“What the hell did you do? What won’t I like?” My brother was a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t one of them. If he said he didn’t have a hand in locking me in with Vanessa, I believed him. But there was something else he was hesitating about telling me.
“You may want to sit down for this.”
I crossed over to my suitcase and began to toss clothes in. “I’m not sitting down for anything. I need to find out where Teagan is heading.”
“You may not want to follow her, once I tell you what I discovered.”
I moved to the closet, ripping my clothes down from the hangers. While I was at it, I grabbed the expensive dresses Teagan had left behind. “Spit it out, Chance. I have no patience for the cryptic bullshit.”
“Fine. I found out Teagan is stripping at a club in Dubai.”
I paused, swallowing hard at the unexpected news. “And you know this how?”
“Because I’ve invested money in the place.”
Of course he had. Chance owned or was invested in dozens of ventures all over the world. “What did you do with that information?”
“I confronted her with it. Told her I wouldn’t disclose her moonlighting job to you or anyone else if she took twenty-five grand and left.”
My heart sank while my brain fought against the idea Teagan would take a payout. “What did she do?”
“Told me to fuck off. I later noticed her in the lobby with her suitcase and asked where she was going. She told me you were heading back to New Hampshire to work things out with Vanessa. I knew that couldn’t be true, so I found out where Vanessa’s room was, and you know what happened after that.”
“Shit. I don’t know if Teagan would have gone to LA or Dubai.”
“She went to LA. I gave her the use of my plane. Unfortunately, it took me longer than I expected to find out Vanessa’s room number, so it’s already taken off.”
I turned to face him. “Why would you offer her use of your plane?”
He suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Because she seemed upset, and I’m not a complete asshole all the time.”
That was the thing it was sometimes hard to remember about Chance. Despite his best attempts to act the contrary, I’d seen slivers of his decency our entire lives. “Did offering her the plane ease your guilty conscience about making her feel like shit?”
“I’m not the only one with that honor. You not only allowed Mom free run of your phone, but you also decided—what? You needed another dramatic scene with Vanessa up in her room?”
I hated that he had a point. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I wished I could go back in time and change that decision. “Vanessa wanted to return the ring. In hindsight, I should’ve told her to keep it. But I was trying to—I don’t know—give her some closure.”
“No, you were once again putting other people’s feelings above your own. See where it gets you?”
Chance had always been critical of what he called my bleeding heart. In this case, it turned out he wasn’t wrong.
“You’re truly over her, though, aren’t you?”
I closed the drawers and threw more clothes into my suitcase. “One hundred percent.”
“I can have another plane here in a few hours to fly us to LA.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. Teagan had the right idea by telling you to fuck off.”
His jaw clenched. “She passed the test by not taking the money.”
My seldom-seen temper snapped. “There was no test she needed to pass, you prick. Not with me, and especially not with you.”
“So you’re okay with her stripping? In a country where it’s illegal, by the way. She may need the money, but will you be cool about bringing her to family functions if anyone finds out where she moonlights?”
“God, you’re such a judgmental prick. You can own and operate strip clubs, but the girls who work there aren’t worthy, is that it?”
Her stripping didn’t affect the way I felt about her, especially since I had a good idea of why she was doing it. But I did care about the jeopardy she put herself in each night she did so. Suddenly, I remembered the bruise she’d been trying to hide. Jesus. The thought of how she might actually have gotten it made my stomach sick.
“I never said she isn’t worthy. But she didn’t tell you about the stripping. And if she’s involved in one illegal activity, she may be involved in more.”
I ignored Chance’s ridiculous assertion. “This must have to do with her four-year-old niece’s cancer treatment and sending money home to her sister.”
“I’m sure that’s what she told you, but do you believe—?”
“You’re a cynical son of a bitch. Yes, I believe her. Now go away. I have things to do, and I don’t need you questioning my every move and trying to tear apart a person who has done nothing to deserve it.”
He heaved a heavy sigh. “I can help you.”
My eyes met his. “No. You can’t. You’ve done nothing but try to undermine and destroy my relationships. And you can tell yourself all day long you are trying to protect me, but you know what? I think you enjoy being a bully.”
His brow furrowed. “Did it ever occur to you if I hadn’t pushed the issue with your ex-fiancée, you never would’ve had a relationship with Teagan?”
Of course it had, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. “You want me to—what? Thank you?”
“I saved you from a future with a woman who would’ve made your life miserable.”
“You’re right, she would have. But you could’ve come talk to me instead of doing what you did. Instead, you destroyed my relationship with you as well.” And for the first time I realized the damage to our bond had been what hurt the most.
His eyes went wide. “I tried to tell you she’d hit on me. You wouldn’t listen.”
He was right. He had come to me a year ago. And I’d made excuses. She’d flirted because she’d been drunk, she hadn’t meant the words, and he must’ve been mistaken. I’d foolishly given her the benefit of the doubt.
He sighed heavily. “I had a window to finally prove how unworthy she was, and I took it. I’m sorry it hurt you in the process as I only ever wanted what was best for you.”
“Teagan is what’s best for me. She’s everything I didn’t realize I was missing in my life.”
Neither of us spoke for the longest minute. Finally, he said, “Then let me help you fix it. Please.”
I considered his request as I finished packing up my things, along with the items Teagan left behind, and zipped up my suitcase. As much as I’d love to tell him to go to hell, there was a desperation and sincerity in his tone which had me pausing. In addition, his private plane would expedite things, being much faster than flying commercial.
“Fine.”
Unfortunately, Chance wasn’t able to get another pilot until the next morning, putting me hours behind Teagan when we landed in Los Angeles that afternoon. Although I’d obtained Teagan’s cell phone number again via the office, my calls and text messages went unanswered. Either she had my number blocked, or her phone was turned off.
Unfortunately, I’d hit a dead end. Teagan was undoubtedly staying with her sister, but I didn’t have the address. We put Chance’s private investigator on the problem, but he didn’t come through until ten minutes before I got a text from Aiden. Chloe had just dropped Teagan off at the airport.
“Shit. Teagan is on her way back to Dubai,” I said to my brother. Why the quick turnaround? Was this all to avoid me?
Chance was already dialing his phone. “That long of a trip will take two pilots and a few hours to arrange, but we can drive to the airport now.”
Part of me was tempted to book a commercial flight and leave my brother here in LA, but if he was committed to helping me, then I wouldn’t turn it down. I had to get to Teagan.
We took off within four hours and arrived in Dubai sixteen hours later.
“I take it you’ll try Teagan’s apartment first?” Chance asked as we deplaned.
“Yes. It’s a weeknight, so she ought to be there. And you’re coming with me.”
I’d never seen him rendered speechless, but he was now. I answered his unasked question. “You owe her a spectacular apology. One that includes assurance you won’t ever mention the club to her or anyone else ever again. And if we have any hope of salvaging a brotherly relationship in the future, you’d better do anything it takes to ensure she accepts your apology. Because if I have to choose between my family and her, it’s an easy choice.”
I wouldn’t allow her to feel bullied or threatened ever again.
His expression was solemn. “I’ll do anything it takes. You have my word.”
Thirty minutes later, we arrived at Teagan’s door. Shit. She either wasn’t answering her doorbell, or she wasn’t home. Given there was no light showing under the door and that I didn’t see her red Jeep in the parking lot, I was going with the latter of the two.
Chance hung up his phone, looking grim. “Come on. I know where she is.”
