Prince

by Cambria Hebert

  Fletcher made a small sound. “I gave it to someone.”

  A heartbeat of silence passed.

  “Who?” Ivory asked.

  “Someone who needed it more than me.”

  This boy had to steal food because he was hungry but gave away his coat because there was someone else who needed it more?

  The ache inside me intensified until my heart cracked under the strain. I didn’t even know people like him existed. How had living this way not made him hard?

  Overcome, I turned back to the man and woman, pulling my wallet from the inside of my coat.

  Pulling out all the cash I had, I handed it to the bakery owner. “This more than covers the fruit.”

  “And you,” I said, turning toward the woman. “I’ll pay for an entire year’s supply of bread for your household. You can go every day to his bakery. Buy as much as you want.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise.

  To the owner, I said, “Set up a tab for me.” I handed over my business card. “I’ll pay it every week for an entire year. Whatever she wants.”

  The man looked between me and the offered card.

  “Surely, you know who I am. You know I can afford it.”

  His head bobbed.

  “Then you also know that I can hire the very best legal team and have this taken care of. I’m offering this now so it doesn’t need to go that far. Take the deal.”

  Both parties agreed, much to Fig’s dismay.

  “Now just wait a minute! You can’t bribe witnesses who were wronged!”

  “I’m not bribing anyone. I’m offering restitution and a settlement out of court. It’s perfectly legal.”

  Fig flushed.

  Pulling out my cell phone, I lifted it. “Should I call my lawyer to verify?”

  “No, no,” Fig muttered. “It won’t be necessary.”

  Nodding, I put the phone away. “Good. You can write up the agreement?” I asked the officer who’d been working with the victims.

  His head bobbed.

  I laid another one of my cards beside him. “Fax the signed paperwork to my office. If it’s not there by end of day tomorrow, I’ll send my lawyer to get it.”

  He looked as if he’d swallowed a goldfish when he promised it would be there.

  “Thank you for your cooperation, sir and ma’am. I apologize again for the trouble. Please have a nice evening.” I turned without waiting for their reply, putting my hand at the base of Fletcher’s back. “C’mon, time to go.”

  His feet stalled, and I glanced down patiently.

  “Just like that?”

  I nodded. “We all came to an agreement.”

  Fletcher peeked at Fig who was standing there like he couldn’t believe what was happening.

  Grasping his chin, I pulled his gaze from the officer. “Don’t bother with him. He’s not important.”

  Fig huffed, and I snapped my eyes to him. “I suggest you find a new hobby besides harassing this man. If you don’t, you will be dealing with me.”

  That shut him up.

  “Let’s go,” I said again, this time much firmer.

  Fletcher went, allowing me to guide him, possibly pressing back into my palm a little more.

  We’d barely made it two feet when he gasped. “My violin! Fig took it! I want it back!”

  Following Fletcher’s accusing stare, I looked back at the man who really should not have a badge. Did they even check his qualifications before they gave him one?

  “Where is it?” Impatience sharpened my tone.

  The female officer I’d spoken to briefly walked over carrying the familiar case. Fletcher rushed forward to take it, returning to my side instantly.

  “Is that everything?” I asked.

  He nodded, and I motioned for Ivory to go ahead of us, Fletch and I following closely behind. Earth and Beau took up the rear as the five of us left the rundown station, stepping out into the cold night air.

  “Car’s this way,” I told him, still keeping my palm flat against his back.

  “What the hell was that?” Earth bellowed, his voice carrying with the wind.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I gave him an unimpressed look. “That was me getting Fletcher the hell out of there.”

  “You think you can come in here and throw your money and status around—”

  Dropping my hand from Fletcher, I faced Earth. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  The words knocked him silent for a moment.

  Lifting an eyebrow, I took a step closer to the Asian man. “What’s the point of working my ass off, having money and status, if I can’t use it from time to time?”

  “That’s not how we do it around here.”

  The tips of my loafers bumped the toes of his boots. My voice dropped an octave when I met his dark eyes. “Oh, I know perfectly well how you do it around here. So I threw some money around. Who cares? It resolved the problem quickly, didn’t it? Kept your hands clean, didn’t it?”

  “You son of a bi—”

  “Stop.” Fletcher pushed between us. “Hasn’t this day been long enough?”

  The anger deflated out of me faster than a popped balloon. “C’mon, let’s get you some dinner.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Earth asked, causing Fletcher to turn back.

  “I didn’t think the police station was a good place for you to be.”

  “It doesn’t matter. If you need me, I’ll be there.”

  Fletcher went forward and hugged Earth, wrapping his arms right around his waist.

  Something unpleasant coated my tongue and I fought the urge to rip him away as I watched Fletch offer easy affection to the grumpy man.

  “You could have called me.” Beau spoke up, watching them.

  Fletch pulled away from Earth and gave Beau the same hug.

  I’m the one who got you out of that hellhole. Why aren’t you hugging me?

  “You would have told Earth,” Fletcher said when he pulled back.

  Beau chuckled, ruffling his hair.

  My lips pressed into a fine line.

  “You’re okay now?” Beau wanted to make sure.

  Fletcher nodded. “I tried to call Neo, but he didn’t answer. That’s why I called Ivory. I thought Neo might be with her…”

  Earth made a sound and looked at me. “So what’s your excuse?”

  “Pardon?”

  “He was with me when Fletch called,” Ivory answered.

  “All right. Let’s go.” Earth waved for Fletch and Beau to start up the street.

  I made a sound. “Fletcher is coming with me.”

  Everyone turned to look.

  “Why?” Beau asked, more curious than challenging.

  “We had a meeting this afternoon, and he missed it.”

  Beau and Earth turned to look at Fletcher. Even in the dark, I saw his sheepish expression. “It’s true. I accepted a job to play violin at one of his events.”

  “No.” Earth’s voice was hard. Final.

  “But I said I would!” Fletcher rebuked kind of like a spoiled little brother would.

  They really did have a family dynamic going.

  “I’ll just give you some money, okay? You don’t need to work with him.”

  I was about to argue when Fletcher made an angry sound. “What the fuck, Earth?” he shot out.

  Everyone froze, staring.

  “You’re my brother, and I love you. I know you’re only trying to look out for me, but I won’t keep taking money from you.” His eyes swept over Beau. “From all of you. I’m not your responsibility. You should know how important pride is to us.”

  “You just got arrested for stealing food because you were hungry,” Earth muttered darkly.

  “Which is exactly why I should take this job. It’s good pay.”

  “What’s the point in having good pay if you’re just going to hand it off to someone else?” Earth shot out.

  Fletcher slumped like all the fight went out of him at once.

  Is he giv
ing money to someone? Is that why he doesn’t have any?

  “Earth, man, enough for tonight,” Beau said, glancing at his brother.

  Realizing he might have gone too far, Earth backed down. “I didn’t mean it. I was just worried about you.” His voice was much softer this time.

  Fletcher nodded, his one free hand going up to grip the inside of the jacket. “I know. It’s okay.”

  Earth threw me a disgruntled look. “If you want to take the job, go ahead.”

  Fletch looked up. “Really?”

  I couldn’t help but be endeared and annoyed that Earth’s approval meant so much to him even after he’d basically said he would do what he wanted.

  “Of course.”

  Fletcher looked at Beau.

  “I’m down.” He agreed easily.

  “What about Neo?” Fletcher worried his lower lip, staring at his feet.

  “Neo already knows about all your offers,” Ivory put in. “He’s excited for you.”

  Fletcher looked up, gaze landing solely on me. I didn’t know why, but suddenly, it felt like the sun had come out. “I’ll go with you.”

  “Come here,” I said softly, welcoming him.

  Every step that brought him closer swelled my heart.

  He stopped in front of me, and this time, I didn’t resist the urge, reaching up to rub the back of his head. His hair was soft. “Good boy,” I whispered.

  Backing up, I opened the passenger door, ushering Fletch and his beat-up violin case into the back before adjusting the seat so Ivory could get into the front.

  Once both my passengers were enclosed in the vehicle, I went to get in.

  “If anything happens to him,” Earth warned, menace dripping from his threat, “you know what I’ll do.”

  Glancing over my shoulder, I regarded Earth and Beau standing there with tumultuous expressions.

  “I would expect nothing less,” I stated, then got in the Mercedes and pulled away from the curb.

  8

  Fletcher

  * * *

  He noticed I was cold.

  I was literally arrested and almost charged, locked up in a cell next to a drunk who did not smell very nice and was very, very loud. I was hungry. They made me wait hours for my one phone call, and before all of that, I had to go see her.

  Out of all of that craziness, the fact that Ethan noticed I was cold was the one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about.

  The smooth purr of the luxury car’s engine lulled me, my body reclining backward, burrowing a little deeper into the jacket he’d placed around me.

  Did it really matter if someone bothered to notice I was cold?

  It matters to me.

  Especially now. Today. Sometimes it felt like people looked through me and not at me, so when someone noticed something as trivial as being cold, it meant something.

  Not only did Ethan notice, but he did something about it.

  Dipping my chin, I breathed in deeply the scent of rich pine clinging to the warm jacket. I think it might be my favorite scent.

  Ivory leaned around the front seat, peeking into the back, her blue eyes worried. “Why don’t you just come home with me tonight, Fletch? You can talk with Ethan about business tomorrow.”

  “Will Neo be home?” I asked hopefully. I wanted to see my brother. He always made me feel better about everything.

  “Should be soon.” She promised with a nod.

  “No.” Ethan’s one-syllable reply interrupted our conversation.

  Ivory pulled back to stare at him. “Well, why not?” she argued.

  “I waited all day,” Ethan said.

  “Well, Fletch is probably tired. And hungry. There’s tomorrow.”

  “My schedule is packed tomorrow. It has to be today,” he said, no room for argument. But a weird feeling made me look up, and I saw him looking at me through the rearview mirror. His words might have been stern, but his eyes were anything but. “I’ll make sure he eats,” he said, his tone much softer than before.

  “Fletcher?” Ivory glanced back for confirmation.

  I nodded. “It’s okay.”

  “Well, you can still stay with us tonight. Ethan can bring you over to the penthouse when you finish your meeting.”

  I was about to agree, but something had me glancing back at Ethan and the way his big hands clenched around the steering wheel. Does he not want me to stay with Ivory and Neo tonight?

  My silence stretched on, and Ivory stopped waiting for me to agree, turning back to the front.

  A short while later, Ethan pulled up to Ivory’s building. “Do you want me to walk you up?” he asked.

  “Oh, no, it’s not necessary. The doorman is right there,” she replied. The doorman was indeed already holding open the big door, watching the car.

  “I’ll see you in a bit, okay?” Ivory asked, turning to look at me, and I nodded, offering her a small wave.

  Putting the running engine in park, Ethan got out of the driver’s seat to jog around and open Ivory’s door. Reaching in a hand, he helped her out and then escorted her to the sidewalk where she waved good-bye.

  I watched him through the windshield as he walked back to the car. The deep-green coat he wore fit his broad figure like it was made just for him and had an oversized, lifted collar that framed his jaw, somehow making him look even more angular. The gold buttons glinted in the headlights, and his strides were powerful as he approached.

  He makes me feel safe.

  The realization was shocking, so much so that I jolted, causing the jacket to slip off my shoulders. Cold air blew in when the car door opened and Ethan climbed in.

  “You want to move up front?” he asked, craning his head around to look at me. I must have looked as shocked as I suddenly felt because his eyes widened and then narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

  My stomach felt weird again.

  “I’ll just sit back here,” I told him.

  “What’s wrong?” He pressed, this time reaching out his arm to brace it on the empty passenger seat so he could twist around even more. “Fletcher.” He said my name like a warning, but instead of making me afraid, the bottom of my spine tingled in awareness.

  What is wrong with me?

  “Why did you come tonight?” I blurted out, completely out of sorts.

  The concerned expression dropped from his face, everything about him relaxing. “That’s what you’re worrying about?”

  My head bobbed.

  “Should I have just left you in jail, then?” Why did it sound like he was teasing me?

  “Neo would have come,” I argued.

  “I was with Ivory when you called. Neo wasn’t there, so you got me instead.”

  I’m glad you came.

  “Why were you with Ivory?” I questioned suspiciously, choosing to ignore my inner dialogue.

  “She brought me a suit for the event you’re playing at.”

  “I didn’t sign anything yet.” I reminded him, suddenly wanting to be difficult.

  “But you already told me you’d do it, and your word is just as good as your signature. Isn’t it, puppy?”

  A choked sound ripped from my throat, and I tore my eyes from the window to look at him and glare. “I’m not a puppy.”

  “Mmm,” he grunted and turned back to the front. “You’re hungry. What do you want to eat?”

  “I thought we were signing a contract?”

  “I told Ivory I’d feed you.”

  “I’m not hungry,” I argued.

  My stomach chose that moment to grumble so loud that even he heard it in the driver’s seat.

  Traitor.

  “Thai? Chinese? Italian?” Ethan listed, pulling away from the building.

  “Can’t we just have burgers?” I complained.

  I really shouldn’t complain after everything he did for me tonight, but I couldn’t help it. It was like he brought it out in me.

  Ethan’s broad frame leaned forward, plucking something up and fitting it in his ear. After t
apping on it a time or two, he went quiet for long moments.

  “Ah, Jane, have you left for the day?” he asked a few minutes later. “Ah, good. Would you mind ordering in two burgers and some fries…?” He fell silent. A small, deep laugh filled the car. “I’ll work it off tomorrow.”

  Work what off?

  “Yes.” He agreed again. A pause. A slight glance back at me. “Puppy, you want a milkshake?”

  I didn’t yell at him for the nickname this time because he was offering me ice cream. Some things were just more important.

  “Yes!” I exclaimed. “Chocolate!”

  “Did you hear that?” Ethan chuckled. “Not for me. Okay, thank you. Have a wonderful night.”

  He hit the thing in his ear again, then plucked it out and tossed it back to wherever he got it.

  “What kind of phone is that?” I asked, curious.

  “It’s Bluetooth. It connects to your phone so you can drive while speaking.”

  “Oh.”

  “How come you don’t have a cell phone?” he asked, glancing back while we were stopped in traffic.

  “Don’t need one.”

  “Seems like you could have used one today.”

  I snorted. “Yeah right, like Fig would have let me use it. He made me wait hours before he let me call Neo! I had to beg to call Ivory when Neo didn’t pick up.”

  “Gross misuse of power,” Ethan muttered.

  I didn’t really know what that meant, so I just stayed quiet.

  “Anyway, th-thank you for what you did back there. I’ll pay you back.” I promised.

  “Pay me back for what?”

  “The restitution,” I said, remembering what he called it.

  “It’s not necessary. I didn’t do it so you would owe me.”

  “Then why did you?” I asked. This time, the question was more timid than when I’d blurted it out.

  “You’re my employee,” he said easily, as though he didn’t even have to think about it. “And a good CEO takes care of his employees.”

  “I’m just playing the violin at one of your openings,” I muttered, not quite sure why his answer didn’t satisfy me.

  “And until then, you’re my responsibility.”

  I wanted to argue that I was responsible for myself, but the fact that he’d just bailed me out of jail kind of made the argument sound dumb.