Page 33 of Rulebreaker (Gamebreakers #4)

THIRTY-THREE

Atlas

My nape has been itching since I showed Harrison the door—or the moment I scared him toward the door anyway.

But, despite Lily’s worries, nothing at the memorial has gone the least bit awry.

From the moment she stepped out of the limo, the cries of her fans made it clear that the crisis team has been doing their job. It goes against everything in me to give the world personal details of Lily’s life, but it’s been important.

Her fans need to understand there was a mix of manipulation and real feelings, naivety and medical complications.

So, the words that reach us as I help her out of the car, as Royal and Jade, Willow and Dash, her friend Stacy and Stacy’s husband Greg immediately close in on us, are positive and kind.

And as I slip my arm around her waist, tuck her against my side, keeping her close, her body relaxes, the tension bleeding out of her .

Then we’re walking up the steps and into the church, the noise of the crowd outside fading as the heavy wooden doors slide shut.

The church is full, musicians everywhere, and though there’s a moment of hesitation as we’re noticed, there’s no cold shoulder.

In fact, the nearest woman–an older star named Sally who sings ballads that still top the charts regularly, even though she’s in her sixth decade–immediately comes over and enfolds Lily in a hug.

“Sweetheart,” she says. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks, Sally,” Lily says, drawing back after a long moment. “That means a lot.”

Her eyes flick over to me. “And is this your young man?”

Despite myself, my lips twitch. “Atlas,” I say, extending my hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

“We don’t do handshakes, my dear”—she closes the distance between us and enfolds me in a tight hug—“thank you for being here for our Lily.”

Yeah, I somehow knew that I was going to like Sally.

Maybe it’s the power ballads.

Maybe it’s the decades of her being herself no matter what the universe throws at her—and she’s seen a lot over the years.

Either way, it breaks the ice, and pretty soon we’re surrounded by people wishing Lily well, chatting about the business or their favorite memories of Stan.

Some are definitely fishing for information.

Some are figuring out how to best use today for their own benefit–whether for social media clout or for their own careers or just because they want some juicy tidbit of gossip to share with the press.

They won’t get much here.

Or…that’s what it seems like anyway as the soft talking dies do wn and the minister comes out indicating that the time for the memorial has drawn close.

Conversation winds down and everyone begins to file into the nave, to settle into the pews.

We wait until the vestibule is mostly empty, and then I turn to Lily and cup her cheek. “You ready for this, Texas?”

Her lungs inflate on a long, slow breath.

Then she exhales and nods. “I’m ready.”

Jade takes her arm on one side, Sandy on the other, Willow behind them, and the girls file in.

I watch them go, fighting the urge to bundle Lily out of here, to spare her this–the same damn urge I’ve been fighting from the moment I barreled my way into Stan’s house and found that sleazeball in her face.

But I hold my ground, know that there will be a space beside me at the pew up front.

And that she needs her friends–her family –around her right now.

“You’re holding it together remarkably well,” Dash says quietly as we move to follow them.

Royal snorts–probably because he sees how close my holding it together is from shattering into a million pieces.

But today isn’t about me.

About what I need.

It’s about Lily–as it should have been from the moment the news hit.

“I’m fine,” I mutter. No, it still doesn’t feel great that she felt like she had to hide the truth, that I reacted the way I did and nearly fucked us up so badly there would be no coming back, nor that she’s here, that she has to deal with all this shit.

But that’s life.

I’m here too. I got my head together, made things as right as possible, won’t fucking hurt her again if it’s the last thing I do .

So yeah, I’ve got her covered.

We all do–me and Royal and Dash, Willow and Jade, Banks and Aspen, Briar and Frankie.

We’re not letting her go this alone.

She’s had far too much of that already.

Suitably having gotten my head on straight–something that Royal notices if his slight nod is any indication–I turn to follow the girls…

At the exact same moment the heavy wooden door swings open–

And Harrison tries to stroll into the church.

Dash–having been fully briefed–curses, starts forward.

But I’m already moving.

“I–” he begins.

“ No .” I grab him by the back of his suit jacket, shove him back outside the door. I hear a gasp and belatedly remember the gathering of fans, but it’s too late to stop this–phones have already been pointed in my direction.

“Let go!” he shouts.

Well, fuck.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

I tighten my grip, march down the steps, making sure to pitch my voice so the phones can catch it. “Did you forget that Lily has a restraining order against you?”

Eyes go wide–and not just Harrison’s. And voices in the crowd begin to increase in volume, my words being spread around.

I don’t stop.

And I don’t engage Harrison when he begins to sputter.

I just guide– shove –him over to the police officers keeping an eye on the area, though not all that great of one considering this asshole made it inside.

“Harrison Huntington,” I say by way of introduction, pushing him in their direction.

“Lily Maxwell has a restraining order”—and thank fuck Dash thought of that particular detail—“against him.”

They ask a couple of pertinent questions–namely, who the fuck I am and why I’m the one frog-marching this asshole over to them.

I answer them.

But when they press for more details, Dash steps in, taking over.

I handle my own shit–always have, always will. But this is Dash, this is my family. I can let him do this so I can get back to my woman .

But as I turn, the niggling on my nape that I’ve been brushing away all day, that I’ve been ignoring, intensifies.

Until I have to look back.

Dash is there, still talking to the officers, and I get a blip of pleasure in seeing Harrison now in handcuffs.

There will be more with him that we have to deal with, a legal battle I have no doubt we will win…and also that will take far too long and cause far too much frustration.

But this is as much drama as he’ll cause today.

And he’s not the source of the niggling.

Neither is the crowd–their phones still out, eagerly recording the scene.

It’s…

I squint, movement in the shadows across the street, the large trees creating huge patches of shade that make it hard to discern if someone is standing there.

Hell, there are probably multiple people over there, fans of Lily’s, of Royal’s or Willow’s or the other stars inside. Passersby just living their lives. Teens. Women. Men –

I frown as a male shape, big and built and a little like Dash’s–

But a bit smaller…almost Colt’s? —

“You good?”

“What?” I jump, gaze whipping over to Royal’s. He’s frowning, something that’s less common since he fell for Jade.

“You good, man?”

I look back, but the shadows only reveal a family–a dad and mom, their young son at their side.

And I have to get back inside, get back to Lily.

“All good,” I say. “Dash has this.”

“He does.”

I take one more lingering glance.

But when that turns up nothing, I nod to the stairs.

“Let’s go make sure our women are good.”