Page 242 of Broken Daddy

“Come home with us,” Hayes said. “We’ll help you. My boss always needs good men.”

“But I’m not a good man,” Rohan said.

Hayes shrugs. “The world isn’t black and white, man. It’s gray. Far as I can tell, you’re loyal, you’re smart, and you’re protective of your sister. Seems to me you’re a good man.”

Rohan shook his head and she knew she’d lost him. “The two of you should go. You don’t want to be here when Lucan comes.”

“Rohan,” she said in a broken voice.

“I’ll call you, little sister,” he told her, reaching out to draw her close. “This isn’t goodbye. I just . . . I don’t think I can lead a different life.”

“Devi’s exhibition is the day after tomorrow,” Hayes said. “Then we leave the next day for home. You want to come with us, you’re more than welcome.”

She hugged him tight before letting Hayes pull her away. And then she cried the entire way back to their hotel in Denver.

Rohan said it wasn’t goodbye, but it certainly felt that way.

51

Nerves fluttered in her stomach, making her feel ill.

“What if no one likes my stuff?” she asked as they pulled up outside the gallery.

The exhibition was opening soon and she didn’t know if she could do it. She was going to be ill.

“They will love it,” Hayes said, undoing his seatbelt.

This morning, he’d helped her get ready. He’d put on her clothes, even doing her hair and makeup. Her arm was a lot better, but it wasn’t up to doing hair or makeup yet.

Besides, she’d been too nervous to focus.

And not just because of the exhibition. She hadn’t heard from Rohan. She had no idea how he was. Hayes had called Donovan and asked him to head to the trailer to watch over him. But by the time he’d gotten there, the place had been cleared.

Was Rohan okay? Had he met with Lucan? Had he gone back to the gang?

She’d cried so much over the last thirty-six hours that she’d nearly made herself sick and Hayes had taken over. She’d slipped into Little headspace and he’d done pretty much everything for her. She’d woken up this morning with a headache, feeling empty and concerned.

All she wanted was her brother to be safe and happy and she didn’t think he could feel that way with the gang.

Hayes came around and lifted her out. Then he cupped her face in his hands. “Listen to me, stop worrying about Rohan. This is your day. You’re going to go in there and you’re going to fucking shine.”

To her surprise she felt like smiling in the face of his bossiness. “I’m going to shine?”

“Yes, you fucking well will.”

“Because you said so?”

“Yeah, because I damn well said so.”

She grinned and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his jaw. He tilted his head down to kiss her on the lips.

“All right, but only because you said so.”

He let out a grunt of satisfaction.

“I love you, Hayes.”

“Love you too, baby girl.”