Page 49 of Sins of a King

“You don’t look fine.”

“Just a little surprised that he left town and didn’t tell me, that’s all.”

“He’ll be back in a few days.”

I nodded absently. Good. It would give me some time to sort out my feelings and sit on the news of Chelsea warning me away. Maybe it would give Jack time to find out more about Flynn’s past because, at the moment, I really hated feeling like he held all the cards. But I had to find a way to compartmentalize and divorce myself from my emotions.

“You can always call him, you know. Leave him a message,” Brad suggested. “I’m sure he would be glad to hear from you.”

“Is that—are you reassuring me?”

He sighed. “I’m not good at this.”

“Good at what?”

“The comfort and reassurance thing. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you should talk to Lacey.”

“I don’t want to talk to anyone about anything.”

“Fine. But whatever’s going on with you, having a tantrum in the middle of the lobby is not the way to deal with it. If Flynn were here, he’d tell you that himself.”

“So you’re Flynn’s spokesman?”

Brad’s eyes glittered and his jaw clenched. “I’ve worked with him for a decade. I’ve been with him every step while he built this hotel. I’ve been with him through girlfriends who inevitably became ex-girlfriends. He’s a good man, and I consider him one of my closest friends. He doesn’t have a lot of people he can trust, Barrett. And because he’s wealthy and powerful, people always want something from him.”

He stared at me, debating what he was going to say next. “I’m afraid you’re going to want something from him, and because he’s different with you, he’ll give it to you, and then you’re going to ruin him.”

“Why do you think I’d ruin him?”

“Because men always try to live up to a woman’s expectations and then inevitably fail.”

Was that what I was doing? Asking Flynn to be someone he wasn’t? All I wanted was the common courtesy of a text. I didn’t need to be coddled or entertained. I just wanted to be more than an afterthought. I didn’t like feeling left out or left behind.

Brad pinned me with his unwavering stare. “The more you learn about him, the deeper you realize this goes, you’ll want out. But Barrett, you can’t take parts of a man—you either take all or nothing. So you have to make a choice.”

I felt dizzy from Brad’s words. “A choice?”

“It’s simple, really. Are you in or are you out?”

Chapter 14

I set the last dish in the drying rack, removed my rubber gloves, and went to answer the intercom buzzer. It was a flower deliveryman carting the most beautiful red tulips I had ever seen. Thanking him, I took the bouquet and set it on the coffee table. I opened the card. It was from Flynn and all it said was, “Miss you.”

I pressed the card to my lips, deep in thought. I’d gotten a text a couple of days ago, after I’d spoken with Brad. Flynn’s message hadn’t been very forthcoming, but he’d said he’d be back in a few days. So far that had been our only communication. I assumed Brad had told Flynn to communicate with me, just so there wouldn’t be another melt down in the middle of the lobby.

The flowers were a nice touch and the universal sign of an apology. Was I going to let it go? It didn’t behoove me to hold onto my hurt.

Before I could think too hard about it, I picked up my phone and called him. It went to voicemail and even hearing his gravelly, deep, Scottish-tinged voice in a recording did something to me. I left a stuttering message and thanked him for the flowers. And then I took it one step further and told him I missed him, too.

I didn’t care how we had come to know one another, and I didn’t care that he owned a brothel and a casino. It was as simple as wanting him and as soon as he came back, I’d tell him.

My intercom buzzed again, and I frowned in confusion. Only Flynn showed up unannounced, and I highly doubted it was him.

“Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Lacey.”

“Oh, hi.”