Miller's Time (Southern Charmers Series Book 2)

by Ahren Sanders

  A little later, Pierce strolled out. His eyes were rimmed pink, but otherwise, he was invincible.

  "He's here, he's healthy, and Darby's perfect. She's a fucking rock star."

  At his voice, Maya and Cole, who'd been sleeping lightly on one of the sofas, jumped up and rushed to their dad so fast my neck snapped. He crushed them to his body forcefully. I thought I heard a whimper, but they didn't move.

  The room was silent, except for the murmur of him whispering something to his kids.

  Ashlyn was at my side, threading her fingers with mine, and I glanced over to see she had Evin's hand in the same way. "Congratulations, uncles," she whispered.

  Evin's face was loaded with emotion as he shot her a grateful smile and kissed the top of her head.

  "I'm taking Maya and Cole to wash their hands, and when Darby's cleaned up, I'd like to introduce them first," he announced. "Then you can all come in. I don't know who pulled their clout to allow you to stay all night, but I've been told we have one hour until you have to leave."

  He led them away, and the excitement exploded. Ashlyn called her mom, Stephanie called Scottie, and Annie called Lynda. It was brief, but I swear tears were on her cheeks until she turned away from us.

  We took our turns seeing Darby and the baby, then all went to the parking lot together, where Mom and Annie produced bottles of champagne.

  No one questioned the fact we were in an open parking lot drinking at one in the morning.

  The door behind us opens and Evin shuffles in quietly, giving a quick wave. He washes his hands, then goes directly to Pierce's side and takes the baby in his arms like a pro.

  "Hey, Urchin." He walks to the reclining chair and sits, settling the baby on his chest and making himself comfortable.

  "Please stop calling him Urchin," Darby squeaks.

  "Give him a name and I will. Until then, he's a sea animal."

  "We did that this morning, smartass," she shoots back.

  "Did you put it on the birth certificate yet?"

  "Pierce took care of it."

  "If it's official, time to share it."

  "Might as well tell him, baby. Our parents will barge in here any moment and ruin it."

  "Pierce made the final decision. We named him Devin Graham Kendrick. Spelled D-E-V-I-N," she clarifies.

  My eyes fly to my brother, and he's perched proudly.

  "Cool choice." Evin's response is rougher, his voice hoarse.

  I get that. When I met Cole and learned he had my middle name, it touched deep.

  "Devin Graham, cool name indeed. And he has his mom’s initials," Ashlyn choruses, then frowns. "I can't believe I left my phone at home. Hope my dumb brothers don't forget to bring it."

  "Have at it, Princess." I slip mine back in her hand.

  She floats across the room to take pictures of Evin and Devin. The names together are a mouthful, and it's going to be a problem. "Dev," I say out loud, and Evin's eyes slice to mine.

  "That sounds about right," he agrees.

  "Our brothers just renamed my baby." Darby pouts.

  "Told you it was coming, don't act shocked." Peirce jiggles her shoulders. "Dev Kendrick sounds badass."

  "Yeah." She melts even further into him, and the door opens again, this time Stephanie barging in, doing a sweep of the room and moving directly to Evin's chair. Todd comes to stand by me, slapping me on the back in greeting.

  "Give me my Godson," she demands quietly.

  Evin crosses his arm over the sleeping infant. "Wash your hands. Don't know what you've been doing with those hands."

  Her face flames, but she stomps to the sink, washes vigorously, glaring over her shoulder until she can dry off. Then she takes the baby in her arms and sways him gently, walking to Todd and me.

  "What's up, little Dev?" Todd steps in behind her.

  Everyone looks around at each other, and Darby's lips go into a thin line before she laughs loudly. "Okay, I knew he'd be called Dev."

  I give Stephanie her time, knowing she's leaving soon to go back to Charlotte. When Dev stirs a little, his eyes opening into slits, I take my turn, easing him into my arms and getting in his face, speaking softly. "Hey, buddy."

  His eyes open fully, and I think it may be the coolest thing I've ever witnessed. He's so small in my arms, and I know in this instant exactly what my brother was saying. This is what a man dreams about. Darby gave that to him.

  I glance at her, and she's locked on me, holding her breath. Her eyes tell a story. She understands she gave this to all of us.

  There's a knock at the door, which can only be the Rhodes family since no one else is that formal. Stephanie goes to the door, and Janie's the first one in, carrying an enormous basket. Dozer is next with an oversized bear, and Austin and Andrew follow with balloons.

  Janie's eyes go soft when she spots me with the baby, but she heads to the bed first. Pierce scoots out from under Darby, taking the basket and setting it behind him. The rest of the men hand over their gifts, giving their congratulations.

  Ashlyn’s face falls when Andrew tells her he forgot her phone.

  Janie engages Darby, and Dozer turns my way. When his eyes meet mine, my blood runs cold. Austin and Andrew's expressions are equally harsh.

  "Ashlyn, come get Dev and introduce him to your mom."

  She swoops in and takes her turn with the baby with an overexcited bounce.

  "It's getting a little crowded. I'm stepping out in the hall. Take as many pictures as you want." She nods, going to her mom.

  All the women descend to that end of the room, unaware of the tension now thick in the air. I walk out and head to the farthest waiting room, away from patient rooms and the nursing station. With each step, my blood boils hotter. Whatever was behind his steely expression has to do with Ashlyn.

  I swing around, expecting the Rhodes men, but Pierce, Evin, and Todd are here, too.

  "Go back to your family, Pierce."

  "Not a fucking chance," he deadpans bluntly.

  "I agree with Miller. Go back to your family," Dozer attempts until Pierce cuts his eyes to him, irritation and impatience firing off.

  "Fine, the timing couldn't' be fucking worse, but we got a problem."

  "Picked up on that. What kind of problem?"

  Dozer hands over Ashlyn's phone. "This thing's been going off non stop. You need to read the messages."

  I hesitate, knowing this is barging into Ashlyn's privacy.

  "Trust me on this," he orders.

  I swipe the screen awake and go to her texts. There are dozens, starting at ten this morning and flooding her phone from an unknown number. Evin, Todd, and Peirce flank my sides, getting in my space. I tap the first one and immediately read through a red haze.

  Oh, Ashlyn, did you think you could run away so easily? I willingly admit you did a suitable job of throwing us off your trail for a while. But you should know that you can't get away. You belong to this firm, Ashlyn. Time to get over your hissy fit and get back to Chicago. Patience has grown thin. If I were you, I wouldn't delay too long. Let's call this little exercise in rebellion a learning lesson. If you think I'm bluffing, think again.

  The next ten messages are photos of legal briefs and attachments with Ashlyn's name as representing attorney. None of it registers, and I get sick of clicking through the bullshit.

  "What the fuck does any of this mean?" I grate out.

  "Have no idea, but read the last message," Andrew answers coldly.

  Now you see I am not bluffing. Let's call this incentive. Time to return. The stakes have changed. You don't want to abide by the rules, your precious reputation will be demolished.

  Ice races through my veins, and the red haze builds until I'm blinded by rage.

  "It's that goddamned MOTHERFUCKER!" My voice shakes with fury, and I fight hurling the phone through the window.

  "We don't know for sure, but it's our guess." Dozer stands with his feet planted, arms crossed, barely containing his own wrath.

 
"How'd he get her number?"

  "No clue."

  "Miller," Pierce's hand lands on my shoulder, "give me until Mom and Annie get here, and I'll take you somewhere to beat the shit out of the bag until you calm down."

  "You can't leave."

  "It's not ideal, but for you, I absolutely can. Ashlyn can't see you like this. Swear to God, brother, only once have I seen you this crazed."

  Pierce is known for his hot-headed temper. Before Darby came back, he flew off the handle at the drop of a hat. I am the calmer one, always have been, but faced with someone fucking with Ashlyn gives me insight into his head.

  "He's right, you can't leave, but we can, and we could use an outlet," Andrew throws in.

  "I'm in," Todd adds. "Stephanie doesn't want to leave today anyway. You need us, we're here all night."

  I jerk my chin, my mind spinning.

  "I'll go, too," Evin offers. "I haven't had a good round with a bag in too long."

  "Appreciate it, man, but you got to stay. We can't raise any suspicions until we know more about this."

  "Before you boys go off to beat the hell out of shit, I need to know what we're doing about this."

  "Nothing."

  "Nothing?" His eyebrows arch. "Did you say nothing?"

  "Not right now, maybe not tonight. Ashlyn had a mental breakthrough yesterday that cleared years of self-questioning." I wave my finger between the three men. "She's in that room holding a newborn, and the minute he was in her arms, I saw it. She wants that. I want that more, and I'm not willing to set her spiraling back to the black fucking pit she brought to Charleston with her."

  "How long are you going to keep this from her?" Dozer's question is a mix of appreciation and apprehension.

  "Let’s set the ball in motion to find this cocksucker. I'm going to give her this—

  the family, the happiness, the joy and excitement. When I sit down with her, she will retreat and I'll be there to stop it."

  "Fine with me." Austin relaxes his stance. "I have a friend that can help."

  "Appreciate that, and I'm hoping Stephanie can explain what all these shots and attachments of legal briefs mean."

  Todd doesn't stall. "She'll be on that shit before you can blink. Steph's been verbal about understanding what happened to Ashlyn for a while."

  "That's it then, you two with me." I point to Austin and Andrew. "We'll go back and spend a few minutes and act normal. Tonight, we all meet back at my place to eat the mountain of food we didn't cook last night. We celebrate this like a family. Everyone deserves that. Tomorrow morning, I'll talk to her."

  Every man agrees, and we walk back to the room, moods still simmering but under control.

  No one questions when Austin, Andrew, and I mention leaving early under the ruse of checking on Runner, hitting the gym, and getting the house ready for a big dinner.

  On the way out, we run into my family, and Cole gives me a high five, clutching another huge bear, this one in a Christmas outfit.

  "Good call, buddy. I think Dev may need that."

  He beams proudly, taking off to the room with Mom and Maya on his trail.

  Dad grabs my arm. "I don't know what's going on, but please don't make me bail you out of jail."

  Perception… right on the fucking mark.

  "We're good, Gramps, see you tonight."

  He shoves me hard, hating the name, but doesn't question.

  Chapter 19

  Ashlyn

  I shuffle through the printouts again. All the texts, attachments, screenshots, and most recently the report that the number was untraceable.

  "I'm not mad." My voice is steady, even though my insides are rolling. It would be easy to break down, but I can tell that's exactly what Miller and my brothers are expecting. "This explains why you kept my phone last night."

  "It wasn't about hiding things from you; it was more about protection and giving you the night you deserved," Miller replies gently.

  I nod, giving him that. Less than two days ago, I openly admitted he was my safety net, and a man like Miller Kendrick takes that seriously. Shielding me from this was his way of protection.

  "While you guys are ready to rain hell on Brock, these could be from anyone. I left a few pissed off people behind."

  Miller crowds in, linking his arms around my waist and scooting me to where I'm half in his lap.

  "I understand why it's the three of you, and I'm thankful. Mom and Dad deserve to be here, but it's better like this."

  "There's a reason we're called the A-Team, Ash," Austin speaks cautiously.

  "I loved being a lawyer."

  "You are a lawyer, Princess. They're not taking that away." Miller combs his fingers through my hair.

  "We'll see. But if being a lawyer for them is my choice, I'll walk away… again, with no hesitation."

  "Sis, no more beating around it. Tell us what happened." Andrew leans forward in the recliner across from us.

  "It may be best if Miller leaves."

  "I think Miller needs to stay right where he is."

  "I had a convenience thing with Brock. You can read into that what you want," I blurt out, embarrassed to look at my brothers.

  Miller's body goes to stone, hostility radiating in the air.

  "It took me too long to discover he is a parasite," I continue, "but I knew no differently. It was all convenience. He advanced to partner a few years ago, and at the time, I truly believed he deserved it. He was ambitious, precise, dedicated to the extreme. I considered him an example of what they expected to climb to the top. He knew my aspirations and pushed me harder, demanded my best. It became a game and I willingly participated. He began taking an interest in my workload, which didn't bother me because rumor was I was on track for a promotion. He would get me there." I sip my coffee, taking the second to boost my courage to go on.

  "You all know I worked in Mergers and Acquisitions, but what you don't know is that wasn't my first choice. But when offered the job at Redmond, Kersh, & Reid, that's where they wanted my skill set. I learned quickly my southern style and upbringing was a deterrent in the world they dropped me into. There was little room for heart and compassion when dealing with my clients." I grin sadly, thinking of my friends. "Nothing like Darby's experience with Brasher. She was lucky to have Stephanie and the management team at Brasher pinning for her. In my firm, we'd have swept the floor with her little business, and in the process made her think she was hitting gold."

  "Don't take yourself there, Ashlyn. I'm assuming that was a much smaller deal than your clients," Miller states flatly.

  "Maybe, DG Creations was small bits, but Brasher Resorts would have hit the mother load for my portfolio. Regardless, my southern roots died and the Prada Princess was born. My peers accepted this immediately. They brought me into the fold. That's when Brock Donner noticed my existence; otherwise, I'd been invisible. My new attitude was merciless, unpitying, harsh. I owned the cold-hearted bitch title. Soon, my reputation spread, and everyone wanted me. My job was a collaboration with multiple areas of law—tax, employment, anti-trust, general counsel. I went after weaknesses, held no empathy, and steamrolled when it benefited my clients without a care who was taking the brunt. That's when I became a desirable commodity in their eyes."

  "Fuck, Ash, what does that even mean? It's like I'm listening to a stranger." Andrew's face twists in pain. "That is not my sister."

  "A particular deal was getting close. We'd ironed all details except one. The financial gain for my firm would be my largest yet. The bonus would pay for my shareholder stocks when they offered me my place as a partner. Like a shark, I could smell the blood in the water and went into negotiations knowing no one would beat me. In the end, I laid out an ultimatum that left minor concessions for the seller. It was partially a bluff because I knew my client was willing to bend.

  "It settled, and because of me, hundreds of people were laid off with one-half their deserved severance packages and half their benefits. I screwed over a decent company i
n the effort to prove I had the balls to have a seat at the table. And I did it for a fucking measly four million dollars."

  There's a stillness that's settled, and I'm scared to face them, so I take another sip of coffee that's now cold and sour, landing in my stomach with a thud.

  "Four million dollars is a shit ton of money, Ash. You did your job." Austin tries to find a positive, but I can't let any of them think this is anything but what it was.

  Selfish, grand, and cruel.

  "Remember, Austin, I was the shark. I knew the company wasn't in a position to walk away from the deal. This acquisition was the perfect union of highly respected in their industry. The problem was too many locations once the acquisition was complete. There would be job losses, but the employment law team had recommended an allotment for the future unemployed. I agreed it was fair, but knew I could go lower. It was me who cut that number and took money from those poor people. When it was done, the owner signed off on the paperwork with tears pouring down her cheeks. I walked out with my head held high. The client sent me a case of champagne that cost more than my rent."

  "Maybe we should take a break," Miller suggests, his hand caressing the base of my neck.

  "Actually, I need to use the restroom." I push up, still avoiding their eyes. Papers fly everywhere and crinkle under my feet as I go to Miller's bedroom.

  It's coming fast, rumbling low in my gut, bile rising in my throat. I make it to the toilet before my knees give out and everything comes up. Hot tears burn my skin as I heave over and over, the expression on that client's face seared in my brain. Many other days like that replay through my mind, causing me to vomit harder.

  "Fuck. Jesus baby." Miller curls around me, his hands covering where I'm holding my head. "Get it out, I've got you."

  Tremors turn into quakes as he soothes me.

  The toilet flushes, a cool cloth coats my neck, murmurs fill the room, but all I can do is purge the poison in my heart. There's no telling how long we all stay in that little bathroom. Even when there's nothing left in my stomach, there's no energy to move.

  "Please tell me that's the worst of it." Austin slides another wet cloth in front of my face. "I'm fucking glad you walked away from that shithole."