Page 147 of The Renegade Billionaire

“It shows.”

“Good.”

“I’m not trying to fight with you, Braxton. You look happy, and I’m happy for you, but we have a little problem.”

He has my full attention. “What’s that?”

“Your dad hasn’t shown up at the elder care facility for almost a week. Mr. Coop called this morning to let me know.”

“Fuck me. He’s coming for us, isn’t he?”

Grey doesn’t have to answer me. We both know it’s a certainty. The only unknown is when he’ll arrive and what kind of bomb he’ll drop on us.

The front door opens, and I glance over to see Madison standing in the doorway, sadness filling her expression.

She shakes her head, just once, and my stomach hollows out—she’s not pregnant.

“Shit,” Grey curses beside me.

He’s the only other person who knew we were waiting for…something.

I’m not prepared for the wave of sadness that washes over me. Am I mourning a child that never existed?

“You fell in love with the idea of the baby, Brax. By the looks of her, she did too. Go, get her out of here, and I’ll look into Alistair, then start researching this…festival.”

I barely register his words as I stand and walk toward her. My legs are heavy—weighed down by regret and an aching sense of nothingness.

Grey’s right. I wanted there to be a baby.

“Are you okay?” I whisper when she tucks her face into my chest.

“I don’t know. How can I be relieved and sad at the same time? It doesn’t make sense.”

“It does though. To me, it does.” She tilts her head up to search my face, and I know the instant she finds the same warring emotions in my expression. Her lips fall into a frown, and she nods.

“It was too soon anyway.” She’s trying to talk away her feelings, so I don’t push, but she needs to understand that they’re valid too. Whatever she’s feeling is valid.

“It doesn’t make it hurt less though. Someday…” I can’t get the rest of my words out.

“Someday,” she agrees.

Together, we stand in an embrace, surrounded by people but lost to our own world.

“I love you.” I mentally count seconds every time I say those words.

She nods but doesn’t pull away. “I love you too.”

Her declaration knocks the air from my lungs. I’m still replaying it when a voice I don’t care to ever hear cuts into my joy.

“Isn’t that sweet,” Harry snarls. “You know, I figured out who you are.”

Greyson steps to my side and takes Madison from my arms. Today is not the day for her to fight her own battles.

As soon as I know he has her out of harm’s way, I turn to this asshole, fully aware that everyone in the Chug is watching.

“Couldn’t have been too hard to figure out, since I never hid who I was.”

“And you’re okay with that, Mads? You love someone whose family put you on blast for months on end?”