Dallas, TX
“What do you mean you’re getting back with Heather? Have you lost your goddamn mind?!” I know I’m yelling at the top of my lungs, but my dear brother has indeed lost his ever-loving mind.
“I know what I’m doing, Ashley. Trust me. It will all make sense in the end.” William’s hand runs across his face as he blows out a breath of frustration. “It has to be this way. In the meantime, I need you to fly back to California to pick up Harper so she can be here.”
My jaw drops, he can’t be saying what I think he’s saying. “No.” I begin pacing in front of him, unable to stand still. “There is no way in hell I’m going to rip Harper from Bella, who’s been caring for her like her own, only to bring her back to a poor imitation of a mother.” Stopping in front of William, I grab a hold of his hands. “What is this about, William? We left California a little over thirty-two hours ago and by the look of things back there, it seemed as if you were ready to drop on one knee for Bella. What happened?”
“It’s done. I’ve already talked to Bella and told her you were going to pick up Harper later this week.” He avoids my gaze, unable to look me in the eye.
“You what?! How did she react? Oh my god, the poor girl!” I resume my pacing once more. What in the world is going on? It’s as if I’m in some alternate dimension, not knowing which way is up.
“It doesn’t matter how she reacted. What matters is how things will be in the end.” He spits out his words as if they’re somehow truth.
“Um, sorry to break it to you, but women don’t operate that way. If you think that after this stunt you’re pulling, Bella will readily forgive you…” I laugh sardonically, shaking my head in disgust. “You’re sorely mistaken.”
He rolls his eyes before cracking his neck, the tension radiating off of him and slamming straight into me. “Thank you, Ashley, for your valuable advice and for helping me out yet again. Harper trusts you and I knew that if I couldn’t pick her up, it had to be you.”
“You’re lucky I love you both.” I mumble under my breath as I exit his study. “Otherwise, you’d be left high and dry in this mess you’re concocting.”
As I walk back to my room in William’s Dallas home, my thoughts go back to Bella. I was talking to her not two nights ago about how much I thought she and William complimented each other.
She’s going to be distraught and I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about it.
William left so he could go to his court hearing with his ex, and I came back because I wanted to start looking for apartments. I can only imagine what Bella was thinking when she heard from William and his newfound affinity for his ex.
If that psychopath is moving in with us, then I need to find an apartment sooner rather than later.
Titus
“Are you sure?” I’m staring at the team tailing Brad. We’re on a face call and none of those fuckers dare look me in the eye right now. They know they’ve fucked up. They lost their mark.
They lost their fucking mark.
“Yes, boss,” Mario speaks up while the other cowards hang back. “He was last seen inside of the Dallas airport. With the new COVID protocols for flying, our men got held up by the feds. It took us a while to get through processing and the men waiting outside said they never saw him leave the terminal.”
“You are men of WRATH. There should be no excuses. Find him. NOW!” I end the call, slamming my fist onto the wooden desk.
This is unbelievable.
There’s a knock at my door and Hudson pops his head in, followed by William. I have no doubt Ren would be here too if it weren’t for his taking a job up north in order to avoid William.
“What’s the problem?” William sits across from me in one of the leather chairs while Hudson rummages through my bar cart.
“I suppose it’s time you found out. Brad disappeared again and the last time he disappeared, he somehow came into contact with your mother.”
William’s body stiffens as Hudson approaches my desk with three tumblers full of Scotch.
William is the first to swipe a glass, “Just in time.”
“I figured we’d need a little something to take the edge off. I assume everyone heard from our local PD, right?”
I nod, taking my glass and bringing it to my lips for a sip. “Yes.” I nod toward William. “Who knew your mother was not only an escape artist but a murderer.”
William cringes as Hudson shakes his head. “That’s low, brother. I wouldn’t even joke like that, and that’s saying something.”
It’s true. Hudson is usually the one cracking all the crass, over the top jokes, but I can’t help it. I’m in a shit mood after Ashley’s ex pulled yet another disappearing act.
“Escape artist.” William whispers, more to himself than to anyone in the room.
“Ohhhhh, I see what you’re getting at.” Hudson’s lips turn up as his head bobs up and down.
“What in the,” I look back and forth between the two men, narrowing my eyes as the facts come together. “You guys think that Brad and your mother are scheming something together. Question is, what?”
“What, indeed.” William smiles. “What could have our mother surfacing to the land of the living? We all thought she was dead, another victim of our father’s attacker.”
“From where I’m sitting, she’s either the attacker or has somehow miraculously escaped their grasp, only to seek out Ashley’s loser boyfriend.”
William closes his eyes, flinging his head back into the chair. “I fear you’re right. Not only did my mother run Bella off the road, killing her mother, she’s also quite possibly the one who murdered our father.”
“Hey, look at the bright side.” Hudson places his hand on William’s shoulder. “You’d be a shoo-in for Jerry Springer if you ever wanted your fifteen minutes of fame.”
I chuckle. Despite the dire circumstances surrounding his family, even William has to admit, that’s pretty damn funny.
“Ha ha.” William mumbles into his rocks glass. “Until we know for certain what the ties are between mother dearest and Brad, let’s keep it under wraps and away from the girls. There’s no reason to alert Ashley or Bella about this until we have solid facts.”
I nod, agreeing with his assessment. The last thing I want is for Ashley focusing on the trauma of her childhood while her ex tries to weasel his way back to her. “For all we know, Brad could’ve been the one who sought your mother out, trying to use her as leverage to get back with Ashley.”
Hudson arches a brow while his hands rub at his jawline. “Anything is possible. But the guy didn’t strike me as a mastermind though. I think since both of you are so deeply vested in your women, it’s hard for you to see things clearly. If it’s okay with everyone, I’m going to add myself to Brad’s case.”
William’s brows push together as I stare a hole right through Hudson’s head.
William clears his throat, almost choking on his drink. “What do you mean ‘vested in your women’?”
Hudson pales, looking as if he’s just seen a ghost.
He’s about to be a damn ghost if he doesn’t fix his slip-up.
“Um, all I meant was that you’re clearly vested in how Bella will react, and Titus is clearly vested in Ashley’s well-being since you tasked him with watching out for her.” Hudson’s lips roll in and his eyes bounce in their sockets between William and me.
“Ah,” William responds but his brows remain furrowed. “I see.” Switching his focus onto me, he blindsides me with a question. “You’d tell me if there was something going on between you and Ashley, right Titus?”
Taking a massive gulp of Scotch, I slam my tumbler down onto the desk before answering. “Brother, I can assure you, Ashley and I have nothing going on right now.”
Technically that’s true. Right at this very moment, Ashley and I have nothing going on…
William’s eyes narrow further, his head bobbing up and down slowly. “Okay. Be sure to let me know if that ever changes.”
And just like that, the gauntlet has been thrown down.
If I was hanging on to a sliver of hope, wondering whether Ashley and I could have our cake and eat it too, the answer is clearly and unequivocally NO.
We cannot.
