by Lucy Smoke
“Let’s go,” Knix said quietly. “We have a lot to talk about.” With a hand on the small of my back, he led me up the front steps and into the house.
The jovial sounds of the guys talking and laughing in the living room lifted my spirits at the same moment that it dampened them. Lifted because I loved hearing their laughter ringing through the house and dampened because I knew it was about to end and it was partially my fault. We stepped into the living room and all eyes turned to us. I hated the way the laughter slowly died and their smiles slowly became concerned looks. Grayson watched me with an intensity I had grown all too familiar with.
But it was Marv who spoke first. “What happened?”
Knix gestured for me to take a seat and when Texas opened his arms, I practically dived into them. “Grayson’s mother approached us at the gala tonight,” Knix began.
Grayson’s gaze jerked from mine to Knix and darkened. Marv frowned. Texas squeezed me even tighter to his side. “Harlow?” Bellamy’s voice echoed and I sighed.
“She approached me the last time I went to visit my mom,” I admitted, glancing towards Bellamy. He didn’t look happy, but then again, none of them did.
“What did she say?” Grayson demanded.
I bit my lip, fiddling with the ideas I had before coming home tonight. Wondering how much I should tell him. I didn’t want him to feel guilty, but as tonight had proven she wasn’t going to just disappear and go away. We had to do something about her. But before I could tell him anything I needed to extract a promise from him.
I pulled away from Texas’ soothing hold and got up from the couch. All eyes on me, I strode across the room and took up Grayson’s hands. When he would have pulled them away from me, I held on. “It doesn’t matter what she said,” I told him clearly. “It doesn’t matter what she does.”
“She—”
I stopped him by releasing one of his hands and clamping it over his lips. “I’m not done,” I said. When I was sure he wouldn’t interrupt me or try to speak over me, I released him and took his hand again. “Whatever I tell you tonight, anything I tell you about Teddi—you don’t have to go back. Do you understand? I don’t want her to win.”
“That’s what she wants, though, isn’t it?” Grayson’s dark oceanic eyes were molten. Wrathful. I didn’t let them intimidate me.
I nodded. “She wants you to return and live with her. She wants me to stop talking to you and she wants us to break up.”
“That’s not an option,” he growled.
“No,” I agreed, “it’s not.” I turned and left the room.
In the background, I could hear someone get up, but then I heard another’s voice tell whoever it was to wait. I hurried to my room, rushing inside and finding the purse I’d taken with me to see my mother a few days before. I found it and scrambled through it, finding the check Teddi had left and took it out. I returned to the living room with the check in hand, and with quiet, hesitant steps, I moved towards Grayson and held the check out. He took it and looked down at it. The longer he looked, the darker his expression became until finally, Marv reached over and took the check away from him.
Marv didn’t hesitate. He took the check and tore it into two pieces and then two more. He continued tearing the check into smaller and smaller pieces until they looked like confetti cluttering the coffee table.
After a moment of silence, Grayson’s gaze lifted back to mine—searching for something I wasn’t quite sure of—Marv spoke up. “I assume she threatened you?” he hedged. His curiosity greater than his anger as it overtook his tone, though I could still feel the sharp bite of his rage, the building irritation. He didn’t like threats. Hell, I didn’t either.
I released Grayson’s hand and he pulled me onto his lap. I sat sideways, tugging my dress over my knees and resting against his shoulder as I answered. “Essentially, she kinda went through on some of her threats tonight.” I eyed Knix.
His face was hard, impassive. Marv turned and looked at him as he shifted and looked away. “My mother showed up at the gala tonight,” he said quietly.
I didn’t know much about Knix’s relationship with his parents, but what I did know was that the tie between him and his mom was strained. I knew that his parents hadn’t been together when his father passed away, and whatever had happened between his mother and father had soured his relationship with his mother. It was obvious as well, after her display earlier tonight, that she wasn’t good for him.
She had been drunk and angry and obnoxious. I couldn’t even imagine the embarrassment Knix must have been feeling. It was so hard to see such a strong, tall, intimidating figure brought to a near state of panic because of his own mother. I wondered what more there was to that story, but at the same time, I knew I didn’t want to ask. If he needed someone to listen, I would be there, but I would not push him to reveal secrets he wasn’t ready to let go of.
Marv sucked in a breath and blew it out roughly. “Shit.”
The room was quiet for several beats. Finally, I broke. I couldn’t stand it anymore. “Whatever this is,” I started, adjusting myself upon Grayson’s lap, “between us, it’s ours. We’re not going to kowtow to her will, right?” No one said no, but they hadn’t said yes either. I kept going. “There are six of us and one of her. We have the advantage. Let’s just ignore her. She’ll realize that she can’t hurt us and she’ll go away.”
“But she can hurt us,” Bellamy said quietly. His dark eyes meet my gaze. “Can’t she?” he asked.
My lips parted and the air in my lungs rushed out. I scrambled off of Grayson’s lap and stood between the five of them—smack dab in the middle. I put my hands on my hips and centered my attention on Bellamy. “No,” I said blatantly. “She can’t. If she can’t get to me, then she can’t get to you. If she can’t get to you, then she can’t get to me.”
“So, what?” Texas piped up. “Do we just take a vacation and come back when things have calmed down?”
Knix scrubbed a hand down his face, looking more tired and worn than I had ever seen him before. “As much as I wish we could,” he said, “I have a new contract to fulfill with the city.” His eyes met mine with regret. “The Whitesville Contract, it requires me to be here. I can’t leave.”
I blew out a breath. Well, there went that grand plan. “Okay,” I said. “Then we stay.”
“And avoid her?” Grayson didn’t look convinced.
I shrugged. “I’m open to better suggestions.”
“I’m down,” Texas said, leaning back and threading his fingers behind his head. “In fact, I’d rather stay. I don’t want to relocate for however long it takes for Grayson to outgrow the age stipulations on his trust fund stuff.”
Marv and Grayson exchanged a look before directing their attention to Knix. “What do you say?” Marv asked.
Knix pinched the bridge of his nose for a quick moment before releasing it and pinching again. I could practically see the building migraine in his head and guilt bloomed hot in my chest. A part of me wanted to wrap them all up in plastic and cart them somewhere far away and safe. Because, despite my bravado, I had a feeling Teddi Vandersen-Caruso could be a very big problem if she wanted to be.
“There’s really only one option,” he said, dropping his hand. “We’ll stay and it’ll be business as usual. No contact with her.” Knix’s eyes landed on me. “Especially not alone,” he clarified.
I nodded my agreement.
“What if she comes after us?” Bellamy asked. All eyes turned to him and he stared back, unflinching. “You know it’s a possibility.”
“We can address that when it becomes a problem?” Texas offered hesitantly.
Grayson shook his head. “No, that might work if we weren’t sure if it would become a problem, but we know it will.”
“Okay, then, so…” Texas glanced around the room. “What are we going to do?”
I huffed out a breath. “Well, for starters, we’re going to stop going around the room and we’re going to make
a plan.” The guys’ attention fell on me. I straightened my back and returned their gazes. “What does Teddi want?” I asked.
“That’s easy,” Texas said, nodding to Grayson. “She wants him.”
Grayson scowled, but I ignored it. “That’s right,” I said. “She wants him, and she thinks we’re in the way of getting what she wants.”
Marv watched me with a light in his eyes and as I spoke, he nodded. “Yes,” he said. “She’s a narcissist. She thinks she has all the power, or that she can control people.”
I smiled, matching his look. “You got it,” I said with a decisive head bob. “She’s vain too.”
“So, what?” Grayson shook his head. “So, she’s a narcissist? So, she’s vain? What does that have to do with anything?”
“Those are weaknesses.” Bellamy leaned forward and balanced his elbows on his knees.
“We want to make her give up,” I said.
“Give up?” Grayson repeated with a frown.
I tried to tamp down my smile as it widened, but it was an impossible feat. “Exactly,” I replied. “We want to make it too difficult for her to try and take us down. We want her to decide that it’s better for her to just leave us—and Grayson—alone.”
Texas grinned. “Divide and conquer?” he asked.
I nodded to him before turning back to the rest of the group. “We need to provide a few well placed distractions while we figure out how we can get her to lay off.”
Knix scratched the stubble on his chin. “How are we going to do that?”
I bit my lip. That was the tricky part. I had no clue. Then it hit me. Mr. Decourcy had mentioned an annual charity masquerade. I smirked as I looked up. I met Knix’s gaze as he dropped his hand away from his face and then I turned my eyes to the others.
“We’re going to the charity masquerade,” I stated, recalling what Mr. Decourcy had mentioned earlier that evening. It seemed like just the thing Teddi Vandersen-Caruso would be interested in.
Marv blinked and frowned. “How did you know about that? We haven’t even received invitations yet.”
I shrugged. “One of Knix’s business associates mentioned it tonight. It’s a big deal, right?”
He nodded. “One of the biggest events of the year in Charleston.”
“Then how likely will it be that your mom is going to be there?” I asked Grayson.
He sat up straighter. “She’s never missed a year.”
“Okay, then we’ll be there,” I said with a decisive nod.
“What are we going to do there?” Bellamy asked. “I thought you were originally suggesting that we avoid her.”
I sighed. “Well, we determined that’s not exactly a viable option,” I said. “I wish it was, but Knix can’t leave and I’m not leaving him alone here. She’ll probably go after him if she can’t come after me. Plus, my mom’s here. She’s…” I trailed off, a hitch in my breath, “she’s not doing well,” I finally finished, lowering my gaze. “I don’t want to leave and have something happen.”
Someone’s hand fell on my shoulder, squeezing, offering comfort. I closed my eyes and then released a breath, thankful for the support. I reopened my eyes and looked up, meeting the gazes of the others.
“She embarrassed Knix tonight,” I said. “She tried to buy me off and she threatened me. Our plan is to make it too difficult for her to keep trying to mess with us, and in order to do that, we need to return the favor.”
Texas grinned and whooped. “Yes, I’m so down with this plan.” He clapped his hands together and rubbed with an evil glint in his eyes. “We’re going to give Mommy Dearest a taste of her own medicine.”
“You want to take me shopping for a dress?” I asked with a smile.
Texas leaped out of his seat and flung himself at me. “You’re so making it up to me for earlier, aren’t you?” he asked. “I don’t care, yes!”
I squealed as he lifted me and swung me in a circle before planting a kiss on my lips. Shocked, but not unwelcoming, I twined my arms around his neck and returned the kiss with passion. When he pulled away, I blinked up at him, stunned and a little dizzy. Texas’ smile was contagious, though, and he turned it on the others—none of whom had said anything about the very public kiss—and winked.
“Don’t worry, Grayson, with our girl on our side, we’ve got you covered.”
When Texas released me, I stumbled and suddenly Bellamy was there behind me. He caught me with his hands on my arms. I looked up, but he was focused on Knix. I turned my head and realized that Knix was shaking his head.
“The charity ball is at the end of the month,” he said. “I highly doubt that Vandersen is going to just give us a break until then.”
Damn, I thought. He was right.
“What if we cut off some of her avenues?” Texas asked.
“What do you mean?” Knix replied.
Putting his hands on his hips, Texas tilted his head to the side—a clear sign that he was thinking through something in his head. “What if… we started fucking with her the same way she fucked with us—but before the charity masquerade?”
I reached for his arm, feeling the sinewy muscle under his skin. “What do you have in mind?”
Texas fixed Grayson with a hard look. “You know her the best out of all of us. You know what’s most important to her.”
“Her looks. Her money. Her reputation,” Grayson said easily.
Texas nodded. “We attack those then.”
“She’s—” Grayson started.
“Been watching us for a while now,” Marv interrupted. “But I’ve got money too. I’m sure if I find her PIs and offer them some extra cash, they’ll be happy to turn on her.”
Knix nodded. “It would be good if we could be sure that she didn't know about this. I don't like to think what she would do if..."
I had a thought in my head. Something I had watched in a movie once, but I wasn't sure if Knix would like the idea. I looked at Texas. He would help me, I knew. Maybe even Grayson and Bellamy and Marv would. Knix was our moral compass though. He would know it wasn't right. While I adored him for that, I didn't necessarily care anymore about being morally right. Theodora Vandersen-Caruso fucked with my family, and I wasn't going to stand for it.
Chapter 9
I curled up under my covers with Cleo at my feet. She batted at my toes until I just couldn't take it anymore. She was playful, and I was exhausted after tonight. I got up and gently lifted her into my arms, scratching at her damaged ear as I carried her to the door. I knew once she was out of the room, she'd head immediately for one of the guys' rooms and I could finally get some sleep. I cracked the door and nearly stumbled back as a dark shadow stood before me. My scream was halfway up my throat before I realized who it was.
Cleo leapt out of my arms, and I slapped Bellamy on the chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I hissed.
He blinked as Cleo wound around his bare feet. Dressed in a pair of low slung pajama bottoms, his naked chest drew my eyes.
"Sorry," he said. "I was going to knock."
I huffed but stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. "What's up?" I asked as he moved past me. Cleo skidded out of the way of the closing door and headed into the hallway.
"I wanted to talk to you about tonight," Bellamy said, taking a seat on the bed. I moved closer to him and crawled onto the mattress as well, turning so that my back was pressed against the headboard. "Okay," I said slowly. "What do you want to talk about exactly?"
Bellamy's strong, molten brown eyes met my gaze. "I want you to be careful," he said. "I don't trust this woman. I think she's dangerous. I don't like the fact that she's had you followed. I don't like the fact that she seems willing to do whatever it takes to get her son back. Grayson is—"
I reached forward and took his hand, holding it firmly between mine. "Grayson is one of us now," I said.
"I know," he replied with a sigh, staring down at our intertwined hands. He turned his palm over and let his fingers fall into plac
e alongside mine—like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together.
"I know you haven't liked him before," I said quietly. "I know that you don't necessarily trust him—"
"Marv is okay with him," Bellamy interrupted, "and I trust Marv."
"So, you're okay with him now?" I asked hesitantly.
Bellamy shook his head. "I'm learning to be. He seems to make you happy, yes?" I nodded, holding his gaze. "I just want you to be safe and happy, Sweetheart." My chest ached with the sweetness of his words.
Releasing his hand, I threw my arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight. "I am happy with you guys," I promised. "You mean the world to me. You're my family." The love I felt for him—for all of them—tightened in my chest, swelling to impossible standards.
Bellamy hugged me back. "I love you, Harlow," he whispered into my hair, pressing a light kiss against my neck.
I froze. That kiss reminded me of that time in Ms. Enders' Etiquette Camp—when he had climbed up into my window and...
My cheeks flushed pink as I pulled back and looked at him.
"Harlow?"
My breath was stuck in my throat, but I opened my mouth and forced the words out anyway. "I love you too."
He shook his head, reaching up. Bellamy cupped my cheek in one hand and I leaned into the warmth. "You don't have to say it just because—"
"I'm not," I swore. "I said it because I mean it. I love you, Bellamy."
How could I prove that to him? How could I show him that I did care, that I did love him? My eyes drifted lower, landing on his full, masculine lips. Heat rose within me. I leaned forward.
"Sweetheart—" I cut off his next words with a kiss, pressing my lips against his and closing my eyes as I sank into the sensation. Little pops of heat cropped up under my flesh. I kissed Bellamy like he was my heart and soul, and in a lot of ways, he was. He was kind. He was funny. He was protective. He was Bellamy. He was mine.