I raise my hands in defense. “Yeah, sorry about last night. We got a little carried away…”
“I don’t care about that.”
I step off the trailer stairs. “All right. What’s on your mind?”
His eyes linger down the dock to land on Lilah. “Look after her,” he says.
“Is that trust I hear in your voice, mate?”
“It’s desperation.” His expression hardens. “Lilah is all I have left in this world. I know what’s going through her head right now and it ain’t good.”
I frown in thought. “She’s a smart girl.”
“She’s also scared,” he says. “She’s cornered but she won’t admit that. She’s not thinking clearly and she’s going to make some bad decisions. I can only do so much, Arch. I need you to be there when I blink.”
I take a step back. As much as I think I know Lilah, I’ve only known her for a short time. Dante’s her big brother. He knows everything I do and more because he was there when it happened. He’s been there since the day she was born. I may never know her or understand her or love her as much as he does but he’s putting his trust in me that I might someday.
I nod. “All right.”
Dante studies me. “Do you really care about her?”
“I do.”
“Then, prove it.” He turns away. “Keep my baby sister alive and I will never question you again.”
“That’s one tall order.”
He smiles to one side. “Well, if you weren’t up for it, why are you even out here?”
I take a moment to let that sink in as he walks to his car. Lucy stares back from the front seat and smiles, looking relieved that we managed to interact without him striking me again. Progress is progress.
“We’ll be right behind you,” I say.
Dante nods at me before lowering himself into the driver’s seat.
He’s right. I made a choice the moment I set foot out here, one not easily taken back. Loving Lilah Hart won’t be simple. Embracing her means accepting all of her, from Snake Eyes to her brothers to the complex lives they live. They’re willing to make a place for me here and that’s more than I can say about anyone else whose come and gone in my life so far.
Lucy Vaughn said it best.
Welcome to the family.
I walk down the dock toward Lilah, taking soft steps to try and sneak up on her but she calls me out before I even get close.
“Did he give you a scary big brother speech?”
“Rather tame, actually.” I smile. “I dare say, he might like me.”
She glances over her shoulder with amusement. “You’d be the first.”
I stand behind her and wrap one around her waist. Contrary to her brother’s belief, this woman needs no protector. If she did, it certainly wouldn’t be me, but I feel more than a little protective of her anyway. I lay my other arm over her shoulder to rest my palm on her heart, feeling the subtle tap of her pulse beneath my fingers.
Lilah lays her hand over mine and grips the sleeves of my jacket to hold it a little tighter around her.
“I won’t ask you again, love, but I need to just this once,” I say. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” she answers, her voice strong and warm. “I just wanted to take a last look.”
We stare out across the lake together. A gentle breeze whistles through the bright green trees. The water sits undisturbed, save for the occasional fish poking his head out and sending small ripples across the surface.
My heart skips. It really is quite beautiful here.
“We’re coming back,” I tell her. “I promise.”
Lilah turns her head and I kiss the edge of her mouth.
I’m not sure if she believes me or not but I couldn’t be more serious. That promise wasn’t just to her. It was to Dante and Lucy. To myself. And to Elijah, especially.
Lilah Hart deserves a future beyond this bloody mess.
I won’t stop until I give it to her.
I turn her around and take her hand, entwining our fingers together as I kiss her forehead. “Ready?” I ask.
Lilah looks at me with those fiery eyes. “As I’ll ever be.”
Chapter 29
Fox
I shouldn’t be as nervous as I am right now.
I’m a war veteran. I’ve befriended Russian mobsters. I’ve stood up to — and exposed — the deadliest criminal organization on the planet.
But all of that somehow pales in comparison to telling a man that you’re going to ask his daughter to marry you.
Especially when that man is your stepfather and his daughter is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
Maybe Boxcar was right all along. This is weird.
I step out of my car onto the driveway. It’s been at least a month since I’ve set foot here, mostly because Bennett told me to never come back. Dani included.
We would have stayed in Iowa forever, but a few contractual obligations brought us back to Los Angeles. We couldn’t be sure for how long and Dani no longer felt safe in her condo after what happened there, so we sold it and got a place together in the Hills. Something a bit fancy for my tastes but easily secured and fortified just in case we needed it.
And, as it turns out, we did.
Bennett wasn’t too happy about our new arrangement, obviously, but Dani finally found it in herself to cut off contact with him and take control of her life.
We haven’t heard from him since. I’ve kept in touch with my mother, of course. That’s another reason why I was happy to return home. She thought I was dead for two years. I wasn’t about to leave her again.
I knock on the door as the butterflies twist my stomach. With everything I’ve done, everything I’ve been put through to get here… and I can’t handle this?
The door opens and Bennett glares at me, looking worse than I thought he would. Shaving has obviously become a low priority. Laundry, too. He’d be almost unrecognizable without Dani’s eyes staring back at me.
“Hey, Bennett,” I greet.
“What do you want?” he asks.
Charming as ever.
“Can I come in?” I ask.
“No. What do you want?” he repeats.
I glance over my shoulder at the front gate down the driveway. There are usually a few cameras lingering on the street or a tour bus slowly rolling by full of tourists just hoping to catch a glimpse of Roxie Roberts. Luckily, they’ve moved on to the next hot thing and haven’t managed to figure out her new address yet.
“We need to talk about Dani,” I say.
A flash of concern passes over his face, but it doesn’t stick around. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.”
“Then, piss off.”
I reach out to stop the door from slamming in my face. “Bennett.”
He sighs loudly and steps back. “Fine. You got five minutes.”
I follow him inside and close the door behind me. He marches across the front hall toward his study. I move slowly, scanning the shelves and end tables as I pass them by. A thin layer of dust coats everything. He must have fired the cleaning staff. Or they quit.
Bennett’s study looks about the same as it always did. Stuffed full of his own particular brand of organized clutter. He falls into his desk chair. I stay standing, ignoring the subtle hint to claim the couch beneath the window.
I take a deep breath, staring down at his tired face. He appears so weak to me now but that doesn’t make me feel any better about this.
“I’m going to ask Dani to marry me tonight,” I say.
His eyes twitch. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. After the premiere.”
“And I’m saying no.”
“I didn’t come here for permission, Bennett. I came here to tell you, in person, so you didn’t hear about it from someone else.”
“How kind of you.” He shifts in the chair and it squeaks beneath him. “Is that all?”
I scoff, holding my anger inside. “W
hat the hell is your problem with me?”
“Where would you like me to start, Fox?” he asks, smirking.
“It’s not my fault you married my mother,” I say. “We were teenagers, not children. We didn’t grow up together. Our relationship isn’t as big of a taboo as you think it is.”
“You think that’s it?”
“What else is there?”
“While I don’t exactly like the idea of my stepson diddling my daughter under my own roof, that has little to do with my dislike of you. You’re a fucking punk, Fox. A stupid jock who never would have amounted to anything if I didn’t kick you out of my house. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don’t approve of your relationship — not because I married your mother — but because you’re just not good enough for her?”
I flex my jaw. “You have no idea what I went through to get back to her.”
“And I don’t care.” He rubs the stubble on his face and laughs. “None of it will make up for the fact that you shot her three months ago. Or am I the only one who remembers that part?”
“I knew what I was doing.”
“Oddly enough, the fact that you know how to shoot my daughter through the chest without killing her isn’t actually a huge comfort to me.” He leans forward over his desk. “Whatever you went through over the last five years doesn’t matter. What you brought home with you does and, honestly, you scare the hell outta me. I can’t stop you from doing whatever you’re going to do, and I can’t control her anymore either, but know this: anything that happens to her from now on is on you.”
“I know that.”
“Then, we’re done here.” He sits back and shakes his head. “Congratulations on your engagement,” he says with no feeling at all.
I resist the urge to argue with him some more. It won’t change his mind and that snark in his tone tells me everything I need to know.
I walk out of the study, feeling even worse than when I walked in, but I did what I came here to do.
“Fox?”
My mother stands at the top of the stairs.
I smile. “Hey, Mom.”
“I thought I heard your voice.” She picks up her pace to meet me at the bottom. I extend my arms out to her and she gives me a hug. “Is everything okay with you?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “I’m fine.”
“And Dani?” She releases me and takes a quick step back. “How is she?”
“She’s...” I glance at the closed office door. “She’s great.”
“I miss having her around, not gonna lie,” she says.
“Well, you’re always welcome at our place. You know that.”
She nods slowly. “So, you two are still...?”
“Yes, we are still.”
I wait for that look of disappointment but it never quite surfaces.
Instead, she smiles and lays a hand on my shoulder. “Whatever makes you happy, Fox,” she says. “With what you’ve been through that’s really all that matters to me.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mom. You, too.”
She clears her throat and drops her hand. “Speaking of which, I, uh... I’m going to be staying with your grandparents for a while.”
“In Seattle?” I ask.
“Yeah.” She hesitates. “Bennett and I are splitting up.”
“Really?”
“I tried to make it work, but...” She pauses as a rush of anger shadows her eyes. “I can’t stay with the man who kicked out my son like that. Keep thinking if he hadn’t have…”
“Mom...” I shake my head. “You can’t put all the blame on him. I chose to enlist.”
“I know. And I couldn’t be prouder of you for that, it’s just...” She swallows. “He’s not the man I thought he was in many ways. It’s time for me to go.”
“Well, you know I won’t disagree with that.”
She chuckles. “I figured.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Today, actually,” she says. “I packed a bag this morning. Next step was to call you and let you know but you took care of that for me.” She glances at Bennett’s door. “What brought you out here, anyway?”
“I, uh...” I take a breath and reach into my pocket for the small velvet box. I pull it out and her jaw drops with her growing smile. “I’m proposing tonight.”
“Fox...” She takes the box from my hand. “Can I...?”
“Yeah,” I say as nervous jitters twist my insides.
She opens it and her grin widens. “Oh, Dani will love this.”
“Think so?”
“Of course. Vintage?”
I nod. “Caleb helped me track it down.”
She snaps the box closed and sighs. “Congratulations, honey.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Let me know how it goes.” She bites her lip. “Should I stay in town? Will there be a party?”
I slip it back into my pocket. “No, you go ahead. We’ll probably keep it quiet. Might plan a trip up the coast to see you instead.”
“That works for me.” She steps forward and hugs me again. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I give her another tight squeeze as my nerves calm down. It’s strange. All this time, through all the bullshit, it’s still a hug from Mom that fixes everything.
She kisses my cheek as she pulls away. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I step back. “I gotta go.”
“Me, too.” Her laugh is dry. “Bye, Fox.”
“Bye, Mom.”
I step outside, feeling a little relieved that it’s probably the last time I’ll ever have to leave this house. Sure, I have a few good memories of this place, but I can count them on one hand. The night I met Dani. That first kiss. That first time.
But it’s time for me to go, to quote my mother. To walk away from the last decade and begin anew. This ring burning a hole in my pocket is just the start of that. Danielle Roxanne Roberts has been the one thing keeping me alive this whole time. The past is done. The future is waiting. I’m not going to delay it anymore.
Tonight, I’m going to ask Dani to be my wife. And she’ll say yes.
I pause by my car, feeling my stomach twist into knots again.
She’ll say yes.
I think.
Chapter 30
Dani
“Hey, Roxie! Look over here!”
“Give us a smile, Rox!”
I do as they ask, sinking a little deeper into that persona. Smiling and twirling Roxie Roberts. Maybe someday I won’t have to be her anymore but that’s not tonight.
Tonight is premiere night for the most anticipated film of the year, Night Trials, Part 3. The final chapter in the trilogy, thankfully. Flashing cameras, shining lights, and a red carpet. Some will tell you that these things never get old no matter how many times you do them, but after the year I’ve had, I’ve learned that there are far more important things in this world than money or fame.
Fox.
I can’t see him, but I can feel his eyes on me. Ever since he came home, he’s made it his mission to keep me safe. Even when I’m sure he’s not watching me, the hairs stick up on the back of my neck. I’ll look around and there he’ll be with that hint of protection in his eyes.
My bodyguard. And none of these people have any idea he’s here.
They can’t know. If they did, it’d draw his enemies right to us.
I’ve told him to stay home and out of the spotlight. My life revolves around flashing lights. It can’t be helped. If a news camera isn’t pointed at my face, then someone’s cell phone is. Any of them could snap a photo of him and expose his location.
He just smiles and says it’ll be okay.
I believe him. Why wouldn’t I?
I scan the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of him in his baseball cap, but he’s too good.
“Roxie, are the rumors true?”
I blink
out of my trance, feeling the familiar ache in my jaw from smiling for too long. I focus on the face of a dark-haired man in front of me. I recognize him. One of those late-night TV hosts.
“Rumors?” I repeat.
“That you’re quitting Hollywood.”
I force a laugh into his mic. “Why would you think that?”
“You turned down Bruckburg, honey,” he says. “Plus three other career-defining scripts. And I heard through the vine that you fired your agent.”
I nod. “My father and I decided to cut our business relationship,” I say. “But the rest is just rumors.”
“So, you’re not quitting?”
“Just taking a break. I’ve been running nonstop since I was eighteen. I need a vacation,” I joke.
“That’s good to hear, Rox. This town wouldn’t be the same without you.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t know about that.”
He moves on down the line to my co-star. I continue forward through the haze of screaming fans and blinding cameras, wondering if that sounded as convincing as it did in my head.
The rumors of my retirement have followed me around ever since The Iowa Incident. Hollywood’s biggest starlet gets kidnapped and ends up fighting for her life in a hospital in Iowa City. The inevitable made-for-TV movie has already written itself. It all made for some good click-bait, but an international criminal organization got exposed at the same time.
Still, the only thing the gossip shows cared about was me.
Not the assassinated presidential candidate.
Not the world-wide manhunt for Snake Eyes agents who could literally be anyone.
No. Just Roxie Roberts and her sliced-up face.
I’m not that fucking important.
So, yeah. I’m retiring from this bullshit life the first chance I get. I just have to make it through one last night of red carpets and shining lights.
I look straight ahead, silently counting the number of steps I have left to take before I can finally duck inside the theater and escape out the back.
Again, I feel that wave of warmth down my spine. Fox’s eyes are on me. Somewhere in the crowd, he’s watching my every move. My valiant watchman.
Mad Love Page 16