#Bae (The Hashtag Series Book 8)

by Cambria Hebert

  Her words when I first rushed in this room echoed inside me. Taunting me.

  “I’m sorry that guy called you. I begged him to let me do it. He wouldn’t. He recognized me right away, and you’re the top contact in my phone.” She made an angry face. “I think he actually wanted to call you, speak to Romeo Anderson himself. I hate people forget you’re a person, that you have feelings and you’re more than a football god.”

  I rubbed a hand up her back. “It’s all right, baby. As long as you’re okay.”

  “I don’t even know where my phone and bag is.” She frowned.

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll get you new stuff.”

  “I think my car is totaled.” She started to cry again. “The police had it towed away.”

  Braeden and I exchanged looks. The police.

  “Don’t worry about the car, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

  Rimmel cuddled back into my chest, pulling her knees up with her. Her clothes were kinda light considering it was dark out and it was cold out at night. Why the fuck was she out at night?

  Alone.

  Then I remembered. I cleared my throat and forced out the words. “Didn’t you have a doctor appointment today?”

  “Yes, and I didn’t even get my vitamins!” Her voice wobbled, and she sniffled. Oh fuck, did the appointment not go well?

  “So this was after the appointment?” I questioned. I had no idea where to even start.

  “It wasn’t an accident,” she intoned, tipping up her head to look at me while wiping away her tears. “They ran me off the road. The police have already been here.”

  Braeden’s eyes narrowed, and we glanced at each other once again.

  “Who ran you off the road?” I asked carefully.

  “The paparazzi,” she replied, flat. “They ambushed me when I walked out of the doctor’s office.”

  I was going to need blood pressure medicine before I left this fucking sick ward. I took a steadying breath; I didn’t want her to feel my extreme need to do bodily harm.

  “Explain, Rimmel.”

  So she did. She told us everything.

  Every goddamn detail.

  Rimmel

  It wasn’t often Romeo was speechless.

  In fact, usually, he wasn’t at a loss for words. If anything, he just bellowed the F-word and as many other foul things he could think of.

  Right now, he was quiet.

  Quiet Romeo was a scary Romeo. It was like the calm before the storm. Or an empty football stadium.

  I wasn’t scared of him. I wasn’t intimidated either, but in this moment, I saw why others often were. Romeo was not a man you wanted to piss off. He was levelheaded. He could be reasoned with.

  But…

  There was a point when a man like him had enough.

  Sort of like when a bitch just snaps. Except guy style.

  I hadn’t seen Romeo reach this point very often. He’d come very close when Zach was torturing us and we ended up in the hospital. Even then, he’d acted semi-responsibly and allowed the police to deal with him.

  After he knocked him out and busted up his face of course.

  Oh, and got him kicked out of Alpha Omega.

  He’d also threatened to cut ties with his mother, but between you and me, he wouldn’t have. He may have put her on ice for a while, but he’d never remove her from his life. And honestly, I’d never allow him to.

  I don’t know if anyone else inside this SUV noticed his almost deadly calm that was entirely deceiving, but if they did, no one said a word.

  We were in the back of Ivy’s white Range Rover. Trent was in the passenger seat, Drew driving, and Romeo, Braeden, and me were in the back. Ivy and Nova were home, but since this car would fit us all more comfortably (versus Trent’s and Drew’s Mustangs), he brought this one to the hospital to get us.

  Romeo wasn’t the only madman in the car.

  Trent was, too. He didn’t say so, but oh, I felt it.

  He was angry I didn’t ask him to come to my appointment. Angry I didn’t call him when I was admitted to the hospital.

 

  I loved my family, but three overbearing brothers was a lot to handle at times.

  I didn’t want to make any of them mad, but sometimes a girl had to be her own woman. Having an escort (aka babysitter) everywhere I went was just stupid.

  Of course, if Trent had been driving earlier, we probably wouldn’t have plowed into a pole.

  Oh my. I was turning into a girl who needed a babysitter.

  God help me.

  As if my night wasn’t shitty enough, I had to go and get sucker-punched with that little gem of realization.

  Boo.

  Romeo turned and glanced out the back window for about the hundredth time.

  “We aren’t being tailed,” Drew said, not even glancing from the road. “If we were, I’d lose them. Trust me.”

  Romeo sank back into the seat.

  “Compound is locked down?” Braeden asked.

  “Yes,” Trent said immediately. “I made sure.”

  “One of you could have stayed behind with Ivy,” I commented.

  They all snorted. Like all of them. At the same time.

  How rude.

  “How long you here for?” Drew asked, still not taking his eyes off the road. Every now and then, I’d see his glance flick up to the rearview before returning to the windshield.

  I was tired, drained really. I was also mildly embarrassed. I had a panic attack. A full-blown body meltdown, when I first arrived at the hospital. It hit me so fast and so unexpectedly.

  I didn’t know they could be like that. It was as if one minute I was fine, and the next my body and mind had completely turned against me.

  A cold sweat broke out over my body; my mouth ran so dry my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I was shaking, not trembling as I’d been since I crashed. Full-on rattling that made it impossible to sit still. Everything around me went blurry; it was like I was living in a haze. I felt dizzy, nauseous, and my stomach cramped painfully.

  The doctors saw it, even as I panicked worse, thinking something was seriously wrong. I was strapped with an oxygen mask, and a needle came at me with rapid force.

  I’d twisted and evaded the stick, though. I was still enough in my right mind to deny the medicine. “No drugs,” I insisted loud enough they heard me through the mask.

  “It’s just to help calm you down,” they’d said.

  “No.” I refused.

  If I was going to try and get pregnant, I didn’t want anything like that in my system. I didn’t care if it would be long gone by the time I actually had a baby inside me. The doctor’s visit today put me in a mindset, a committed one.

  I would do everything humanly possible, no matter how small, to make sure any baby conceived after Evie was protected.

  Maybe it was irrational. I didn’t care. It’s what I wanted. It was my body.

  Everyone else could suck an egg.

  The doctor frowned, but I held firm. In the end, I stuck with the oxygen, and they put me in a quiet room. Of course, it only stayed quiet for less than five minutes before nurses and doctors and exams ensued.

  “Don’t know,” Romeo answered Drew’s question, rousing me out of my own head.

  “You have a game on Sunday,” I said, glancing up at him. Everything was blurry because my glasses were gone. I wasn’t a fan of muddled vision, but I took comfort in the fact I had an extra pair of glasses at home.

  A clumsy girl like me always had a backup.

  He shrugged, not seeming to care about his game.

  I glanced at Braeden, who was on my other side. He patted my leg but said nothing.

  The rest of the ride to the compound was quiet. I laid my head on Romeo; his arm stayed tucked around me tightly. He was warm, and I was cold. He was strong, and I was small. I knew he was angry. I knew some of that anger was directed at me. Probably because I went out alone.

  But even angry, he didn’t shove me aw
ay. Rome held me close.

  The exterior of our house was lit like a Disneyworld attraction. I didn’t think there was a single shadow within yards of the house. Drew pulled into the garage immediately, and we all sat there, unmoving, until the door was shut behind us completely.

  Once it was, the door leading into the house swung open, and Ivy filled the doorway. Her face was clean of makeup and her hair was pulled away from her face. Worry marred her features, as she shifted from foot to foot, waiting for us to get out.

  Braeden glanced at me. I smiled. “Go on.”

  He leaned in to kiss me, and Romeo pushed his head away. “You’re pushing it,” he rumbled.

  “If you need protection, come get me,” Braeden whispered, loud.

  “Get out of the car,” Romeo snapped.

  I put a hand against his chest as if I would restrain him. Actually, I would if I needed to. He was threatening my BBFL.

  Braeden got out of the car. He didn’t seem the least bit offended. Ivy was bouncing right beside the passenger door where he exited. I watched him lift her off her feet and kiss her cheek. She smiled, her arms tight around his neck.

  Then she pulled away and peered into the still-open door. “I’ve been worried sick! If Nova wasn’t already in bed, I’d have driven to the hospital, too!”

  “You don’t need to be out at night!” Braeden and Drew snapped at the same time.

  Romeo and Trent made sounds of agreement.

  Ivy met my eyes. “They’re like this tonight, huh?”

  I nodded dramatically.

  She sighed, resigned. “C’mon. I made cider.”

  I started to slip away from Romeo, to scoot across the backseat toward the door. I didn’t get far. He lifted me, held me on his lap, and exited the backseat on his side, all while lifting me into his arms.

  “I can walk,” I told him.

  “No.”

  I looked at Trent for help, but he crossed his arms over his chest.

  Traitor.

  Everyone filed in the house. Prada, Darcy, and Ralph all danced around excitedly. Ralph leapt up toward me, and Romeo jerked.

  I gave him a look. “Don’t you yell at my dog.”

  “Who wants a bone?” Ivy called from farther in the kitchen, and I heard a bag of dog treats rattling.

  All three stopped what they were doing and raced away.

  “Here you go,” Ivy said as she passed out the treats. “Go lie down.”

  All three dogs trotted off toward the living room, content.

  Romeo stood in the middle of the spacious kitchen and made no move to put me down.

  “Here’s your cider.” Ivy brought me the mug and handed it to me.

  “Hi, Romeo,” she said, giving him a smile.

  “Princess,” he replied, gruff.

  “Coffee’s on,” she told him.

  I mouthed, Thank you, and she smiled.

  “How badly are you hurt?”

  “Not much, just bruises,” I replied.

  Her blond head bobbed with relief. “Thank goodness. What happened?”

  Romeo went rigid, and I glanced up at him, worried if I went into the whole story again, he’d really flip. When I first told him and Braeden, they’d both went deadly, calm silent.

  “She’s been through a lot, baby,” Braeden said. “I’ll fill you in upstairs.”

  Ivy glanced at Romeo, then away. “Okay.” Her eyes found mine again. “You’re sure you’re okay? Can I get you anything at all?”

  I wiggled to get out of Romeo’s arms. He didn’t budge. I made a sound of annoyance and held out my hand to Ivy. It was the closest I could come to a hug. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  “We’ll talk in the morning. Have coffee.”

  “No leaving this compound,” Romeo declared. “Both of you.”

  Ivy sighed. “Well, we have coffee here. Since all four of you want to be such cavemen, you can watch Nova while Rimmel and I drink our caffeine in peace.”

  With that, she turned away. But beneath the archway of the kitchen, she pivoted back with a sigh. Her footsteps carried her to Drew first. She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him close.

  “Love you,” she whispered.

  Drew hugged her back. “You, too, sis.”

  Ivy then went to Trent and did the same thing.

  Afterward, she held her hand out to B, motioning for them to leave the room. Braeden took her hand but glanced over at Romeo. That was the true measure of brotherhood. I’d only ever seen it between the four men in this room.

  Romeo was like a bear with a butt rash tonight. He threatened Braeden’s man parts, smacked him in the head, and growled at him more times than I could count. But he was still here. He wasn’t pissed. He was reluctant.

  Reluctant to walk out of the room in case his brother needed him.

  “I’m straight,” Romeo told him. “Thanks for everything tonight, man…” His voice faded away. “For getting us here.”

  “Anytime, Rome.”

  He said his good night to Trent and Drew, then allowed Ivy to lead him from the room. Their quiet voices floated off as they went.

  Drew went over to the coffee pot that had just finished brewing, poured two mugs of coffee, added the creamer that was sitting nearby, and then turned toward us. “If you need anything, just call. We’ll come right up.”

  “Will do.”

  “C’mon, frat boy,” Drew said to Trent. “Let’s go home.”

  Trent was looking at me like he wanted to say something, but at the same time he didn’t.

  I looked up at Romeo. “Put me down.”

  His upper lip curled, but the tone in my voice was not to be defied. The second I was on my feet, I surrendered the mug to my husband and closed the distance between Trent and me. My legs felt kinda like Jell-O.

  “I’m really sorry. Please don’t blame yourself. This was not your fault,” I told him quietly.

  His arms fell to his sides. “You shoulda called me.”

  “I should have.” I allowed.

  He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me close. My eyes fluttered closed as I hugged him back. He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I tightened my hold. “Thanks.”

  After that, both Trent and Drew stepped out onto the back deck so they could walk down to their house.

  Romeo and I were left alone.

  “You’re mad,” I said.

  He lifted an eyebrow. “You have no idea why.”

  “I could guess,” I whispered.

  “You’d be wrong.”

  I stepped close to him, so close I had to tip my head back to look up into his flaming blue stare. “Then tell me, Romeo.”

  He stared at me for the span of two heartbeats. I know exactly because I counted. Silently, he went to the coffee pot and turned it off. There was a small light on above the sink. He left it and started for the door. On his way, he picked me up again. He was so incredibly graceful. Not one drop of my cider spilled.

  Our two dogs trailed along behind him (Prada went with Ivy) as he climbed the staircase and turned toward our wing.

  “Bed,” he ordered both dogs the second he stepped into the bedroom, and they followed the command, lying in their gray, velvety beds.

  They never listened to me like that. In fact, when Romeo wasn’t home, they slept in our bed. They hogged most of it, too!

  Gently, he placed me on the bed, my legs dangling over the end. He took the untouched cider and set it away. Romeo dropped to his knees in front of me, pulling off my shoes.

  “I need a shower. I was mid-practice when the call came in,” he spoke, setting them aside.

  “Okay.”

  I expected him to move away, to leave me on the bed while he went to the shower. Instead, he stood, picked me up for the thousandth time tonight, and brought me into the bathroom.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “You’re showering, too.”

  “I’v
e had just about enough of your bossy attitude tonight,” I intoned.

  “You have dust and powder all over you from the airbag,” he uttered right back. “And there’s blood on your shirt.”

  Of course there was.

  He cleared his throat, speaking in a softer, more vulnerable tenor. “And I’m not letting you out of arm’s distance. Don’t ask me to do that, Rim. Not tonight.”

  My heart tumbled beneath my ribs. “I’m right here.”

  The shower wasn’t eventful, at least not in the sexual sense. True to his word, he didn’t leave my side. He touched me. He washed me. He ran his fingers through my wet hair… but it wasn’t because he was turned on.

  It was almost as if he were reassuring himself I was here.

  I returned the caresses and stuck to him like glue. I washed his body and used my slick hands to knead the muscles of his back and neck. He was so tense he felt like granite beneath my hands.

  I was tired, yes. But never so tired to give him what he needed. Right now he needed this. Me. It wasn’t often Romeo was like this, so I wanted to make sure he knew when he was, it was okay, and I would always, always give him what he needed.

  Afterward, we dried quickly, and I smoothed some moisturizer on my face. The skin there burned a bit, and I knew just from the feeling I’d likely wake up with some kind of rash from the airbag.

  Romeo dressed in nothing but a pair of loose, ratty light-gray sweats. They hung low on his hips, accentuating the prominent V-shape at his lower half.

  The ends of his wet blond hair curled up at his neck and stuck out. He looked tired. Worn out. Something I wasn’t used to seeing.

  I pulled on an old Alpha U T-shirt and then picked up my brush to try and get through my hair. Behind me, Romeo took the brush and started working it through my ends before moving up to brush the entire length.

  I shut my eyes as goose bumps raced over my scalp. The worst of the night drained away. Well, no. Not the worst.

  The worst was he was angry with me.

  “Tell me why you’re mad,” I said, opening my eyes to gaze at him through the mirror.

  “I’m not just mad,” he replied, still brushing.

  “Then what are you?”

  His mouth flattened into a thin line. “Guilty.”

  Guilty! What in the world would he be guilty of?