She flashes me an incredulous look.
“You were practically bouncing off the walls because your parents flew in to help at the shop. You live for the holidays, Everly.”
I change tactics.
“And that’s exactly why, after having a quick snack, I’m heading back downstairs to try my hand at a few new Christmas recipes I want to perfect. We’re only a few weeks away! You know, it’s important to keep things new and exciting for clients,” I say, swinging a punch in the air.
“Firstly, you’re a terrible liar. Secondly, your Christmas donuts are like crack cocaine. You always come up with the best flavors. Stop it with your nonsense.”
My shoulders slump. “I don’t want to be around people, Ainsley. I’m really not good company these days. I don’t have to tell you why.”
“Still no word?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Only radio silence.”
She walks further into my apartment, drops her evening clutch on the coffee table and takes a seat on the couch. “Come,” she waves me over.
I could fight her, but the determination shining bright in her eyes lets me know I’d be wasting my time.
“Clearly, Holt has decided to get back with Naomi’s mom,” I say, sitting next to her. “I mean, she has the upper hand. She gave birth to his beautiful child. I’m just the baker he was having fun with. One phone call from Lauren and it brings what we shared to a crashing halt. I guess I understand, his child comes first, as she should, but it still does little to alleviate the hurt, feeling like I’ve been cast aside.”
“I’m no longer sure that theory holds true.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t think your man is going to get back with Lauren O’Broin.”
I roll my eyes with an impatient shrug.
“He isn’t my man.”
“Holt is dealing with something that could turn his life upside down,” she says.
After the phone call with Holt, Ainsley rushed over to my place to be by my side. She knows everything.
“People break up and get back together for the sake of a child. It happens all the time.”
“You didn’t hear what I said.”
“I get it. You’re trying to make me feel better about being left behind. There’s no point in sugarcoating it. I might as well face reality head on.”
“Do you know who Legion is?”
I frown my confusion. “Who?”
“Legion, aka Kris Faire.”
“I have no idea who you’re talking about. What does this Legion person have to do with what I’m dealing with?”
“He’s a big Australian rock star—with a bad boy demeanor, tattoos and a thing for partying hard. He’s been laying low in Spain after surgery to his vocal chords.”
“Ainsley, you might as well be speaking Russian and it would be the same. Why are you harping on about this Australian rocker?”
“Because Jesse is a huge fan.”
“I still don’t follow.”
“Jesse is in Miami for business—”
“You told me.”
Where is she going with this?
“He was in meetings all day today. So was I. We were only able to connect a couple hours ago. He ended our conversation with a shocker. After I hung up with him, I showered, put on a pretty dress, did a five-minute face and jumped into my car—”
“Jesus, Ainsley, spill it out.”
“Last night, he was invited to an exclusive party on a yacht alongside celebrities, models and moguls. Guess who was also there?”
“Legion?”
She nods, a huge smile stretching her face. “It gets better.” She reaches for her handbag, rummages through it and pulls out her phone. She swipes a few times and hands it to me.
“Okay,” I say, looking at photos of her boyfriend standing next to a tall tattooed man.
“Keep swiping,” she orders.
I do.
“They’re selfies of Jesse with this Legion guy and—”
I jerk back before bringing her phone so close to my face, I nearly go cross-eyed.
I look up at my cousin.
“It’s her?” I point frantically to the gorgeous blonde Legion has his arm wrapped around. She looks like she’s having the time of her life.
“Yup. Lauren O’Broin is his girl. They’ve been going strong for the last five months.”
“Ooohhh. So she isn’t trying to get back with Holt?”
Ainsley shakes her head. “She has bigger plans.”
“What does that mean?”
“After a few too many drinks, Legion confessed he’s in the US to back his girlfriend in a custody hearing.”
“No!” My hands fly to my mouth. “Over Naomi?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, my God!”
“Apparently Lauren wants to be involved in her daughter’s life. And she intends on doing it in a very unpleasant way.”
“Holt must be devastated.”
“The way you described how much he loves his daughter, I’m pretty sure he’s going through hell.”
“No wonder I haven’t heard from him.”
“Exactly. There’s more.”
“What?”
“Legion is footing the bill to fuck Holt over—not sure why since Lauren is the only survivor of the O’Broin dynasty. Something to do with payback. Seems Holt and him have a history.”
“I really can’t believe this.”
Shit!
CHAPTER 34
Holt
The doorbell rings, waking me up from another restless minute of shuteye. I passed out on the couch. Again. Sleep is elusive to the troubled mind. Fuck. I groan as my eyes open. The lights leading up the stairs cut through the darkness. Naomi is scared of the dark.
An incessant pounding beats in my temples. It’s been there since Lauren showed up at my office to deliver her warning. I’ve been shell-shocked ever since. Bitch. Fear and worry have become my faithful companions. And even though exhaustion weighs on my bones—and soul—I keep moving forth because the idea of not having Naomi with me all the time isn’t an option. I’d rather die. I’ve invested every waking moment to ensure it doesn’t happen.
When I’m not consumed by all this shit, I’m riddled with guilt that I have to keep Everly at arm’s length. She doesn’t deserve to be caught up in the middle of this.
Fuck you, Lauren, for ruining a good thing.
“I’m coming,” I grumble when the doorbell rings again.
I get up and head to the door, turning on lights on the way.
“Officer Clemons? Beckett?” I say, recognizing the two faces looking at me.
“I’m sorry to disturb you in the middle of the night, Mr. Christensen, but your brother is on the list,” the new security guard I hired says.
“He is.” I lock eyes with Beckett. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he says.
“Here to check up on me?” I chuckle.
He averts his gaze.
Okay.
He must’ve partied too hard.
I shift my attention to the security guard. “Thank you, Officer Clemons.”
“Just doing my job, sir.”
Thank God for that.
After the blow up with Lauren and her vicious threats, I hired round-the-clock security. I don’t know what Lauren has up her sleeve, but I swear I saw the devil staring back at me. She pawned off Naomi for a few parties, booze and a stupid jet-setting lifestyle. Now, she has a change of heart because her daughter is suddenly an asset. Cold sweat trickled down my back when it became clear Lauren would sell her daughter’s soul for a monthly allowance without even blinking. Ever since she drove off my lot, I’ve been working from home. Mrs. Talbot no longer drives Naomi to school. I take care of it, with a security guard tailing us. Bottom line is, I don’t let my daughter out of my sight. I’m not taking any chances. The conversation with Naomi about the bodyguard was an awkward one. The only reason she bought it is because I told her princ
esses have bodyguards. Thank God her school is in a remote area. I also made sure to warn her teacher and the principle.
“Goodnight,” says Officer Clemons.
“Goodnight.”
He gives me a tight nod before turning on his heel.
“What are you doing here?” I ask my brother.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
He enters and I close the door.
He’s acting strangely. And I’m the one who’s exhausted beyond belief.
“I see I woke you up from a deep sleep.” His eyes brush the length of my body.
I’m still dressed in jeans and a t-shirt from this morning.
“Yeah, another twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep,” I say with a touch of sarcasm. “I passed out on the couch. It’s as good as it gets these days.”
“I figured.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen so we don’t wake up Naomi.”
“Right behind you.”
“What time is it, anyway?” I ask as I turn on more lights.
“It’s about four-thirty,” he says.
“Lucky for you I’m too stressed out to sleep,” I chuckle.
He doesn’t answer.
I walk to the fridge and grab two bottles of water.
“Catch.”
He does easily. “Thanks.”
“I thought you’d be fucking someone by now,” I chuckle.
He’d called before heading out for the evening.
“I was. I had two girls at the same time tonight—friends. I was really interested in the one with the hourglass figure, but she said they came as a package deal, so I fucked both,” he chuckles.
What a gentleman.
I shake my head. “And you decided to drive all the way out here in the middle of the night to tell me about your wild night of sex?”
“Not quite.”
He pulls a high stool and sits behind the kitchen island. I can’t quite make out his long face.
“What’s going on? You look like you lost your dog.”
I lean against the counter and take a long sip of my water.
He does the same before dropping his bottle on the counter. He starts playing with the label like a kid.
“Beckett, are you going to talk or just sit there?”
He meets my gaze and holds it.
I cock an eyebrow in response.
“I was hanging out with Zeppelin at this crazy ass party.” Dillon Coulter is a friend of his and a former roadie. “We both got lucky, so we left the party. Once I was done with the girls, I texted him. He was also done with his busty brunette. We decided to meet at our favorite 24-hour all day breakfast diner. One minute we’re shooting the breeze, laughing and eating, the next images flash on the flat screen TV and my blood freezes.”
“What images?”
“Holt, there’s a reason Lauren never showed up in court two days ago.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “You mean, other than the fact asshole Legion and her are masterminding an even more acrimonious revenge sure to ruin my Christmas and New Year’s? After all, they did a pretty darn good job of making me miserable for Thanksgiving. I’m sure that was just the tip of the iceberg from hell.”
I’m still a ball of frustration and anger.
Lauren made true to her promise. She buried me in legal papers up to my eyeballs. My lawyers were swimming in it. My legal fees are through the roof. Fucking bitch. Legion was too happy to fork out the money to instigate me. Why? Because he had a vendetta to settle. Five years ago, when he landed in LA, he approached me so I could sign him onto my label. Even back then he was bad news and he had an inflated ego. I passed. He promised one day I’d regret my decision.
“I doubt they’ll be planning much from now on,” Beckett says.
I frown. “That made absolutely no sense. How much did you drink tonight?”
My brother lets out a long sigh. Rubbing the back of his neck, he says, “I don’t know how to say this.”
“Spit it out,” I snap.
“It’s bad news.”
My heart jumps to my throat.
“Mom? Dad?”
He shakes his head. “Lauren is dead.”
Whoa.
I’m certain I misheard him.
“What the fuck did you just say?” I ask.
“Lauren is dead, Holt,” he repeats.
I push myself off the counter. “Lauren?”
“Yeah.”
“As in Lauren O’Broin?”
He nods.
“The woman who gave birth to my daughter?”
He nods again.
“Wha–– Whe–– Huh?”
My mind is racing so fast.
“Legion is also dead.” Beckett drops another bomb on me.
“Holy fuck.”
“Yeah, the news just hit—someone inside Legion’s camp leaked it to the press. I drove here as fast as I could.”
I’m dumbfounded.
“What happened?” I ask.
“You know those Miami murders everyone’s been talking about since Monday?”
“They were the victims?”
He nods.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Apparently it was pretty gruesome, hence why it took Miami PD a few days to put out an official statement,” my brother explains.
“Jesus Christ.” I rub my hands over my face. “Are the police sure it’s them?”
“Yes,” Beckett confirms. “Legion’s brother was key in cracking the case.”
“My God.”
Beckett searches for his phone. He swipes it a few times and hands it to me.
I yank it from his hands.
My jaw drops at the headline.
‘BODIES IDENTIFIED. SOLE O’BROIN DYNASTY HEIRESS DEAD: KRIS FAIRE’S BOTCHED DRUG BUY TAKES TWO LIVES.’
“My God,” I repeat over and over as I scroll down Beckett’s phone and read the story’s highlights. “I can’t believe this.”
“It’s pretty heavy shit,” Beckett sympathizes.
We remain quiet for a long minute.
My head is racing with questions. I’m still unable to comprehend any of this.
Sighing, I rub my forehead.
Lauren is dead.
How the hell do I make sense of this terrible tragedy?
Suddenly a frightening thought washes over me.
“Oh, God.”
Beckett pins me with concerned eyes. “What is it?”
“What am I going to tell Naomi?”
Beckett’s head jerks back. “She’s four. Surely you’re not going to tell her about this?”
I shake my head. “Not right now, but it’s all over the Internet. One day she’ll need to know.”
My heart already breaks for her.
CHAPTER 35
Everly
I’m up early even if I don’t have to go downstairs for a few more hours. We open at ten on Sundays, and since Christmas is next weekend, I’m determined to enjoy every restful second I can. It’s been nonstop all week––too many office parties, not enough donuts.
Thandie texted me to let me know the overnight team worked their buns off. Virginia and a few others are already hard at work. Apparently, Marion and Aline went crazy on the festive decoration for the first few batches. I can’t wait to see what they came up with.
Callum called me an hour ago to let me know he was going in early. Yesterday was a stellar day, and he wants to make sure today is a repeat. You got to love his dedication. He told me not to rush because he had everything under control. Thanks to him and my phenomenal employees, I can linger a bit longer. This is my chance to do absolutely nothing before I jump back into the fire.
Sweet!
I have a small balcony, but on a glorious morning like this, it’s a godsend. Mom and Dad are freezing their asses off back home. It’s been snowing worse than in the North Pole. Yet, I’m standing here in a loose-fitting pink long-sleeve t-shirt, old ripped jeans and a pair of Tory Burch pink
sandals Skylar scored for me at a crazy sample sale when she was in New York. Life is good.
After a few minutes spent contemplating LA as it wakes up, I head back inside in search of coffee. I cross my apartment belching the bridge to, ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’. I grab my trusted Bialetti from the cupboard and head to the stove. Callum converted me to the Italian way of brewing coffee and I’ve never looked back. Even Mom changed her ways. When the next song comes on, I jump for joy. ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ is my favorite Christmas song. I’m not a fan of the original version, but love Fifth Harmony’s rendition. Yup, I watch Love Actually every single year. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy ever after during the holidays.
My heart constricts at the thought.
I haven’t heard from Holt in two weeks. I texted him after Ainsley called to share the shocking news. Since then, he’s been in touch sporadically. Always via text. I feel for him and Naomi. The tragedy brought back some bad memories. The sadness that always sweeps through me when I think of Aurora took grip of me as I was reading the highlights of the Miami drug murders. I’m not sure it will ever go away, ever present like a shadow. I know it’s different, but I’m sure Holt is completely overwhelmed. It’s only fair I give him some space.
Still, I miss him.
As I reach for the coffee grinder, my phone chimes in. I drop everything and walk to the kitchen table.
“Oh, my God!” My face lights up when I see the name flashing back at me.
-----
Hey, precious. Are you up?
-----
With rushed fingers, I type.
Someone has to bake those donuts. They don’t call me the donut dominatrix for nothing.
-----
Ah! I forgot about that.
-----
How could you?
-----
Forgive me. Of course, you have a title to defend.
-----
Absolutely!
-----
It would be a shame if someone dethroned the donut dominatrix.
-----
Like that’s ever going to happen.
I explode in laughter as I type.
My God, I miss this. I miss him.
-----
Torrid Rush: A Single Dad Romance (Bad Boy Studs Book 3) Page 27