“I’m just a guest,” I insist.
“You can be so fucking stubborn sometimes,” she complains.
“Did you seriously call me to chastise me?”
CHAPTER 31
Holt
Mrs. Talbot just left to go back to her place. Naomi and Luna are both nestled in bed and zonked out to the world. After an animated dinner, Beckett and I are at my place kicking back in the living room. Our former bandmate Rod, the Halsey brothers, their cousin Lochlan Berkshire, aka Loki—who happens to be Rod’s business partner—and a few good friends gathered to celebrate my brother’s return. After Hawaii, Beckett had to fly to Argentina for business. He’s been gone for a couple weeks and it’s good to have him back. We ended up in a private room at Boa—one of the best steakhouses in the city. There’s so much going on in my brother’s life. Same with all the other guys. Since we don’t see each other as much as we used to, it was good to catch-up.
Although it was an evening filled with great conversation and laughter, I miss not spending Saturday movie night with Everly and my girls. It’s been a steady run for the past three weeks and tonight, for the first time in a long time, I won’t see her beautiful face.
“Another one?” I ask Beckett, getting up to pour myself three more fingers of whiskey.
His blue eyes lift up to mine. “Absolutely.”
Beckett and I are as close as identical twins could be… if he wasn’t two years younger. It’s uncanny, but when I look at him, it’s like looking in a mirror.
“It’s good stuff, huh?” I ask, heading to the trolley bar.
“It’s pretty badass. Which brand is it? I have to stock up.”
“This, little brother,” I say, grabbing the bottle by the neck, “is a rare vintage. We’re talking Scotland’s finest.”
“As in?” Beckett asks.
“Johnnie Walker’s 25-year-old Mortlach Single Malt. It goes down easy and it should. At eleven hundred dollars a bottle, you wouldn’t expect any less.”
“Whoa! Bro, you’re living like a fucking rock star. Don’t forget, you’re retired now. Shouldn’t you be more careful with your pennies? I don’t want my niece to go without. Those university years will be here before you know it,” he grins from ear to ear.
“Idiot. If it wasn’t for the fact I haven’t seen you in a long time, I’d kick your ass out of my house.”
“I’m being a good uncle. I have Noni’s best interests at heart.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Considerate. We both know I could afford to splurge like this every day if I wanted to, but I choose to spend my money elsewhere.”
“Yeah, you’re loaded.”
“Funny.”
I walk back to the couch and hand him his drink.
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” I say as I sit on the oversized chair across from him.
His eyes are filled with concern when they meet mine. “Seriously though, are we sampling this whiskey for market research?”
I clench my jaw.
For a few short seconds, we just stare at each other.
“Nah. I have competent people in place for that. They know their jobs far better than I do,” I say.
“Okay.” He nods and takes a sip of his drink. “I still can’t believe the turn of events.”
“I haven’t wrapped my head around it and I doubt I ever will.”
“What are the odds?”
“The lawyers keep telling me they’ve never seen anything like this. Even after doing extensive research, they say it’s unheard of.”
“I bet,” Beckett says. “When do you think she––”
“We’re having such a good evening. I don’t want to think about that right now.”
“Fair enough.” Beckett nods, his lips pursed tightly.
I offer him a sympathetic smile.
Silence settles over us as we both take another swig of our drink.
“To answer your question, I didn’t buy the whiskey. It’s a gift from Brody Chuetlemen after the SteamTunes Awards––”
“The award-winning songwriter?”
“The one and only.”
“Wow. My big brother is rubbing elbows with bigshots.”
“You just clued in?”
“Good point,” Beckett laughs. “Is Chuetlemen trying to court you?”
“I think he wants to steal some of Jagger’s thunder since our cousin wrote the songs that landed Misty Ace her multiple awards.”
“When big record companies try to poach your talent and Brody Chuetlemen sends you expensive gifts, you know you’ve arrived. I’m proud of you, Holt.”
“Thanks, Beckett.” He’s supported my crazy dream from day one. “It’s been a hard run, but it’s been worth it.”
“Yeah, but you’re back with family now, so you don’t have to carry it all on your shoulders.”
Every so often my baby brother opens his mouth and wisdom comes pouring out. There’s more to the bad boy persona he so carefully hones.
“Naomi is going to lose her mind when she finds out you’re here,” I say.
Since Beckett just got back, we decided he’d sleep over at my place tonight. Sure he lives close by, but this way we can catch up and he can spend Sunday with his number one fan.
“I can’t wait to hug Noni,” Beckett smiles.
“You won’t have a minute’s rest tomorrow. Luna will be after you as well.”
“Bring it on! I can handle those girls.”
We both laugh.
“Speaking of girls…” he lets his words trail.
I cock an eyebrow.
“Seems like it’s getting serious between you and your girl,” he says. “I wish you would’ve told me. It cuts deep that I had to hear the big news from a third party.”
I look up from my glass. “What?”
“Everly. The girl you’ve been seeing.”
“Who told you?”
“Jace pulled me to the side as we were stepping out of the restaurant and let the cat out of the bag.”
I shake my head. “I swear Ryder is better at keeping secrets than his father.”
“Actually, since Jace was on a speaking tour for the last three weeks, his son is the one who spilled the beans.”
“Like father, like son,” I roll my eyes.
“Are you saying your little nephew is lying?” Beckett challenges.
I don’t answer.
He lets out a dramatic sigh. “I didn’t want to go there, but you leave me no choice. Your daughter betrayed you.”
I frown. “What are you talking about?”
“Naomi can’t stop raving about how much fun Daddy’s lady friend is to her cousin. Ryder simply passed along the news to his father.”
I grumble under my breath.
“Holt has a girlfriend,” Beckett singsongs.
“What are you? Five?”
“Give it up.”
“Okay,” I concede.
For the next few minutes, I give my brother the highlights of my relationship with Everly.
“It’s about time!” he cheers. “Everybody knows you’d die for Naomi, but sacrificing yourself the way you have, isn’t healthy. Celibacy?” An expression of disgust morphs his features and he shivers like he’s about to have a seizure. “Un-fucking-natural.”
“Says the single guy without responsibilities.”
“Granted, but fatherhood hasn’t stopped Jace from getting his cock serviced.”
“Jace does his thing. I do mine. And how many times do I have to remind you that having a boy and a girl is a world apart? It may sound old-fashioned, but I’m keenly aware how my decisions may affect Naomi later in life,” I tell him.
“Noted,” he says.
Once again, silence acts as a filler for things better left unsaid.
“Well, from what you’ve told me, this woman sounds like a real catch,” Beckett says.
“She is.” I nod in agreement. “Every time I hear Naomi squealing and laughing as she plays w
ith Everly, I’m always taken aback. They get along so well. I didn’t expect it.”
“Wow. You can’t get enough of her, your daughter is crazy about her and she’s even seduced Luna… and we all know how protective she is of her best friend.”
“Yeah. Still, I have to be careful. I don’t know where this is going. Everly doesn’t spend the night and when we’re together at the house, we always make sure Naomi is fast asleep. I don’t want her to get confused.”
“Has she been asking about her mom?”
“Something along those lines. She thinks my seeing a woman automatically means she’ll become her mom. It’s not so simple. I don’t want her to get her hopes up. My job is to protect her heart.”
“You would’ve never allowed Everly near your daughter had she been a flake––”
“As we both know, not every relationship is destined to survive. Sometimes people have a change of heart and it fucks ups the people they leave behind.”
CHAPTER 32
Holt
The weekend with Beckett was a blast. My parents came over for breakfast on Sunday morning and they never left. Even though I have a personal chef who comes once a week to stock up the fridge for those days when I’m pressed for time, Mom insisted on cooking up a storm. She even sent Beckett and I off to the farmer’s market. She’s afraid Naomi, Luna and I might starve. Yeah, even the dog got her own pre-made meals. Mom kills me. I’ll say this much, there’s nothing quite like her cooking. Nothing fancy, just good California cuisine made with local ingredients. All five of us spent the day hanging out by the pool and stuffing our faces silly.
Jace, Ryder, Jagger and Bridgette came over for a barbecue at around seven o’clock. Naomi was beside herself. So was Luna––she always is when she gets to hang out with Mason. Had it not been for a school day on Monday, we would’ve been at it until really late. What a precious gift to have everyone gathered together. Since we’ve been back from London, this was a first. Reconnected with my family really charged up my batteries.
It would’ve been a flawless night had it not been for my daughter’s over-share. Naomi announced to the whole family I had a lady friend. Mom was delighted and almost weeping. Jace was pissed because Ryder was the one who tipped him off instead of hearing it officially from me. Jagger caught wind of it from Ryder, but he was waiting for me to open up.
Monday morning started on the right foot. Dropping Naomi at school wasn’t as taxing as usual because the roads weren’t too horrendous. Granted, I left much earlier to swing by Everly’s shop. My little donut dominatrix was surprised to see me. It didn’t take much to lure her upstairs to her apartment to make up for the weekend. But our quickie did little to satiate me. Beckett is right, I can’t get enough of her.
After making plans to see her again tonight––so I can take my time savoring her––I drove off to the office. I was having a productive day until Sydney came barging into my office at two o’clock shouting, We nabbed the bloody bastard. With proof in hand, I rushed to Cadoc’s office to demand the asshole puts an end to his shady tactics. Of course, he denied it until I pulled out my phone and showed him a photo from our security camera. The goon who left the parcel overnight was wearing a baseball cap with his record label’s logo stitched on the front.
Busted!
If you’re going to fuck with people’s heads, at least hire someone smart enough to pull it off. He gave me a lame excuse. I told him to keep it. Fucking poacher. After telling him off, I made sure his bosses knew what he was up to. Something tells me I won’t hear from him anymore. Good.
I park the Range Rover at its usual spot, and head to the door, ready to pick up where I left off. Mrs. Talbot is picking up Naomi, so I can still knock off a few things on my long list. I’m just about to enter the building when my phone rings.
“Hey, Tim,” I say when I pick up.
“Hi, Holt.”
“How are things?”
“I’m sorry, this isn’t a social call. Let me be brief.”
My jaw clenches.
Timothy Woodbury is one of my newly acquired accountants. This is the call I’ve been dreading for three months.
“Ok, I’m listening.”
“Are you sitting down?”
“I can take it standing up,” I tell him.
“My kind of man. I’m in Washington. I was in a meeting and had silenced my phone. Jana,” his executive assistant, “had to track me down. It took her a while because the location of the meeting changed at the last minute. In any case, guess who’s back in the good old US of A?”
Nausea overrides my senses and suddenly, I feel like I’m choking.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“Yeah. She paid us a visit.”
“Fuck.”
“From what I gather, she arrived last Friday. She’s been on a rampage all morning, demanding explanations. She went back to O’Broin’s lawyers. Since they had had enough, they pointed her to yours. I just got off the phone with them. She paid them a visit before heading to the bank. I guess she finally opened the legal documents the lawyers have been sending her.”
“I guess so. How did she find out about you?”
“One of the bank managers tipped her off inadvertently. He’s new at the job.”
“Shit.”
“He saw the last name and thought the discrepancy in the amount transferred into her account compared to last month’s was a technical glitch. He didn’t know the backstory. When he realized he had made a big mistake, he called my executive assistant to explain. Jana has been trying to reach me ever since. Unfortunately, he’d already given out my name and yours. She left our offices forty-five minutes ago. No doubt she’s headed your way. She’s fucking furious, Holt. Jana had to call security on her ass.”
Fuck.
“She’s the last person I want to deal with.”
“You knew this was coming. Might as well get it over with.”
“You say that like it’s going to be a walk in the park.”
“Mr. O’Broin’s accountants warned us about her. And you know her better than anyone else. She’s used to getting her way––”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
“Maybe until now, but the buck stops here. She doesn’t have a leg to stand on. You’re in control of the show.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah—”
“Let me in!” I hear a woman yell. “I need to talk to Holt Christensen. Now!”
“Tim, I have to go.”
“She’s already there?”
“She is.”
“This is ironclad, Holt. You didn’t make the decisions.”
“Perhaps, but I’m the one who has to tell her life as she knows it is over.”
“She’ll huff and puff, but eventually she’ll get over it.”
“I doubt it.”
“You got this. Call me when you’re done,” Tim says.
“I will.”
I hang up and slide the phone back into my pocket.
“Holt! Holt Christensen, come out here and face me like a man. How dare you?”
I shake my head.
Fuck.
“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to step away from the gate or else I’m going to call the police,” the security guard warns.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Honestly, I don’t give a damn. I gave you an order, you follow it, or you deal with the police.”
“Fuck off, you steroid-inflated ape. Let me in! Holt!” she yells louder.
Well, this should be fun.
I turn on my heel and head back towards the security gates to put an end to this circus. My heart jumps out of my throat when I catch sight of the blonde yelling at my security guard. Even with the warning, it’s still unsettling to see her standing there. From a distance, she looks like the same impulsive rich girl who caught me in her web and insisted on keeping our unplanned child because she couldn’t wait to ‘play’ mommy. Yeah, it was a game to her. How ironic bec
ause when the shit got real, she walked out on her three-month-old baby.
True, she’s only twenty-seven. Still, the years have been kind to her despite all her partying. Freedom from responsibility lightens one’s load. Of course, life has always treated her like the princess she is. Well, until now.
As I draw nearer, I can’t help but acknowledge she’s still a gorgeous woman. Her long, expensively tended-to blonde hair is up in a high ponytail. Her makeup is kept to a minimum. She’s dressed from head to toe in high fashion. Like always. Her French designer handbag cost as much as my Range Rover. I should know. I bought her an orange one for her birthday when she was expecting Naomi. She already had a closet full of them, but that color was missing. Price has never been a deterrent for her.
No doubt she still turns heads. The difference between now and then is I know her beauty doesn’t go past the surface. Underneath the polished exterior hides a black heart.
Blood runs through my veins. Ice runs through hers.
When she sees me approaching, she shifts her attention to me. Her green eyes flash a deadly stare like weapons ready to discharge poisonous daggers aimed at my heart.
This isn’t going to be a walk down memory lane. It’s going to be an all-out UFC Tapout fight. One confrontation in a day is enough. Two? Let’s hope I’m still standing when this is over with.
“Let me in, Holt! We need to talk!”
After four years, that’s all she has to offer.
“Your aggressive tone and demeanor do little to persuade me to bend to your request. You want to talk? We can do it here.”
“Behind a closed gate? In front of a stranger?”
“Oh, silly me. Were you here for high tea?” I ask sarcastically.
“Fuck you, Holt.”
“It’s good to see you too, Lauren.”
Lauren Sinéad Kavanagh O’Broin is Naomi’s mother.
“Why are you doing this?” she demands, her blue eyes burning with fury.
Torrid Rush: A Single Dad Romance (Bad Boy Studs Book 3) Page 25