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I exhale a noisy breath because that seems to be all I can muster.

“Fine. I’ll ring her after I get to Tinsley’s and Fen is safe. What about the studio? I haven’t responded to them yet.”

“They want a meeting tomorrow morning,” Janet informs me.

I grimace and squeeze the back of my neck. “Right. Send me the details, and I’ll be there. Cheers.”

I disconnect the call, and a moment later, the doorbell rings twice, followed by three heavy knocks. Tinsley told me this was how I’d know it was the security people. With hurried steps, I unlatch the door, and four burly men enter, only to immediately slam and lock it shut behind them.

“Mr. Powell, I’m Isaac, your chief of security this evening.” He shakes my hand. “Mrs. Monroe-Fritz sent us to collect you and your son. We have a child seat set up for him in the back on the far side of the vehicle. Our suggestion is to climb in with him in your arms and then lock him in his seat once the door is closedsafely behind you. The windows are completely tinted, so no one will be able to peer in. We’ll handle your luggage.”

“Brilliant. Thank you. I’m almost ready.”

“Very good, sir. We’re going to create a perimeter from the doorway to the vehicle, but it will be impossible to avoid cameras.”

I nod. “I’m aware. It is what it is. Thank you for coming so swiftly.”

The guys help gather all of our stuff, including the pushchair and luggage and fucking nappies. The amount of things babies have and require is mind-blowing.

Within minutes, I’ve got Fen tucked against my chest, and we’re flanked by four men as we race from the building toward the waiting car. A barrage of questions and flashing lights assault us, yet it doesn’t seem they have Fenric’s name yet, which I’m grateful for.

The door slams behind me, and immediately I slide across the bench seat to buckle Fen into his car seat. He has no idea what’s going on, but his little face is glued to the window and the people surrounding it, pressing themselves against the glass as they attempt to see in and get a picture.

“You know, lad, when I was twenty-one, I thought becoming an actor would be the most wicked thing ever. And it has its moments. It does. This isn’t one of them.”

I fall back against the cushion and cover my face, dropping the side of my head to the top of his as the car slowly starts to pull away from the curb.

“I love you,” I whisper to him. “I’m so sorry this is your life. I’ll figure it out, though. I promise.”

His cold, wet hand, from where he was sucking on his fingers, smacks me in the face, and I can’t help but laugh.

“I deserved that.”

I kiss his crown, and we ride in silence the rest of the way to Tinsley’s, where we pull into an underground garage that has police standing in front to block people from trying to sneak into the building. This isn’t the first time the press has been here. Tinsley and Stone went through their own drama over a year ago. I can only imagine what their neighbors think. Then again, Mason Reyes and Sorel Fritz live directly next door to them, and they had drama with the press too, so at this point, the building is more than used to it.

The security team escorts us up to Tinsley and Stone’s flat, and the moment the door opens, I’m engulfed in Tinsley’s arms.

“Don’t be mad at me, okay?”

I choke on a laugh. “Mad at you? Love, I brought the circus to your house. If anyone should be mad, it’s you.”

“Yes, but I brought a certain redhead here. One who I think can be the answer to all your prayers.” She searches my eyes for the reaction I’m trying not to give her. “Remember this, though. I love you, Loomis. You’re a brother to me. But Keegan is a sister. You need help, and I think she can help, but if you fuck her up in any way, I will kill you.”

She snatches Fen from my arms and leaves me standing in her entryway with that.

I had fun with Keegan today. Being with her is just… easy. She’s easy to talk to, easy to look at, easy to smile and laugh with. But she’s been through a lot lately, and though being with her has been easy for me, being around me is the opposite for her.

I need to go in there and apologize to her and swear I’ll never see her again, but as I think about doing that, something sticks in my gut and squeezes my chest. I blow out a breath, trying to ease it, but it doesn’t want to go. It doesn’t want to let her go.

But how can that be?

Maybe it’s simply dread of what’s to come and knowing that my PR people want me to enact a fake relationship with her.

Brushing all of that off, I force myself to put one foot in front of the other until I enter the sitting room full of Tinsley’s and Keegan’s people. Tinsley, Stone, Mason, Sorel, Katy, who is Keegan’s cousin and best friend, her husband Bennett, Wren, who is Keegan’s cousin, and her boyfriend Jack, Owen, also Keegan’s cousin and Katy’s other best friend, and his wife Estlin, Kenna, and of course, Keegan.

I offer up an awkward wave. I hadn’t wanted an arsenal of people to be here for this, but it seems I don’t get much of what I want lately. Everyone is looking at me, but I’m only looking at Keegan. And to my shock, she stands and gives me a breathtaking smile that rattles my bones with relief. Without a word, she crosses the room and hugs me.

And fuck. How is she this incredible?