Page 162 of The Renegade Billionaire

“They’re worried about you, Mads.” Clover and Savvy step in front of me, blocking me from view, and that’s when the tremors start. They’re not noticeable from the outside, but my insides riot violently.

“What do you want to do?” Braxton wraps his arm around my shoulder, easing my internal war.

“What’s he going to do to you?”

“Me? I don’t care about that.”

Pressing up onto my toes, I kiss him, hard. “I do. I care. There are no naked photos of me, and if he even tried to photoshop something, I’ve got enough birthmarks and freckles to prove it’s not me.”

He frowns, and the hard lines along his face show me how troubled he is.

“He won’t hurt you. I’ll do everything I can to make sure he never even says your name again.”

“I trust you.” I trust him more than I’ve ever trusted anyone.

“What do you think he’ll do in five days?” Clover asks.

“I don’t know,” he mutters. “But Grey will look into it. If there’s something to find, he’ll find it. And when he does, I’ll end my father in the ways that matter most to him—social standing and financial power.”

“What do we do in the meantime?” Savvy asks. They were witness to my breakdown when Harry turned my world upside down, and I see the fear in her expression now.

“I’ll be okay, Sav. I’m not the same girl I used to be. I’m stronger, and I have all of you.” I point to all my favorite townspeople, who are making no effort to hide the fact that they’re eavesdropping.

It’s then that I realize Pops has been quiet this entire time, and I find him standing with Sage.

“Pops? Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he says, and I lift my brows in surprise. That’s it? That’s all he’s going to say?

“Are you sure?” Braxton asks.

“Yes. Gonna go find Grey and see if he needs some help. Sage will take me.”

He walks out of the park before I can ask any more questions.

“That was weird.” Braxton places both hands on his hips and watches my grandfather walk away. “Should I go after him?”

“No,” I say. “Let’s—let’s get started on our booth. If we get behind, we’ll never catch up.”

“Are you sure?” The concern on his face would be endearing if the reason for it wasn’t such a viable threat.

“I’m sure. We all have a lot to do.”

“We’ll just be over at the Chug booth helping Blissy,” Savvy says. “If you need anything, and I mean anything, you shout our names, and I’ll put these track and field legs to good use.”

“Same,” Clover says. “But without the athletic ability.”

Clover is so deadpan, it’s hard to tell when she’s joking if you don’t know how to read the signs, but I do, and I laugh. It eases the tension that’s hanging in the air, and eventually everyone gets back to work.

But I know that the looming threat hanging over our heads is about to change something. Maybe everything, and I don’t think there’s any way to stop it.

37

BRAXTON

“You know,I’ve never used a sewing machine before, but I’m pretty sure they have new ones that don’t require my foot to move the needle.”

“Look around, Braxton. They’re all in use. This is the only one available, but you’re doing great.” Madison doesn’t look up from the sign she’s painting. Originally that had been my job, until she realized I couldn’t paint a straight line and the lettering I was working on was better suited for a haunted house.