Page 44 of Savage Promises (Quinlan Empire #2)

Shane exhales, his hand resting on my lower back. “This could have been her life. She threw it away. Don’t feel guilty for the decisions she made.”

I love how he cares about me, but it stings if it’s at my sister’s expense.

“I just need to make sure she’s okay,” I say, already slipping on my coat. “No one will miss me.”

“ I’ll miss you,” he says in a voice I haven’t heard before.

Startled, I whisper, “Shane, please.”

He studies me again for a long moment before shaking his head. “All right. But don’t be long.”

I kiss him on the cheek. “Twenty minutes, tops. I promise.”

I slip out quietly, Shane closing the door behind me. When his face disappears, a strange feeling washes over me. Like some premonition of Shane closing the door on our marriage if something goes wrong.

Would he fight for me?

I cross the street, the balmy night chilling my skin as I tug my coat over my shoulders. Dad’s house feels even darker up close. I could say it’s a shadow of what it used to be. But our house was never like Quinlan Manor.

Using my key, I step inside.

The house is eerily silent. I didn’t see Dad’s car parked in the driveway, so I know he’s not home. Garrett should be at Club Echelon, hopefully not getting his dick sucked.

I climb the stairs, saying hello out loud, so Neve doesn’t jump out and pepper spray me. The hallway stays quiet and empty, despite my voice floating up to the second floor.

I find Neve in her bedroom, curled up on her bed, her face buried in a pillow.

“Neve?” I say softly, stepping inside. “What’s the matter? ”

She rolls over, her face blotchy from crying. “What do you want?”

“That’s no way to greet me.” I fold my arms. “It’s almost ten p.m. and you’re all alone here. I was worried about you.”

“My team lost three matches in a row,” she groans, burying her face again. “The coach was fired, and everyone blames me.”

“It is not your fault he was fired,” I say, sitting on the edge of her bed. “You’re young and you were seduced by an older man who should have known better.”

“At this rate, I won’t get into USC,” she whines.

Southern California has the best volleyball program, but it’s competitive as hell. Shane has the money and the connections to get her in. And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind her being three-thousand miles away. But I could never ask him to help her after the way she treated him.

“If you don’t get in there, you can go somewhere else. I’ll even pay your tuition.”

She sits up, glaring at me. “I don’t want your money. I want people to stop hating me.”

Her bitterness stings, considering all I did for her. Shane was so right. Neve could have had it all, but she threw it away.

“It’s up to you to fix your reputation with the team. You had to know sleeping with your older coach when you were engaged to another man was wrong.”

She rolls her eyes. “Leave me alone. Go to your handsome husband who’ll give you whatever you want.”

Hearing her call Shane handsome zings me with a bite of jealousy.

She’d never given any indication that she felt something for him, let alone that she found him handsome.

I can remind her again that he was supposed to be her husband.

She could have been across the street shining like a diamond on Shane’s arm .

Not that I think he’d show her anywhere near the warmth he’s shown me. But the Quinlan men are honorable. Shane would have made a good show of it.

“It’s late.” I pat Neve on the shoulder and stand to leave. “Get some sleep. Do you want to meet for brunch tomorrow? I’ll send a car for you.”

“No,” she shoots me down.

“Suit yourself.” Exhaling, I close the door and leave her alone.

I don’t know how to help her. Feeling defeated, I slog down the stairs. Just as I reach the door, it crashes open. I jump back, and Dad staggers in, reeking of whiskey.

“Where the hell have you been?” I demand, stepping into his path. “Neve is upstairs crying and you went out drinking?”

He sneers. “Don’t lecture me, mighty Mrs. Quinlan. You’re nothing but a sold-off piece of flesh. This family isn’t yours to speak for anymore.”

I flinch, but before I can respond, a familiar voice cuts over Dad’s shoulder.

“Talk to my wife like that again and it’ll be the last thing you ever do, old man.”

I turn to see Shane standing in the doorway, his eyes cold and deadly.

My father pales, stumbling back a step. “You’re even less welcome here, you thief. Stealing a daughter I did not promise you.”

Shane steps inside, towering over him. “Go take care of the daughter you do have left before someone else does. And apologize for what you said to my wife. Don’t make me come back here. I won’t be alone.”

Knowing what that means and seeing all the cars across the street, my father mumbles drunkenly and half-heartedly, “I’m sorry . There, you happy?”

“Not to me!” Shane blisters .

Footsteps sound on the stairs. I look up and see Neve watching us. Watching Shane defend me, twisting the knife of what she gave up.

“I’m sorry, Lennox.” Dad gives in and then climbs the steps, burping. “You! Get out of my sight,” he barks at Neve, who turns and stomps back to her bedroom.

Shane faces me, not a muscle in his face moving. “Come on,” he says with an outstretched hand, like I’m in the middle of a bridge figuring out which side I belong on.

It’s quite simple. I belong with my husband.

I take his hand and he guides me across the street to his car. “The party broke up. The kids were all getting tired and cranky.”

“Oh.” I squeeze his hand. “I didn’t say goodnight to your mother.”

“It’s okay.” He opens the door. “I told her you were checking on your sister. She’s still bitter at what Neve did, but Ma respects how you continue to care for her.”

“Really?” I glance at the manor, smiling. “I had a great time tonight. Your whole family is wonderful. I love all the kids. The chaos.”

Shane stills at my comment but settles me into the passenger seat. His back is ramrod straight when he comes around to the driver’s side. We zip home to Manhattan in silence, soft music playing.

Tucked away in the brownstone, Shane sits me down on the living room sofa, his warm hands cradling mine.

“Lennox,” he says quietly, “do you want us to have kids soon?”

The question catches me off guard, but as I look into his eyes, I see something I didn’t expect. Fear. Doubt.

That wars with Darcy’s comment. The tale of Uncle Shane in a tiara sipping pretend tea. Maybe he does want kids. Just not with me.

“Um. I hadn’t thought about it. I’m not sure,” I say, giving him an out. “Do... Do you?”

“I’m not sure either,” he says low and fractured.

“Seeing what my family went through when my sister died...damaged me. Maybe because I was young and I didn’t understand what happened.

Everyone was fucking miserable, crying all the time.

My parents had five other kids. Imagine if we lost our only child? ”

His confession is so unexpected.

“No. I can’t imagine.” What happened to his family is rare. I can’t dismiss it, though. “We’ve only been married a few months. No need to make a life-altering decision so soon.”

“Right.” He touches my hair and looks like he’s about to say more, but his phone rings. He steps away and answers it. “Okay. I’ll be right there.”

I sigh and slump against the sofa’s back cushion. He’s leaving me again. I don’t even ask who it is or where he’s going. This is part of the deal married to a powerful man.

“I have to go,” he says and disappears into his office.

No kiss goodnight. Just his...back.

Disappointed, I climb the stairs and slip into my bedroom. There, I find Hawk asleep on my bed. I curl up next to him and when I hear the front door close and lock, I let out a sigh of loneliness that sadly feels oh-so familiar.