Bobby, being Evie’s best friend, would take Evie’s back in her crusade to keep Charleigh away from Holden. Evie knew the pain it caused him every time he was forced to see Faith.
McKenna loved everyone. She was also deliriously happy with her husband and daughter, Holly, and wanted the people she loved to have what she had—bliss.
That was not in the cards for Holden. He lost his chance when he lost Charleigh.
Though, ‘lost’ wasn’t the right word. He’d left her. Then she betrayed him in the worst way and sealed their fate.
Holden stopped eavesdropping and passed by Nixon’s office door, relieved that his friend didn’t stop him. He was in no mood to discuss Charleigh’s problems. Though he owed it to her to put a stop to them once and for all.
He’d just sat down behind his desk when there was a knock.
“Yeah?”
“You gotta minute?” Chasin asked as he walked in and closed the door behind him.
“By all means, come in and make yourself comfortable.”
Chasin took a seat, completely unaffected by Holden’s snarky remark.
“I know this isn’t something you wanna hear about,” Chasin started and Holden braced. “Charleigh got served with custody papers. Beatrice Towler is claiming Charleigh’s an unfit parent and wants sole custody.”
“Say again?”
Holden hadn’t thought the bitch would go that far. He’d assumed she was once again trying for visitation.
“Charleigh didn’t want to share, but Micky pointed out this case wasn’t about her but Faith, and that little girl needs all the help she can get. Charleigh finally agreed and let us read the documents. It’s all bullshit. Beatrice claims Charleigh was having an affair. They have pictures. But they’re taken out of context.”
Apparently, Holden hadn’t braced enough because he felt like he was going to come out of his skin.
“What’s that mean?”
“Nix put in a call to Rhode Daley. After he left the teams, he started to do some PI work, mostly for an outfit called Takeback. Anyway, I just