True to Me - Kay Bratt Page 0,82

Rochas’ money.

“What’s their family name?” Quinn asked as they drew near to Maria’s house.

“Monroe,” Carmen said. “Jules and Noah Monroe.”

So her name was Nama Monroe. Or at least it used to be. What a day of discovery. She had a lot of information—and suddenly she had parents, siblings, and a grandmother—but now what was she supposed to do with it all? She simply wanted to get back to her cottage and find some privacy to make a call. There was one person she needed to talk to right away.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Quinn wasn’t going to find the privacy she needed anytime soon because when they pulled up to Maria’s house, there were at least half a dozen cars parked in the driveway and lining the street in front of the yard.

“Something’s happened,” she said, feeling nervous as she thought of Kupuna. He wasn’t really a frail man, but he was the oldest person in the home. “This isn’t the night for Maria’s dinner.”

“It’s probably about Pali,” Maggie said.

“Do you need me to come in with you?” Carmen asked.

“No,” Quinn and Maggie said at the same time.

“Thank you, but just drop us off right here.” Quinn pointed at the corner. She spotted Liam’s truck and felt a rush of relief that he was there.

Carmen came to a stop.

“Listen,” she said, and Quinn paused, her hand on the door, “I know you say you aren’t ready to meet your parents. But please don’t leave Maui without letting Helen have closure for what she’s done. I can live with it either way, though I wish I could take it back. But that old woman has suffered for nearly three decades over her deed. The Rochas are a huge name in Maui, and when this gets out, she’ll probably do something rash out of shame, but it’s her last wish on this earth to see her sins undone.”

“I still don’t see why you care,” Quinn said. “So much for sworn enemies.”

She opened the door and climbed out.

“Because I finally learned that revenge tastes bitter,” Carmen said. “Forgiveness is a much sweeter way to live, Quinn. I’m not asking for it from you, but I’ve given it to the Rochas from the Crowes. I’m willing to pay for my part in what we did. But Helen is frail. I beg you not to send her to jail.”

Quinn shut the door without responding. Let Carmen have a night to worry about it. This wasn’t some practical joke gone awry. It was her childhood. Her life. And it had been taken from her. Even if Quinn felt sorry for the old woman, the emotion was buried under a simmering anger.

Maggie was already out of the truck, headed up the driveway. Quinn knew she was exhausted too. And she could never thank her enough for sitting through that with her. She followed just as Liam was coming out of the house. When he saw them, he approached.

“How did it go?” he asked, his voice sincere and full of concern as he examined Quinn’s face.

Maggie let out a harsh laugh. “Like a Lifetime movie. I’m going to take a shower. I feel dirty.” She continued around the house to the cottage.

“I have a lot to tell you, Liam, but first, what’s going on here?” Quinn asked.

“Pali’s been in an accident. He was just released from the hospital.”

“Is he okay?”

Liam nodded. “He’s alive. But he’s got some really serious injuries. He tried to surf Jaws alone, and at night.”

“What’s Jaws?”

“It’s the most dangerous place to surf on the island. Just paddling through the explosive shore break is a feat in itself. Then riding the mountain of water that moves as fast as Jaws is usually reserved for the professionals, especially now while the swell is huge. Pali isn’t even near ready for something like that, and he might never be. I guess in his first major act of rebellion, that was where he had something to prove.”

“Well, that was reckless,” Quinn said.

“Yeah, exactly, but that’s what happens when you have a boy keeping everything bottled up, and that anger, humiliation, and testosterone raging through his veins finally erupt. But he’ll be okay. He’s resting now.”

They began to walk up to the house.

“So how did he get injured?” Quinn asked. “And how did he get out there?”

“He hitched a ride with some older boys who were going out there to drink some beer and watch the waves. When they were ready to go, he borrowed a board, and they left him there, probably