All Falls Down

by Morgen, Ayden K.

  When Jared catches my gaze and smiles at me again, I know it won't. This is just the beginning.

  We still have our entire lives ahead of us.

  We still have forever.

  Promises: An Outtake – Jared's POV

  "Jared?" Lexi's voice drifts down the hallway and into Matthew's study where I've been entrenched for the last two hours, going through his papers in search of anything we might have missed. I'm tired, but I can't stop. I promised Lexi… I feel like I've failed her, Katrina, and Madeline all three.

  Their father is dead and I never saw it coming.

  "Dammit." I toss the stack back down onto the desk, scrub my hands down my face, and sigh heavily. "In here, Lexi." I call, leaning back in the chair to wait for her.

  She comes through the door moments later, looking haggard. Her eyes are red-rimmed, her face splotchy. She's still in the silk pajamas she's had on all day. She's a mess.

  "Come here," I urge, opening my arms to her when her bottom lip quivers.

  She crosses the room in three quick steps and flings herself at me.

  I pat her back as she burrows into my chest, shuddering.

  For long moments, neither of us speaks.

  "I miss him, Jared," she finally whispers, her voice raw with grief.

  Anger rushes through me at the sound, burning like lava.

  She's grieving and it is my fault. Had I just….

  "I know you do, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

  "S'not your fault," she whispers.

  I rub her back, appreciating her platitude even though I don't believe it.

  She might not blame me for her father's death, but I do. How can I not?

  I was supposed to protect him, and I failed. He's dead because I screwed up.

  "Is Katie with Madeline?" I ask, trying not to dwell. Katrina and Madeline are in worse shape than Lexi is. They've been crying nonstop for the last two days. I can't do a fucking thing beyond what I'm already doing, and it's not nearly enough.

  That fact galls.

  "She is," Lexi says with a pitiful little sniffle. "Grayson's here, too."

  "That's good." I know relatively little about Grayson Barker save the basics – name, rank, social, no arrest record, decent kid – but he's been good for Katrina the last few days. He's kept her relatively calm, and she needs that right now.

  "She talked to Savannah today."

  Savannah.

  My eyes flicker to the picture of Savannah Martin that Matthew kept on his desk.

  The girl is absolutely breathtaking with her silky brown hair, sweet smile, and wide brown eyes against porcelain skin. In the picture she's laughing at something, her head thrown back. She damn near glows, those doe-eyes shining.

  "Did she?" I ask nonchalantly as my jeans seem to get tighter. I've never met Savannah, and very purposefully know relatively little about her, but she is gorgeous. I find myself staring at the pictures of her scattered throughout the house more than I should. It's disconcerting that she's so captivating to me. I can't afford the distraction, particularly now.

  "Yeah." Lexi pulls herself from my lap. "She's… things are bad, Jared."

  "What do you mean?" I ask carefully, instantly on alert.

  Lexi frowns and runs a finger across the edge of the picture frame, her expression caught between anger and sorrow. "Toby's abusive," she finally says. The words come out succinct, matter of fact. And angry as hell.

  "He's abusing her?" I can't hide the growl in my voice. Nor can I hide the way my hands clench into fists on the arms of the chair. My biological father was an abusive prick who got off on terrorizing my mom. I was seven when he finally killed her – wrapped the car around a light pole in a drunken stupor. Any man who lays his hands on a woman doesn't deserve to live. But the fact that the little brown-eyed girl who fascinates me is the one being hurt makes it worse somehow.

  "She told Katie that it's been going on since they went to Italy," Lexi says, shaking her head. Disgust twists her words, anger roiling in her blue eyes. "He's been hurting her for two years."

  "Why the hell didn't she tell anyone?" Rage sweeps through me.

  "I don't know." Lexi perches on the edge of the desk with a sad sigh. "Her mom abandoned her when she was a teenager. Melinda just packed her stuff and drove away, didn't even say goodbye to Savannah." Sadness glimmers in her eyes. "I'm not sure she ever really got over it, you know?"

  "Yeah, I get that." I'm not sure what else to say, to be honest. Matthew already shared this information with me about his lovely little ward, but it's not any easier to hear the second time around. How does a mother just walk away from her child after fourteen years and not look back?

  It's infuriating.

  Lexi shakes her head again. "At any rate, mom and daddy became her legal guardians afterward, but it was hard for Savannah. The other kids were cruel. You know how they can be around here."

  It's not a question, but I nod anyway.

  Teenagers, even the decent ones, can be brutal. In our world, they're rabid sharks. They're spoiled and elitist, used to getting what they want and never being told no. No way would they willingly welcome the abandoned daughter of a maid into their affluent circles, especially not one as beautiful as Savannah. Teenage girls are downright hateful when it comes to anyone they perceive to be a threat.

  "I guess she fell in love with Toby while they were still in school. She had a scholarship to study in England, but he convinced her to go to Italy with him instead. I never trusted him. He made sure no one else even looked at her when they were together." Again, Lexi shakes her head, anger and sadness in her eyes. "We should have gone after her."

  "Why didn't you?" As soon as the question is out, I know it's unfair, but I don't want to call it back either. Savannah was just a kid, for God's sake. Someone should have gone after her, made sure she really was okay. I know things have been rough with T.I. under attack, but Matthew should have known better that to let a barely-legal teenage girl run off to a foreign country with a boy.

  "We didn't know she needed us," Lexi says, stiffening at my tone. "Kit says she was always upbeat when they managed to talk…." Her shoulders slump as if she's just figured out why Katrina and Savannah didn't talk often. "Why didn't she tell us what was happening?"

  "She was probably scared," I sigh, my frustration rapidly dissolving. It's not Lexi's fault Matthew didn't check in on Savannah like he should have. Hell, I'm not even really angry at Matthew. His life has been a waking nightmare for the last year and a half, his employees and his family under near constant attack by God only knows who. "This boy took her to a foreign country, probably monitored what she said and did. He isolated her, made sure she was dependent on him, and had no way of letting anyone know what he was doing to her. He probably blamed her so she wouldn't say anything."

  That's what my father always did. Blamed my mother, told her it was her fault when he hit her. That she drove him to it, that she didn't listen, and that he'd do better next time. That he loved her, needed her. He'd take care of her.

  It was all bullshit, of course.

  With abusive pricks, it always is.

  "Bastard," Lexi instantly mutters.

  I agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly.

  "At any rate, it's over now. She's coming home for–" Lexi stops speaking and swallows convulsively, her lip quivering again. "She's coming home for Daddy's funeral and will be staying when it's over."

  I freeze at this announcement. "Home? She's coming back here? Now?"

  Lexi nods.

  I suck in a deep breath and let it out again with a muttered curse. "That's not a good idea, Lex."

  "She's not safe there, Jared." Lexi crosses her arms over her chest, scowling at me.

  "And no one here is safe right now either," I snap. Lexi knows this better than anyone. It irritates me that she's being purposefully obtuse now. Good God, her father was just murdered. "You can't just bring her into the middle of this. Jesus, Lexi, think! If she's been abused for t
he last two years, do you really think she's going to feel safe here right now? Or that he's just going to let her go? He'll follow her back here, and then what?"

  "We're her family," Lexi says, though she looks uncertain. "She should be here."

  I sigh heavily. They are her family, and I know this, but still. It's not safe, for her or for them. The last thing anyone needs is another wild card added to the equation. Whoever's responsible for the attacks on the Talbot family has already proven that they're willing to kill. Bringing an abuse victim into the middle of that is sheer madness. Not to mention, who knows what in the hell her boyfriend is capable of doing.

  "I know you're her family, sweetheart, but this isn't a good idea," I say, feeling like a prick for having to say it at all. Savannah can't very well stay where she is, not if that son of a bitch is…. I sigh and give in, furious with this Toby all over again. "Bring her home. I'll make sure she's safe here."

  I have no idea how in the hell I'm going to do that, but Lexi's right. Savannah belongs here.

  Fuck.

  "Thanks, Jared," Lex whispers, squeezing my hand. "I promise she won't be any trouble."

  My eyes flicker to the picture on Matthew's desk, to those brown eyes and that sweet smile.

  I shift uncomfortably in my seat.

  She won't be any trouble.

  Somehow, I doubt that.

  Thirty-eight hours later, I find myself standing in baggage claim at SFO, waiting for Savannah to appear from behind the security checkpoint when someone runs into me, knocking me backs several steps. I'm so caught up in my own thoughts that I don't even realize it's Savannah until I reach out to grab her so she doesn't fall.

  A pained cry breaks from her lips the instant I touch her, her face draining of color.

  I snatch my hands away, watching as she tries to pull herself back together. Anger burns in my gut as pain tears through her expression. I want to wrap my hands around her boyfriend's throat and squeeze the life out of him for hurting her.

  "Are you okay?" I ask as calmly as I can.

  Savannah stares up at me with wide, frightened eyes, not speaking. Her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip.

  Heat twists through my guts at the move, and I can't look away from her.

  This is really her. Savannah. The little beauty I've purposefully learned little about since moving into the Talbot mansion. The same doe-eyed girl I've caught myself staring at in pictures often over the last year. The pictures haven't done her justice.

  In person, she's stunning. Her hair is a subtle mix of mahogany and dark and lighter browns. She's petite, all long legs and soft, womanly curves. Her cheeks are flushed, her creamy skin clear. And her mouth… Christ, she has a beautiful mouth.

  Her eyes kill me though. They're bright and wide, but the intelligent gleam is dull, faded with pain and sadness. If she's slept, it hasn't been recently and it hasn't been well. Faint sleep deprivation bruises mar the skin beneath those eyes. She looks like she's on the verge of shattering into tiny pieces.

  The sight rocks me, unbalancing me.

  And she still isn't saying anything. She's just staring at me, that sweet mouth partially open.

  I cock an eyebrow at her.

  "I'm sorry," she whimpers as soon as I do, sounding choked.

  I hate the sound as soon as it leaves her lips. I hate the frightened, uncertain look on her face even more. And I have no idea why she's apologizing to me. She's done nothing wrong.

  "Savannah Martin?" I ask, though I'm not sure why.

  "Ah… yes?" She sounds frightened again, but her voice is so soft and sweet.

  "You're Savannah Martin?" I ask again, just wanting to her hear speak again.

  "Yes?" She clears her throat. "Yes, that's me."

  The breathless way she talks and her wide eyes send my heart slamming hard against my rib-cage. Christ, to be inside of her when she makes that sound would be heaven.

  I quickly cut that thought off.

  "I'm Jared Corbit."

  "O-kay?"

  "Katrina Talbot sent me?" Did no one tell her who was coming from her? I know they're in bad shape right now, but someone should have told her something, for the love of God. She probably wants nothing to do with a strange man right now, and yet here I am.

  I start to apologize to her for the confusion.

  "Oh!" She blinks up at me and my heart slams in my chest again, halting that apology before it even forms.

  God, she is beautiful. And I want her, want to be inside her.

  I pull myself up short. I can't think that way. Not about her.

  Jesus, this is going to be hell.

  "Okay. I didn't realize–"

  "Do you have any additional luggage?" I ask, cutting her off.

  "One?"

  She sounds so uncertain I can't help but lift a brow again.

  "I have one bag," she mutters. "Carousel Four." Her cheeks flush a lovely deep rose.

  I turn toward the carousel, suddenly grateful I'm in a suit and she can't see what that blush does to me. "Not the time," I mutter to myself. I glance back to make sure she's following.

  Her eyes dart up to meet mine. Her cheeks flush again, her eyes gleaming with something damn close to desire. It's the first spark of life I've seen from her, and I can't help the smirk that overtakes my lips.

  That sparkle fades out far too soon, leeching away right before my eyes.

  "Which is yours?" I gesture toward the carousel.

  "Oh, um…" She jerks her head toward the carousel and stands for a moment before pointing out a simple black bag. "That one."

  I grab it as soon as it circles toward us, ready to get her back to the Talbot estate before I do something I'll regret. I've known her all of five minutes, and I'm already dying to kiss her.

  "Ready?" I head toward the doors before she has a chance to answer.

  Savannah doesn't say anything else until we make it to my Jaguar, and then her mouth drops open, surprise flitting across her face. She looks so fucking cute, my cock jerks in my pants.

  "You're the chauffer?"

  Christ, she's killing me.

  "No," I snap and shove her bag into the small trunk. I'm being an ass, I know I am, but I can't stop it either. She's dangerous. An unknown. And I'm far too captivated by her. "Your carry-on?"

  I hold my hand out for it as her gaze shifts between me and the car and then back again. She clutches the bag tightly in her fist as if she's terrified to hand it over. She looks like a frightened little kitten backed into a corner.

  I start to tell her not to worry about it, but she holds the bag out to me.

  Our fingers brush as I take it, and good God, her skin is so soft and warm.

  I jerk away, ignoring the jolt that races through me, and stash the bag before slamming the trunk.

  She's still gaping at me when I open the passenger door for her, and I can't help but tease her a little. "Coming, Miss Martin?"

  Her cheeks explode into a fiery blush. For just a minute, life flows into her… her eyes sparkling, her lips twitching… and then she bends to get into the car. A hiss of pain leaves her lips and she sways, grasping the door to steady herself.

  Fury rolls through me again. Why the hell didn't Matthew make an effort to check on her? To make sure she was really okay instead of just taking her word for it? The man was nothing but cautious and caring. To be anything less with Savannah, the foster daughter he spoke of fondly on many occasions, is maddening. He accepted her into his family, wrote her into his will.

  How the hell could he just let her run off to a foreign country with a boy?

  She was just a kid, for Christ's sake!

  I stride around to the driver's side and climb in.

  Savannah's staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought. She doesn't look at me, but another little whimper comes from her side of the car when I crank the engine.

  The sound goes straight to my cock.

  I grit my teeth and pull out into the flow of traffic slowly
exiting the airport, trying to think of anything but the fact that she smells of vanilla and sunshine. She's scared, hurt, and the last thing she needs is someone like me fucking up her life after everything she's already endured.

  I want to ask her why she stayed with Toby, why she didn't tell anyone what he was doing to her. Why she went with him in the first place. My conversation with Lexi comes to mind and I think I understand why. Abandonment can be a harsh mistress, but fuck.

  How could she not know she deserves to be treated like a queen?

  "How's Kit?" she yelps, startling me from my thoughts.

  I glance in her direction and she instantly flinches away, cowering as far from me as she can get.

  "Ah, she's managing," I mutter. Every time she jumps or apologizes, I feel like a bastard.

  "You work for the Talbot family?"

  "No." I blink at her. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

  "No," she answers. "Kit never mentioned you."

  "Ah. Aren't you and Katrina close?" I can't figure out why they haven't told her anything about me. She was abused, for God's sake. How could they not let her know someone she's never before seen was coming to pick her up at the airport?

  "We were. Once." She sighs sadly. "I haven't been around much."

  "Ah. Traveling?" It's a stupid question, but I ask it anyway, wanting her to open up to me.

  "Something like that." The way she says it leaves no doubts that this is not a matter for discussion. Her tone is emphatic, final, almost curt. "Should I know who you are?" she demands.

  "Lexi's boyfriend," I retort, no longer sure what I can say to her. Does Lexi not want her to know the truth? Lex is such a pain in the ass sometimes…. "Isn't it obvious?"

  Savannah's one of very few who have not automatically assumed that I belong to Lexi. I appreciate that and find it frustrating at once. Everything about this is frustrating, irritating.

  I've been on edge for days, wound up. Matthew's dead. How the hell did I let this happen?

  "Oh." Savannah blushes, bowing her head. She plucks at her shirt, a sad frown twisting on her lips, and I realize she's embarrassed, feeling out of place. Tears well in her eyes, and my heart physically hurts for her.