Grant
Harlow was silent the entire way to the club, but I needed that time to calm myself down. Walking in and seeing that piece of scum looking at her chest had just about sent me over the damn edge. I should have been there earlier. I didn’t like thinking about Harlow being at that house and August being able to show up at any time. What if he got Harlow alone? My hands clenched the steering wheel tighter.
That wasn’t f*cking happening. Nan’s looks weren’t enough, and I had no doubt August was figuring that out. Tonight she’d played it up big. Sure, she was gorgeous. Nan had always been gorgeous, but it was only her appearance. The moment she opened her spiteful mouth her outward appearance dimmed. It wasn’t enough.
I knew she had misinterpreted the way I looked at her tonight. She was just glad to have my attention. She didn’t understand what I was looking at. She thought she’d stunned me with her looks. I was past that. Nan was a part of my past. She always would be. We had bonded over our absent parents. Nan and I had grown up with absent parents, but I didn’t let that define me. Nan did. She let it poison her. Tonight, I had seen only the bitterness and hate in her when she’d walked into the room. It was all there on her face, and I wondered how I had ever missed that. Was I that blind before . . . before . . .
Harlow?
Damn, I’d been a shallow f*ck.
Glancing over at Harlow, I saw her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She was nervous. Her bottom lip was tucked between her teeth and she was staring straight ahead. Well, shit. I’d ignored her this entire ride and she had been sitting over there, nervous.
I was f*cking this night up completely.
I reached over and pulled one of her hands free and slipped my fingers through hers. “Hey,” I said, breaking into her thoughts.
She turned her head to look at me and a forced smile touched her lips. That wasn’t going to work. If she really didn’t want to go to this damn ball then Woods could get over it. I wasn’t making her do this. I thought the fact she had dressed to make every man she passed drool meant she was ready for this. Maybe not.
“You okay?” I asked, squeezing her hand.
She nodded and didn’t say anything.
“If you don’t want to do this we’ll go somewhere else,” I told her, and waited to see what her reaction was. She stiffened. What the hell?
“Talk to me, Harlow,” I said.
Her shoulders slumped and she dropped her head to stare down at her hands, still balled up in her lap. “I think maybe I should just go home. I don’t want to be in the way.”
What?
“Whose way are you worried about being in? Has someone said something to you that I need to f*cking handle?”
She didn’t look up at me. She kept staring at her lap. “No. I meant your way. I don’t want you to feel obligated to take me. I don’t mind going home. I’m good with that. Truly, I am.”
She wasn’t making any sense. Had Nan said something to her? I wanted her out of that bitch’s house. We were talking about that later tonight. But right now I had to figure out what was wrong.
“I want you with me. If Nan said something to you . . .”
“Nan didn’t have to say anything. You said it all with your eyes.”
Wait . . . what?
I studied her, trying to figure out what that meant.
Harlow took a deep breath and then finally looked up at me. Her big eyes were so sad and broken, my chest felt like it was going to explode. I had to fix this shit. I didn’t want my girl hurting. I jerked the truck over to the side of the road and threw it into park before reaching over to Harlow and pulling her close to me.
“You need to explain that because I’m not following you, sweetheart,” I demanded.
Harlow kept her eyes fixed on my shoulder. “I saw the way you looked at her. I’m not blind. I know how beautiful she is. I know you were struck speechless. And it was obvious she would have dumped August for you. Who wouldn’t?”
Well, f*ck. I hadn’t thought about Harlow thinking anything about me looking at Nan. I hadn’t been impressed; I’d been disgusted with myself.
I slipped my hand under Harlow’s chin and tilted her face up to look at me. She always looked down, and I wanted to see her eyes. I wanted to fix that sadness in them. I didn’t ever want to make her sad.
“What you saw was me looking at Nan and seeing nothing but bitterness and cruelty in her eyes. I wondered how I had missed that for so long. I wasn’t impressed with the way she looked. I had you standing there beside me, looking like an angel. No one can compare to you. You’re not just beautiful outside, you’re also beautiful inside. I see that and I cherish it. I just don’t know why I screwed around with Nan. I guess you saved me.”
Harlow continued to frown at me. “She’s every man’s fantasy.”
I rubbed my thumb over her bottom lip and tried not to think about how sweet that mouth tasted. “She’s every man’s nightmare, sweet girl. Unfortunately, they don’t realize it right away.”
“I can’t compete with her. I don’t want to.”
“There’s no competition. She pales in comparison. I wish I knew what I could do to convince you that you’re it for me. I don’t see anything but a girl I once knew when I look at Nan.”
Harlow dropped her gaze to study my shirt before finally lifting her eyes and giving me her first real smile. “I think I believe you.”
She had serious trust issues, and I needed to remember that and act accordingly. Where Nan never needed reassurance that I wanted her, Harlow needed reassurance that she owned me. She was too innocent to see just how I really felt about her. Even if it was obvious to the rest of the world.
“I’ll make sure you never doubt me again. Just know I can’t see anyone but you. When you walk into a room, you light it up.”
She leaned up and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Thank you,” she said, simply.
It was things like that that set her apart. She was like no one else I knew, and I was the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.
Harlow
Blaire spotted me the moment we stepped into the ballroom, and she made her way toward us. I was relieved. Seeing a friendly face helped ease me into this. The black dress she wore danced around her legs as she walked. It also made her blond hair stand out even more. I glanced behind her to see Rush’s eyes on his wife, watching her every move. The love and possessiveness that was there on his face for everyone to see made my heart beat faster. That had to be an amazing feeling.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Blaire said as she hugged me.
“I’m still trying to decide if I am,” I replied.
Blaire laughed and glanced around. “They’re not all bad.” She turned to Grant and grinned. “You look happy.”
“I am,” he replied, and slid his hand around my waist.
“It’s about time,” she said.
“Yeah, it is,” he agreed.
I felt like there was a private conversation going on here that I was being left out of.
“You thirsty?” Grant asked me, leaning down so that his warm breath tickled my ear.
“Yes,” I replied. A drink in my hands would give me something to do.
“Be right back,” he replied, and stepped back to leave me with Blaire.
“So?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows.
I knew she wanted to know about Grant. From what I could tell she was close to Grant because of Rush. “I think he likes me,” I replied, because I really didn’t know what else to say.
Blaire’s grin only got bigger. “I believe that’s obvious, Harlow. If you aren’t positive about it, though, I think you could just ask him and he would clarify that.”
I turned to look back at the bar and saw a girl with dark brown curls and a low-cut white dress pressing very close to him as she talked to him.
“Ignore her. I assure you, he is. That’s Katrina, and she’s not one to worry about. It’s just what she does.”
I turned back around. “I can’t figure out why he chose me. He gets attention from everyone. He’s perfect. He can have anyone.”
Blaire put a hand on her hip and stared at me in disbelief. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
I just nodded. Why would I be kidding?
“Do you know what I thought the first time I saw you?”
“No,” I replied, not sure if I wanted to hear this answer.
“I wanted to know who this beautiful woman walking into my fiancé’s room was. I was instantly stunned by you. Then you opened your mouth and this sweet, kind personality of yours shone through. I wanted to get to know you. There’s this draw to you that brings people in. So that’s why Grant can’t keep his eyes off you,” Blaire said, glancing over my shoulder and grinning.
I turned around to see the girl still talking to him, but he was looking at me. I smiled and he winked. I had to learn to trust him. He deserved it.
“How did you learn to trust Rush?” I asked, looking back at Blaire.
She let out a sigh. “That was hard. Once I trusted him he blew it all to pieces. It was a long road after that, but I had to trust him. My heart wanted him, and in order for me to give in to that I had to trust him and believe he would take care of me.”
“You’re saying it’s a decision you made,” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, it is.”
I could do that.
Blaire let out a sad sigh and I followed her gaze. Bethy stood in the corner in a server’s uniform, talking to some lady who looked as if she was in charge of things. “I’m worried about her,” Blaire said.
“I saw her last week at a bar. She was really down,” I told her. I wouldn’t have told just anyone, but I knew Blaire was her best friend.
“Losing Jace has completely changed her. I can’t seem to reach her,” she said. “She rarely takes my calls anymore.”
“I can’t imagine what she’s going through,” I said, remembering her words that night at the bar.
“Me neither,” Blaire replied.
“Your sparkling water,” Grant said, handing me the wine glass in his hand.
“I need to get back to Rush. You two have fun,” Blaire said, then looked directly at me and smiled before going back to Rush, who was still watching her.
“There’s Tripp. I didn’t know he was in town,” Grant said, staring at a tall guy with short hair and a tattoo visible above his collar. He didn’t look as if he was happy to be here. And he also seemed to be worried about Bethy. He was completely focused on her.
“Let’s talk to Woods and Della, then I can get away with talking to just a few other people before we escape this place and I get you alone,” Grant said, pressing his hand to the small of my back and leading me toward the tall, tanned man who commanded the room with authority. I already knew who Woods was, but even if I hadn’t, I would know he owned the place.
I noticed the woman on his arm. Her blue eyes stood out from a headful of long, dark curls. A soft smile touched her face as she stared up at Woods as if he had all the answers in the world.
Woods’s gaze found Grant and he glanced at me then back to Grant. An amused smile touched his face, and I realized Woods knew something. “Grant, looks like your choice in dates has improved,” Woods said.
“Yeah. It takes some of us longer than others,” Grant replied as his thumb made small circles on my back where his hand rested.
The dark-haired woman let go of Woods and stepped forward to hold out her hand. “Hello, I’m Della. I’ve heard so much about you from Blaire. It’s nice to meet you.”
She was sincere, and I instantly liked her. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” I replied.
“I’m happy to see Grant is making wiser choices,” Della said, grinning.
Apparently Nan was disliked by everyone.
Grant chuckled at her comment and I relaxed. I was worried he was going to take offense at everyone’s bringing it up. “How long do I need to stay at this thing?” Grant asked.
The professional all-business demeanor in Woods’s expression faltered a moment as he let his gaze travel over the room. “Give it at least thirty minutes—maybe an hour. Be sure to watch the video. I think it’ll be the hardest part of the night. It’ll mean a lot to Jace’s parents for you to be here for that. People also need to see your face, since you’re a board member. Then take off. Wish I could,” he said in a low voice.
In that moment he reminded me of Grant and Rush. He didn’t seem so powerful and serious. Della smiled at me. “I wish we could get out of here early, too.”
“If you want to leave early, I’ll find a way,” Woods replied.
Della stared up at him and smiled brightly. “No. We stay. You can’t leave early.”
Woods leaned down to her ear. “I do what you want to do.”
Della pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I want to stay.”
“Liar.”
Della just laughed and looked back at me. “I have to keep him in line.”
“Glad someone does,” Grant replied.
Woods’s easy smile turned into a frown as he focused on something behind us. Grant and I turned at the same time. Rush was walking toward us with a look on his face I didn’t understand.
Grant’s hand dropped from my back, and he walked toward Rush before he could get to us. I wasn’t sure if I should follow him or wait here.
“Something’s wrong,” Woods said before stepping by me and walking toward them.
I glanced back at Della, who was watching them, concerned. She wasn’t following Woods so I stayed with her.
Rush shook his head and looked over at me, then nodded his head for me to join them. Confused, I walked over. Rush reached out and grabbed my arm.
“I need you to stay with Blaire and Nate. Grant needs to come with me. Can you do that?”
I tried to nod but I just stood there, confused even more.
“It’s Nan. But I need him for this. And you have to trust him,” Rush said.
Nan? We just saw Nan. She was coming here. “Okay” was all I could say. They didn’t look as if they wanted to answer any questions. Grant looked angry and Rush was tense.
“I can’t leave with you guys, but if it’s what she says, then let me know. I’ll handle it,” Woods said, then turned and headed back to Della.
Rush motioned for Blaire and pulled her into his arms, talking to her in hushed whispers. She nodded and glanced over at me with a worried frown. “If you think that’s necessary” was her only response.
“I can’t ignore it. I have to check,” Rush told Blaire, who didn’t seem too sure that she agreed with him.
She kept her back stiff and nodded. Rush looked torn. What in the world was going on?
“If you want to come, then come with me. Don’t do this to me,” Rush said, closing in on Blaire and pulling her close.
She finally seemed to surrender and nodded. “Okay,” she said. Rush pressed a hard kiss to her mouth that had her melting further into him.
Everyone seemed to know what was going on but me. Woods’s head was lowered as he talked to Della. He was telling her. Rush was telling Blaire, but then there was me. No one was telling me. Grant wasn’t even looking at me. His body seemed coiled tight, and I realized I had trusted in him a little too soon.
Grant
Iwas doing this for him. He was my brother. At the top of all things that mattered was the fact that Rush was my brother. But, motherf*cker, the look on Harlow’s face when she heard Nan’s name was going to screw shit up. I could see it, and I had to choose. I’d chosen Rush. He was family.
I was trusting Harlow to believe in me. To know why I was doing this. Who I was doing it for. I needed her to understand, because losing her wasn’t an option.
“She’ll understand. Harlow will listen when you explain, and she’ll be okay with it. Blaire is probably explaining it to her now,” Rush said as he sped toward Nan’s house.
If this shit was real and August had just beat the hell out of Nan, then I was all for hunting him down and letting Rush get his vengeance. Nan was a lot of things, but first and foremost she was Rush’s little sister. Rush didn’t allow Nan to come between him and Blaire, and he protected Blaire from her. But if Nan was in trouble and needed Rush, he came. He was all she had. No one else gave a shit. I had once, but she’d made sure I didn’t for long.
“If she’s lying, it might be me beating the shit out of her,” I warned him.
He let out a heavy sigh. “I know.”
Rush wasn’t blind to Nan’s nastiness. He also knew that saving Nan and leaving Harlow wasn’t easy for me. I wasn’t married to Harlow. I hadn’t made her promises with a diamond ring. Blaire had all that, and seeing Rush run off to save Nan made more sense to her. Nan was also Rush’s sister.
I couldn’t claim any of that.
F*ck, she better be telling the truth.
Rush pulled into Nan’s driveway, and the fear that Harlow might not get over this hit me again as my gaze found her little black car. F*ck, I shouldn’t have left her. But Rush had needed me. When he needed backup, I was it. That was what brothers were for. We had each other’s back.
We both climbed out of the truck and headed for the stairs at the same time. Rush didn’t knock; he slid his key into the door and opened it. I was surprised he had a key. That must be Kiro’s doing.
“Nannette,” Rush called out when he swung the door open.
I followed him inside.
“In here,” Nan called from the living room. Rush stalked toward the sound of her voice.
He paused when he walked into the room, and I stopped behind him and looked over his shoulder.
She hadn’t been lying.
Nan’s lip was busted and a black eye was already appearing on her pale skin. Her bare arms each had handprints on them that would be bruises soon enough. Nan sat there with her knees pulled up against her chest tightly. Black streaks of mascara ran down her face. She’d been crying.
This wasn’t the Nan I knew. It was the one I had known. She reminded me of the little girl I had once felt sorry for. The one whose problem I had wanted to fix just as much as Rush did. The bitter, angry bitch wasn’t in her eyes as she looked at us. Instead, she was scared.
“What the f*ck,” Rush growled and took two big strides until he was in front of her and sitting down on the sofa beside her. “August did this?” Rush asked. His fury was barely contained, and as I stood there and looked at her, my anger began to boil, too.
I didn’t care what she had done. No woman deserved this. August was a dead man walking. If Rush didn’t kill him, I would.
“Yes. He got mad because”—she glanced over at me and then back at Rush—“I was upset about Grant and Harlow. I didn’t want to go, then he wanted to have sex and I didn’t want to. He tried to force me, but I fought back. Then he just snapped, and when I woke up on the floor he was gone.”
Rush’s body went taut. “He knocked you out?” Rush asked.
She nodded, and her gaze shifted to me again.
“He’s gotten angry before, but never like that. I didn’t know he was like that. I knew his wife left him and it took him two years before he got to see his daughter again. I believed him when he said he never hurt her. That she was a liar,” she said in a shaky voice.
“You need to see a doctor. If you were unconscious, you could have a concussion. Grant, take her to the hospital and have them check her out.”
Me? “What? Why can’t you?” I asked. I didn’t need to be taking her anywhere. I was gonna beat the shit out of August, but that didn’t mean I wanted to haul Nan around.
“I’m going to find August. I need you to take her to get checked out. Please,” Rush said, standing up. “I’ll call Blaire and explain.”
Which meant he would make sure Harlow knew what was going on and why. I just hoped she understood. Rush believed Harlow was strong enough for this emotionally, but I wasn’t sure I agreed. He didn’t know how insecure she really was.
“Can’t I find him?” I asked.
Rush shook his head. “No. I have Dean to make sure I don’t serve time. You don’t.”
He had a point.
“He doesn’t have to take me. I’m fine to stay here,” Nan said.
Rush looked at me, silently pleading. Shit.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” I looked at Nan. “Can you walk?” I asked.
She nodded and stood up. “Just a little dizzy.”
Rush put his arm around her and I let him help her to the truck. I wasn’t touching her. I would help, but I wasn’t touching her.
I followed them to his Range Rover. He put Nan in, then turned to me.
“I’ll take Nan’s car. Get her completely checked out.”
“Call Blaire and check on Harlow for me,” I replied.
He nodded. “Doing that now.”
I didn’t say thanks. He owed me that much. I walked around the Rover and opened the door. I climbed in and slammed the door to get out some frustration. It didn’t help.
“You didn’t have to take me,” she said.
“Yeah, I did,” I replied.
“Because you still care,” she said with a hopeful tone in her voice.
“No, because of Rush,” I replied, and turned to head for the hospital, which was a good thirty minutes away.
“Do you really mean that?” she asked.
“Yes, I really do.”
“But you said once that you loved me,” she said, sounding hurt.
I had been drinking. The sex had been great. “I was in lust. What we had was good at first. I’d enjoyed it. Then I realized you weren’t the one. You were nasty and mean and shallow. And so was our sex.”
She made a small gasp. I didn’t care if my words wounded her. I knew she was hurt, and I hated that she’d messed around with someone who would hit a woman. That was it. Nothing more.
“Is sex with her better? She’s too unpracticed to be any good.”
That was what Nan would never understand. Sex would never be more than sex for her because she didn’t have the heart to look deeper. To actually feel something for another person.
“Nothing can compare to Harlow. Nothing comes close to touching it” was all I said.
My private life with Harlow was just that: private. I wasn’t sharing it with Nan.
Harlow
Iheard Blaire talking on the phone in the kitchen as I stood just outside on the balcony. She had explained on the ride over that Nan had been badly beaten up by August. Or that was what Nan had said when she called Rush.
I could see in Blaire’s eyes that she wasn’t sure she believed that story. But she had understood Rush’s need to go. I also understood that he needed backup if it was true, and Grant was his brother—or the closest thing he had to one.
But the image of Grant holding Nan and comforting her was haunting me. I hated that I was being that selfish. I wasn’t a selfish person. My feelings for Grant were making me different. I didn’t exactly like some of the differences, either. If Nan had been beaten up by August, then she needed her brother and Grant. They were the only two men in her life she could trust.
“That was Rush,” Blaire said from behind me.
“How is she?” I asked, unable to look back at Blaire. I was afraid she’d see what I was thinking in my eyes, and I was ashamed.
“She was telling the truth. Rush said he had beat her pretty bad, and she was knocked unconscious.”
My chest hurt, but it wasn’t in sympathy for Nan. It was for me. It was because I could see Grant slipping away from me. I hated myself for that. Was I truly that cruel?
“Rush is going to find August. He sent Grant with Nan to the hospital. He said he wanted her checked out.”
So Grant was with her. Alone. This was it. He was a sucker when it came to Nan in need. I had seen how he had chased after her before when he felt she needed someone.
“Rush wanted you to know Grant didn’t want to take her. He guilted him into it.”
I could hold on to that for a little while. Maybe it would ease my fear. Or maybe preparing myself for the worst was the best way to protect my heart. Not that it would really make a difference. I was too far gone anyway.
“I used to hate her. I thought she was the bane of my existence. But over time, I’ve realized that Nan is just sad. She has pushed everyone away and made them hate her and her ugly heart. She does nothing to endear herself to anyone. She has to call Rush because he’s her brother. He’s the only one who’ll come running. She didn’t call Grant tonight because she knew he wouldn’t answer, much less come to the rescue. But she knew Rush would, and she knew he would bring Grant. Even when she’s at her lowest point, she manipulates people. Grant’s smart enough to see that.”
I hoped she was right.
“He saw something in her before,” I said simply.
Blaire stood beside me. “He saw someone who was in need of fixing. Grant likes to fix things. When I first came here, Rush hated me. He wanted me gone. But Grant made sure that didn’t happen. The next morning when I woke up, I was worried about how I was going to afford to get gas so I could find a job. When I got to my truck, there was a note on it from Grant. He’d filled my truck up with gas. It’s just who he is. Nan is broken and she isn’t fixable. Grant figured that out. He has you and he isn’t going to mess that up.”
I felt tears sting my eyes. I knew Blaire’s history. She’d come here alone, lost but brave. The fact that Grant had made sure she’d had gas only made me love him more. I gripped the railing hard and closed my eyes. I would not cry.
“I’m in love with him,” I admitted, in a whisper so low I wasn’t sure she heard me. I hoped she hadn’t as soon as I said it.
“I know. It’s all over you when you’re with him. But he’s in love with you, too. I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
I thought of Rush and the way he protected Blaire. The possessive gleam in his eyes, and the way he kept her so close to him. I didn’t have that. She had something exceptional, and I had read too many romances. I wanted that, too. I hadn’t realized it was real until I had seen Rush with Blaire.
That kind of love wasn’t a fantasy. It was real.
“I want the fantasy. I want him to love me the way Rush loves you.”
Blaire leaned into me and bumped my shoulder with hers. “He’s headed that way if he isn’t there already. You’ve gotten under his skin.”
“He hasn’t told me he loves me,” I told her.
“He will,” she replied. “When he’s brave enough, he’ll tell you.”
I tried to believe that. I wanted to believe that.
“All my life I’ve seen my dad screw around with women and throw them aside as if they meant nothing. I worried that love wasn’t real, or if it was that I didn’t have the right genetic makeup to love like you love Rush. I had never been in love. I was so guarded. I worried that I wouldn’t love because my father couldn’t love. Then . . . then I saw him with . . .” I stopped. I didn’t know if I wanted to share this with Blaire. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ever share what I had seen. “He loves my mom. Even though she can’t speak or move, he wants to be near her. He brushes her hair.” That fact still baffled me. I had never known he could be that way.
“My guess is that you’re just like your mother. She inspired that kind of love and devotion from a rock star who could have anyone he wanted. It’s a special gift, and you need to learn to trust that you’re worthy of that love. Give Grant time. He’s just now figuring things out, and I believe he’s worth waiting for.”
I nodded. She was right. He was worth it. I had to stop doubting him. Twice in one night. Another trait I had that I hated. I was insecure. Painfully so. It was time I overcame that. I didn’t know if I had a long life with Grant or not. But I wanted him. I wanted this to be my life. When it was over, I wanted to know I had this.
It was time I told him my secret. He deserved to know.
?
Three hours later, my phone rang as I sat curled up on the Finlays’ sofa. Blaire had gone upstairs earlier when Nate had started crying. She said he was used to Rush rocking him to sleep, so she had to give him extra attention.
“Hello,” I said, knowing it was Grant.
“Hey, you still at Rush’s?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Good. I have to get Nan inside and make sure she gets into bed. Doctor says she needs to be woken up every hour. She’s got a pretty bad concussion. I’ll come get you as soon as she’s in bed.”
I wasn’t going to dwell on the fact he was putting her to bed. I was stronger than that. “Okay,” I replied.
“Harlow?” he said, the concern in his voice obvious.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry about all this. Please know it changes nothing. She’s just Rush’s little sister. Okay?”
“I know.”
Grant let out a frustrated sigh. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. I swear.”
“I’m fine. Take your time,” I assured him before hanging up.
The front door opened and Rush came walking in. He walked past the open doorway to the living room then stopped, backtracked, and looked at me. “Hey, you’re still here,” he said.
“Yeah. Grant just called.”
“I needed his help tonight. That’s the only reason he did this.”
“I know,” I said, even if I didn’t completely get it.
“He wanted to come back to you,” Rush told me.
“It’s okay, Rush. I’m not upset,” I assured him.
He looked relieved. “Nate asleep?” he asked.
“He was crying and Blaire went up to rock him.”
“He wants me. It’s our time. Tell Grant I said thanks,” he told me.
“I will.”
Grant
Harlow came walking outside when I pulled into the driveway. She was still wearing that dress, but her heels were dangling from her fingers. I’d had plans for that dress, and especially those heels. Even if she hadn’t meant to, Nan had ruined the evening.
I jumped out of the truck and walked around to open her door as she reached me.
She smiled up at me sweetly. The tired look in her eyes made me want to tuck her close to me and hold her.
“Hey,” I said, taking both her hands and putting them around my neck.
“Hey,” she replied, resting both her hands on my shoulders.
“I missed you,” I told her, lowering my head until I could press my lips to hers. She opened easily for me, and I dove in, tasting her and reminding myself that she was mine. She trusted me.
“I missed you, too,” she whispered against my lips.
“You’re not mad at me?” I asked, needing reassurance.
“No,” she said simply.
“It’s time I get you tucked into bed, too. Except I want you naked and wrapped around me,” I told her, and picked her up to set her in my truck. “And I want you to wear those heels for me.”
She scrunched her nose. “To sleep in?”
“No, I want you in those heels while I bury myself inside you,” I informed her.
Both her cheeks flamed red as she flushed and nodded.
That was my girl. She wasn’t hurt or mad. I had never been so f*cking relieved.
I patted the seat beside me in the truck and Harlow slid over. She leaned against me and let me hold her close. Having her here made everything easier. I pressed a kiss to her head. “Thank you,” I said.
“For what?”
“For being so damn perfect for me.”
Harlow turned her face to rest on my shoulder. Her breath was warm on my skin, and getting her to her bedroom was becoming a top priority.
“I’m not going to lie. I was upset. I didn’t like that you went to Nan’s rescue. It was selfish of me, and I hated that I had that ugliness inside. I won’t ever react that way again. I don’t want to be that way.”
She was so damn honest. And she was also wrong. There wasn’t an ounce of ugliness in her. I slid my hand over her bare thigh. “Harlow, I don’t think you could be selfish and ugly, even if you tried. You reacted that way because you felt possessive of me, and that makes me the luckiest damn man in the world. You should have been upset. Hell, baby, I was upset. I was so damn torn. I didn’t want to be there, but Rush needed me.”
“And I resented that. So I was selfish.”
Laughing, I slid my hand up her thigh. “I tell you what. You can be selfish anytime you want to with me. It turns me the f*ck on.”
Harlow eased her legs open. “Why?” she breathed as my hand brushed her already-wet panties.
“Because I want to belong to you. I want you to care when I leave. If you would’ve come after me I would have gladly let you go with me. I can’t tell you no.”
She moved against my hand and made a soft moaning sound in her throat. “Then f*ck me in the truck before we go inside. I need you,” she said, throwing her head back and crying out as I slipped a hand inside her panties.
“Looks like I’m gonna get to live out that fantasy with you in this dress after all,” I told her and reached for her shoes. “I want these on you first,” I told her.
She laughed and slipped them on before crawling into my lap.
?
When the first alarm went off an hour after Harlow and I lay down to go to bed, I quickly turned it off and started to get out of bed to wake Nan. Harlow’s hand reached out and grabbed me and pulled me back down.
“No. I’m doing this,” she said and started to get up.
“Stay in bed. I don’t want you dealing with this,” I argued. Nan was not her problem.
Harlow pushed her long, thick hair out of her face and frowned at me. “You said that it was okay for me to be possessive. Well, I don’t like the idea of you going into Nan’s room with her in bed and waking her up. You stay here in my bed, and I’ll go wake her up,” she said.
Smiling, I lay back down. “Okay. Fine. You win,” I replied.
She had a point. There was no way in hell I’d let her go in another man’s room at night and wake him up to check on him.
She nodded and grabbed my discarded white tuxedo shirt and put it on without bothering to button it; she just held it closed and went out the door.
Little, sweet, sexy woman was going to make sure she checked on Nan while showing her just whose bed I was in. Made me grin. I liked knowing she had some fight in her. With a sister like Nan, she needed it. I hated to think of Nan hurting her in any way.
To think I almost lost this because I was worried about loving her and losing her. The fear of death had gotten its claws in thick. I had Rush and Blaire to thank for showing me that loving someone like this was worth it. I just had to find a way to tell Harlow exactly how I felt. I didn’t want to scare her off. The way she was looking at me lately, I wanted to believe she felt the same way.
The bedroom door opened and Harlow rolled her eyes. “She’s fine. Bitchy as ever. Said she wanted you to check on her next time,” Harlow said before dropping my shirt and crawling back into bed to snuggle up against me.
“What did you tell her?” I asked.
“I told her to get over it. I was keeping your sexy ass safely tucked in my bed.” Harlow replied as she threw one of her long legs over mine and burrowed into me.
I held her against me and went back to sleep with a smile on my face.
Harlow
Rush found August. Even if Woods hadn’t fired him, he wouldn’t have been able to work. Rush managed to break the arm he hit Nan with and told him to leave town. Either Rush had an in with the police department or August had run scared. I’m not sure what exactly happened. I didn’t like talking about Nan with Grant.
Nan left town again, which was a normal thing for her, from what everyone said. She would be back when she was over the thing with August. I was just glad to have Grant alone. He seemed more relieved than I was.
The only thing standing between me and Grant now was my secret. The one that I had kept to myself most of my life. The one that made people treat me differently. And the one that kept me from telling him I loved him.
He hadn’t said he loved me. Was it fair to love him if I couldn’t give him things he deserved? For so long, I had lived without thinking about it because my grandmama hadn’t allowed me to use it as a crutch or an excuse. But now . . . I couldn’t do this without being honest. Telling Grant the truth was going to be hard. He would either understand or see this as a deception.
If I just had some more time. I didn’t want to ruin things. His heart was safe, even if mine wasn’t. I glanced back at Grant, who was on the phone with a construction site that we were headed to three hours out of town. He had wanted me to come with him, and I didn’t want to be away from him. We hadn’t been talking much on the ride because he’d been driving and making notes and talking on the phone to different people. I had even heard him argue with his father. It was a nice look into a different side of his life. He wasn’t like the other socialites in Rosemary—he actually had a job. A regular job for a blue-collar company. I liked it.
He finally dropped the phone onto the notebook and looked at me. “I swear, if I’d known they were gonna keep me on the damn phone all day I wouldn’t have dragged you out with me.”
“I just like being with you,” I told him.
His face transformed into a smile and he reached over and laced his fingers through mine. “I love having you with me. Makes everything better.”
He loved having me with him. He didn’t love me, but he loved having me around. That was new. I couldn’t keep the silly grin off my face.
“I’m starving. You ready for some lunch?” he asked, pulling off at the next exit.
“Yes, I’m getting hungry,” I admitted.
My phone rang, interrupting me, and I immediately grabbed it. Only two people would be calling me. Dad or Mase.
Dad’s name lit up the screen.
“Daddy?” I said into the phone. He rarely called me when he was on tour.
“Hey. I’m headed home. There’s a problem with Emmy. I need to be there. And I want you to be prepared. Things are going to blow up once they find you.”
Find me? “I don’t understand, Daddy. What things are about to blow up? Who’s going to find me?”
“Some motherf*cker leaked the info about your mom. Some new staff member at the Manor. When she saw me there, she did some digging. When you came to visit, she discovered you’re my daughter. I was attacked by the paparazzi in f*cking Paris tonight. I’m headed home. I don’t want them getting anywhere near your mother. The bitch has been fired and escorted off the property, but the press is covering the Manor. The staff is in a panic. They’ll be after you, too.”
I had always been kept safe from the paparazzi because I was boring. Now my mother’s existence was going to change it all. “What can I do to help, Daddy?” I asked, worried about the man I’d seen protecting the woman in that room as if she were a princess.
“Nothing. Not a f*cking thing, sweetheart. Not a f*cking thing. I gotta get to your mom. She needs me. I’m sorry, but you’re on your own. Just be prepared—they’ll find you. It’ll all come out. Everything. You understand that, don’t you?”
He meant my life. My secrets. My privacy.
“Yes, sir. I know.”
“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” he said, and the pain in his voice was honest. He really wished I didn’t have to face this. But I had to figure this out on my own.
“Only thing I can think of is you can come to the Manor. I can get you a room there and you’ll be safe, but they will eventually get the story. Too many people know things. It will all come out. You can hide for a while, and I’ll hide you. But it’s time you faced this. You aren’t my little girl anymore.”
He was right. It was time I faced this life. The one I’d hidden from.
“Call me. Let me know how she is and that you’re safe when you get there,” I told him.
“I will. Nan’s story will come out, too. Be ready for that.”
“Okay.”
He hung up and I stared down at my phone.
“What’s wrong?” Grant asked, his gaze on me.
“I . . . they know. The media know.”
“Shit,” Grant moved the notebook between us and slid over to me. I hadn’t even realized we were parked until that moment. “You mean about your mom?”
I nodded. “Yes. My mom. Nan . . . me. They know it all. They’ll come looking for me. I won’t be hard to find. They already know where Rush lives. He makes the papers randomly when they need some Slacker Demon family stories for the smear papers.”
Grant pulled me into his arms and held me against his chest. I had to tell him everything now. I just couldn’t form words. “I won’t let those f*ckers get near you. I swear,” he growled, tightening his hold on me.
He didn’t know what they were like. This was a breaking story in the music industry. The world’s most legendary rock band’s lead singer was married to a woman he’d kept a secret from everyone. Even his own daughter for years.
Then there was me. Their miracle child. The child who shouldn’t have lived but did. The one who might not live a long life. The one who couldn’t have kids or it would kill her. The one who wasn’t whole, whose heart never worked properly. The pills I’d taken my entire life. The precautions—it would all come out. And I would be the sick girl. The one everyone looked at as if she wasn’t normal. I didn’t want that. Not again.
I had lived that life before, and I didn’t want it again. I kept my secrets guarded for a reason. And now they were all coming out, and I had no control.
“Shh, it’s okay, baby. I swear I will protect you. I swear, I will,” Grant murmured as silent tears ran down my face. My life was about to completely change.
Grant
Holy hell. This wasn’t something I could fix, and I hated it. Harlow’s shoulders silently shook as her tears wet the front of my shirt. Her life was about to be splashed all over the media. And I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Rush had never had to deal with this because the world knew he existed. He made the tabloids at times, but his normal life didn’t supply them with the drama they craved.
This would. Harlow would get no peace. I could take her away and hide her. We could get on a plane and leave the damn country. “Let’s leave. Get on a plane and hide. We can go to a secluded island somewhere.”
She shook her head. “It won’t make it go away. They will find me one day and until I face it—” she hiccupped “—they will be after me. I have to face this. And I need to check on my dad. This is going to be so hard on him.”
Always worrying about someone else. It was what she did. It was one of the things I loved about her. But right f*cking now, I wanted her to think about herself. Kiro was used to the paparazzi. He was used to being in the media and rumors spreading about him. He had kept Harlow out of the limelight and now she was about to be thrown into it.
It wasn’t like the world didn’t know she existed. They just didn’t know that much about her, so they ignored her. She was boring, and Kiro’s exploits were a lot more fun.
“Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Just tell me what you need,” I told her as my heart felt as if it was being broken with each sob.
“I need to go back to Rosemary and pack,” she said, simply.
Pack? Why? “Why are you packing?” I asked, feeling the first pulls of panic.
“I have to leave. Nan will be less interesting to the media if I’m not there. I need to go back to L.A. and hide out. I’m good at that.”
“I can’t work in L.A. but I’ll call Dad and tell him to deal,” I told her.
She shook her head. “No, you don’t need to come. You need to stay here and stay out of this.”
I gently grabbed both her shoulders and pushed her back so I could see her face. Her tear-streaked face and big eyes stared up at me. “I’m not letting you leave me. Ever. Don’t you understand that?”
She just looked at me. Emotions flashed in her eyes that I wanted to cling to, and others I hated. She doubted me . . . she doubted us. I thought we’d moved past that.
“Harlow, I won’t let you leave me.”
She wiped at the tears on her face. “You will,” she said with a sad, defeated sound. I hated it.
“Sweet girl, ain’t no amount of paparazzi gonna send me away from you. I can handle any shit as long as I have you.”
Harlow shook her head and looked away from me. “You say that now. But you don’t know. It isn’t worth it.”
She was worth anything and everything that could be thrown at me.
“I’ll take you back, but I won’t leave your side. I won’t let you deal with this alone, and I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me?”
A sad smile touched her face. “I know you think that, but it’ll be too much. You’ll know soon. It isn’t what you think. Stuff will come out, and you won’t be able to deal with it. And I’ll understand.”
She didn’t trust anyone. I was losing this fight. I was gonna win her heart, dammit. She had mine, and I was gonna do anything I could to prove to her she had my heart. Telling her wasn’t enough. Words were weak. I had to show her. And I would.
?
I kept Harlow tucked beside me. We didn’t listen to the radio. I was pretty sure it was already being talked about on every station. I didn’t want to upset her. This wasn’t going to be easy, and I was liable to beat the shit out of someone before it was over, but I’d show her I meant it. That she was it for me.
When we rolled back into Rosemary, TV station vans and cars lined the streets. I turned around and headed for my apartment.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sitting up and looking at the paparazzi already surrounding Nan’s house. They were taking pictures of her car and the house.
“Taking you to my place,” I informed her.
“I need to face this now. It’ll just get worse. I want them to leave so everyone in Rosemary can go back to normal.”
“Harlow, if I let you out of the car and they come at you, I’ll end up in jail. Do you understand me?”
She glanced at me with a frown. “Why?”
“Because I’ll f*cking snap. That’s why.”
“Oh,” she replied. She let me drive to my apartment without any more questions.
When we pulled in, I felt like breathing a sigh of relief. I was afraid they had already figured out who I was and would be waiting here, too.
My phone rang when I stopped the truck, and I grabbed it. Rush’s name was on the screen.
“Hey,” I said, opening the truck door. I wanted to hurry and get Harlow safely inside.
“Where’s Harlow?” Rush asked.
“With me.”
“Where?”
“Just got to my apartment,” I replied.
“Get her inside and don’t f*cking leave,” Rush barked.
“Already ahead of you,” I told him, annoyed that he thought he needed to protect what was mine.
“She knows?” Rush asked.
“Yeah. Kiro called and warned her.”
“Did she know about her mother?”
“Yeah, she found out when we went to find her dad in Vegas. I was there.”
“They’re already talking about Harlow. Keep the TV off,” Rush said.
“Planning on it. I’m taking care of her. I don’t need you telling me how the f*ck to keep my woman safe.”
Rush was silent a moment. “Okay. Fine. But if—” he paused. “Never mind. Call me if you need me.” He hung up and I took Harlow from the truck and slipped my hand into hers, and we both started running for the door. There was no one here, and I wanted to f*cking keep it that way.
When I had her safely inside, I closed the door and locked it.
“You okay?” I asked her.
She nodded and stood there and stared at me. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking but I could tell she was battling something.
I took a step toward her and she threw herself into my arms. I hadn’t expected that but I caught her and held her. I realized this was the first time in her life someone had made her the priority. The relief in her body as she pressed against me told me everything I needed to know. My overprotected Harlow had never been protected for her sake, but for the secrets in her family and a woman she didn’t know was alive.
“From now on, you have me,” I told her, and she nodded against my chest.
Harlow
It took them only three hours to find us. Grant closed the blinds and curtains over the windows and glass doors leading out to the balcony. Cop cars were out there, too, and I knew Rush was using every ounce of power he had to get the vultures off me, but it wouldn’t do any good.
Grant was locked in his apartment like an animal because of me. I hated that. I watched him as he peeked outside, and I started to hate myself. I had done this to him. I was selfish and I let him stay with me. I should have run. I should have forced him to leave me. I should have told him that his fear of caring about someone whom he could lose was very real with me. I wasn’t sure how long I’d live. He could never get me pregnant. I’d seen him looking at Rush with Nate, and I knew he wanted that.
But he could never have it with me.
I was defective.
And now I was ruining his life.
Grant turned back around and saw me staring at him. He frowned and made his way over to me in a few long strides.
“I don’t like the look I see on your face. Ignore that shit out there.”
“I can’t. You’re locked in your apartment because of me.”
Grant raised his eyebrows. “You think I care about that? The only problem I would have with that is if you weren’t with me. But you are. And that makes this a damn nice setup.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the teasing look on his face. He never ceased to make me smile. “You’re gonna want out soon,” I told him, trying to remind him of a very real problem.
Grant didn’t argue with me. Instead, he crooked his finger at me. “Get up,” he demanded.
I did as I was told.
He reached out and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. “Good girl,” he cooed. “Now, take off your clothes,” he said in a stern voice. It should have made me angry, but the dark, sexy undertones only got my attention in a very different way.
“What?” I asked, starting to breathe harder.
“I said to take off your clothes. I know you heard me correctly,” he said slowly.
I thought about arguing but the way he was watching me changed my mind. I reached for the zipper on my skirt and pulled it down, letting the skirt pool at my feet. I grabbed the hem of my shirt with both hands and pulled it up and over my head slowly. If he wanted to play games, I decided I would, too. When I dropped my shirt to the floor, his gaze burned into me. I could almost feel the heat searing my skin. I reached behind and unhooked my bra before letting it fall forward. I let it dangle from one of my hands then dropped it in front of him.
“Panties,” he said in a husky voice.
I took extra effort in shimmying out of them, then stood there while his heated gaze warmed my body and made it tingle in all the right areas.
“No man would regret being locked away with you,” he said in a low voice and reached out to cup one of my swollen, needy breasts in his hands. “Such responsive nipples. They don’t even need me to touch them. Hard as candy from just my gaze,” he murmured. I thought I should point out that any woman’s nipples would get hard if he looked at them like that. But I didn’t want to think about that. I just wanted to think about us. No one else. Just us.
“Waxing that p-ssy should be f*cking illegal. It’s unfair. A p-ssy already that damn perfect shouldn’t be made even more irresistible. A man can only handle so much.” His hand slipped down to cup my bare mound, and I whimpered. I wasn’t sure what game we were playing now, but I liked it.
“Wet. Always so wet. You get wet so easily. What makes you wet? What is it I do to you that makes you wet?” he asked as his fingers slid over my moist heat.
“It doesn’t take much. Just a look from you and I get wet,” I told him.
A pleased smirk touched his mouth and he closed the space between us. “Just a look, really? That’s gonna make it hard for me to keep my hand out of your panties. I already think about kissing you and tasting you all damn day long. Knowing your p-ssy is wet is gonna get you f*cked in some dangerous places,” he whispered as he kissed my neck.
I shivered and grabbed his arms to keep my legs from giving out under me. His hand was still working its magic over me, and I was close to having an orgasm between his naughty words and his fingers.
“You were made for me,” he said, causing me to pause. What did he mean by that? It was awfully close to something else. He couldn’t love me. He didn’t know. He wouldn’t love me when he found out.
I wanted to forget. I didn’t want him to say more. I lifted my left leg and wrapped it around his hips, opening myself to him. His fingers sank inside and he groaned.
“F*cking flexible,” he said, kissing me everywhere his mouth touched. My ear, my jaw, my neck. “Turn around and grab the back of the couch. Stick this sweet ass up for me,” he demanded.
I didn’t ask, I just did it. I wanted to do it. His hands cupped my bottom and he slapped at it gently. I cried out and he slapped it harder. “I like watching my handprint forming on your skin,” he said, caressing the spot he had spanked. I squirmed, wanting the orgasm I was so close to reaching.
“My girl is wiggling. She likes it.” He spanked me again, this time harder, and I cried out. “F*ck, that’s pretty,” Grant growled, and then his lips brushed the stinging skin. His warm tongue came out and licked the tender spot. Knowing his mouth was that close to other areas made me greedy.
“What is it you want, sweet girl? You need something else spanked?” he asked. I didn’t know how to respond. I just wanted that orgasm he was causing to build. It was going to be different from the others. I felt it.
A loud hard slap hit my *oris, and I screamed out as the release slammed through me and I began to fall onto the couch, unable to stand as my body was racked with tremors.
Grant grabbed my hips and held me up as he entered me in one smooth stroke. “I got a f*cking naughty girl that likes being spanked,” he panted as he controlled me, as he moved in and out of me.
I never imagined that I would like being spanked, but the way Grant had done it was wonderful. My body was still humming from the orgasm when I felt another building on top of the aftershocks. I wasn’t sure I could handle another. Not like that one. He would have to hold up more than just my hips.
“My p-ssy. Knowing no one else has touched this p-ssy and it’s all f*cking mine drives me crazy,” he growled in satisfaction, and I began moving with him, needing what he was about to give me.
Grant’s hand slipped around and began rubbing my * in a circular motion as he praised me and my body. “Come for me, baby,” he said, sending me off once again. He jerked out, and I started to beg him not to stop as he roared his release.
We hadn’t used a condom again, but he’d pulled out. The warmth on my back was proof. We couldn’t keep doing this. I couldn’t get pregnant. It was not an option for me. Ever.
“Stay still. I’ll clean you up,” Grant said, and he walked away, leaving me there. I just wanted to sink into the sofa, but I knew he wouldn’t want his come all over his furniture.
My legs felt like Jell-O. He was back in less than a minute with a warm washcloth, gently wiping away his release. I smiled, knowing he had watched himself as he shot his come onto my body. His roar of release had been louder than the others. I knew he liked watching it.
“Guess I marked you again,” he said with an amused grin as I turned to sink down onto the sofa.
“Yes, you did,” I replied.
Grant’s eyes ran over my body. Then he picked up his shirt and threw it at me. “I can’t look at you like that or we’ll be going at it again in about five minutes.”
I loved knowing he wanted me that much. I tugged his shirt down over me then pulled my legs up under me.
“If you were trying to distract me, you did a wonderful job,” I told him.
“Good. Glad I distracted you, but baby, sex with you is never about anything but the fact that I love being inside you.”
I liked that. It made me feel as if he needed me as much as I needed him.
“I would say let’s take a shower, but I like knowing you smell like me and sex. It makes me feel like a f*cking caveman. If I start beating on my chest, just ignore me.” He winked and pulled his jeans up, leaving them unsnapped and showing off his sexy stomach, then sat down beside me.
“Remind me to send those stupid f*ckers a thank-you note for giving me a reason to lock you up and keep you in my shirt.”
I laughed and leaned against him. This was right. Everything about Grant felt right. Maybe God had made him for me. There had to be someone out there who wanted me, even if I was broken. Surely God hadn’t meant for me to live my life alone.
Grant
Harlow sat curled up in my arms with her hands in my hair, playing with it. I had considered cutting it because I’d kept it long for a while. But the way she ran her fingers through it made me decide I would keep it like this. She obviously liked it.
I wasn’t sure why I’d decided to play rough with her earlier, but I’d wanted to. She always seemed so fragile, and I treated her like something precious and cherished. Because she was. I had wanted to see how far she’d go, though. I had pushed and waited for her to balk, and I would’ve quit. She hadn’t. Sexy little ass stuck up in the air, and she’d been squirming for more. F*ck, that was hot.
I hadn’t checked outside lately. Rush had called and asked if they were here yet, and I told him they were. He said they had some paparazzi camped out at his place, too. I knew I couldn’t keep using sex as a way to distract Harlow. I was going to have to go out there and face those nosey shits soon.
“I think I need to go out there and talk to them,” Harlow said as she wrapped my hair around her fingers.
“No,” I replied, closing my eyes so I wouldn’t see her eyes if she decided to beg.
“They won’t go away until they talk to me,” Harlow told me.
“Good, because if you keep playing with my hair, I’m flipping you over and going for round two,” I warned.
Harlow tugged at my hair. “Grant. You can’t use sex to keep me under control.”
I smirked. “Yes, baby, I can,” I replied.
A small giggle only made me smile bigger. I peeked at her through half-closed eyes. She was looking at the door with her bottom lip between her teeth. She was thinking hard about something. I wished I could read her mind. I hated not knowing what she was thinking. I was always scared that she might be planning to leave me.
“Dad said this won’t go away until they have their story. I should just answer their questions. Maybe they’ll leave him alone if I do. He has Emily to worry about.”
She wasn’t referring to Emily as her mother. I didn’t understand that but I figured it was like finding out you were adopted. That biological parent didn’t raise you. Emily wasn’t a part of Harlow’s life. Just hearing that she was alive didn’t make Emily Harlow’s mom.
Hell, I knew my mom and didn’t even call her Mom.
“His problem, not yours,” I said.
“Dad will do something stupid if he feels like she’s being threatened in any way.”
Her dad was Kiro Manning. He made it his life goal to do stupid shit. Did she not watch the news?
“Not your problem,” I repeated.
“Yes, it is. He spent his life protecting her and me.”
I didn’t see it the same way. I felt as if Kiro had protected Emily because he didn’t want the world to know he had a weakness. I didn’t believe he was protecting Harlow. He just didn’t have time for a kid. He saw Harlow’s grandmother as a perfect solution and ditched her onto the woman. Granted, it turned out better for Harlow; but it was because she was lucky to have such a good grandmother—not because of anything Kiro did. The dude was a selfish dick. He ignored Nan her entire life. And then there was Mase. The dude didn’t give a shit about his dad. That said a lot.
Mase, however, cared about Harlow. He had called three times already, and she had sent his calls to voice mail. He was gonna come barreling into Rosemary with his cowboy boots and his damn gun if she didn’t talk to him soon.
“You need to call Mase back,” I told her.
She sighed. “Yeah. I better before he does something stupid.”
She started to sit up and I held her to me. “Call him from right here. I don’t want to let you go,” I said.
I could tell by her little frown she didn’t like that. Did she want privacy? Why? What the f*ck did she have to tell Mase that she couldn’t tell me?
“Okay,” she said and reached for her phone and dialed her brother’s number.
I was somewhat mollified, but I sure as hell was going to listen to this conversation closely now. If she intended to get the cowboy to come ride in and take her off to Texas, I’d take on the whole damn state. I didn’t give a f*ck. She wasn’t leaving me.
“Hey, yeah, I’m fine. I’m locked up in Grant’s apartment,” she said.
I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I could tell from the deep sound of his voice he was worried and being bossy.
“I’m going to have to talk to them eventually,” she said.
“No, I haven’t . . . I know that . . . not your business . . . yes it will . . . just let me handle it . . . I know you are . . . I’ll call if I need you . . . promise . . . okay, love you, too. Bye.” She hung up the phone and let out a heavy sigh.
“I need some alone time to think. Do you mind if I take a bath and soak a little while?” she asked me.
I wanted to soak with her but I understood she wanted to deal with all this shit, and if I was with her we’d have tub sex.
“Go enjoy yourself. I’ll be right here if you get lonely,” I told her.
She grinned and pressed a kiss to my mouth. “Thank you.”
After this was over she would believe me when I told her I loved her. They wouldn’t be weak words. She would believe them because I would have shown her just how much I loved her. There would be no doubt in those big eyes that had hooked me the first time our gazes met.
I waited until the water was running and the bathroom door was firmly closed before I got up and went to look outside again. The crowd hadn’t waned any. It was still there, and so were the cops. This was bullshit. Why was a f*cking rock star’s private life so damn important? My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was Rush again.
“They’re still here,” I said.
“They will be until she talks to them. Not sure she needs to, though,” he said.
“Not going to let her.”
“You seen any of the news?” Rush’s tone bothered me. He knew something.
“No, why?”
“Stay away from it for right now. Give Harlow time.”
What was that supposed to mean?
“I’m keeping her from it.”
“You, too. Stay away from it. She needs you right now.”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Call if you need me,” Rush said and hung up.
I walked over to the counter and grabbed the television remote and turned the volume on low. Rush was hiding something, and I wanted to know what the f*ck it was. If I was going to keep Harlow safe, I needed to know what from.