Page 44

SINCLAIR

“He only plays like this when he’s stressed,” I say as we walk inside the bar area of Seasons to the melody of piano music.

Sullivan sits at the piano while Vincent leans on it, nodding in approval as Sullivan plays the closing bars of a Liszt piece with vigor. The club isn’t open yet, but Denver called my father and told him about Neil showing up, so my father said everyone would meet us here.

All eyes snap up in our direction as we cross the room.

“Go,” I say to Denver, knowing my father will be keen to have a debrief about Neil as soon as possible.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I breathe; a warm fuzziness filling my stomach at the way he’s always so concerned. “Honestly, go.”

He nods, his hand slipping from my lower back, and I immediately miss his touch.

I rush from his side before I find it too hard to move away from him and scoop Monty up as he runs over to me with his tail wagging wildly.

“He missed you,” Halliday says, looking up from the table where she’s coloring with Molly.

“I missed him too,” I say between Monty’s licks on my chin. Seeing him is already helping ease the tension that’s weaved itself into my muscles since finding out about Theo and then seeing Neil.

“That’s good, Molly.”

My niece beams at me, her crayon poised over the scribble on the paper. “Monty.”

“It looks just like him.” My returning smile makes her grin widen as she looks down at her picture with pride.

“Is that me walking him?” I ask, pointing at the pink shape with yellow on top of it.

Molly picks up her yellow crayon and adds more hair. “Mm-hm.”

“And who’s that?” I gesture to the giant black blob that’s twice my size standing beside me.

Molly sticks her lower lip out in concentration as she keeps adding more hair to me until it reaches my toes like Rapunzel.

“That Den-va.”

The way she says his name is so cute. I turn to look for him to see if he heard, but he’s deep in conversation with my father, Sullivan, Uncle Mal, Killian, and Jenson at a table on the far side of the room.

Halliday follows my gaze to them. “They look so serious,” she murmurs.

“I know.” I drop into the seat beside her, keeping Monty in my arms. My father’s face tightens as he runs a hand over his jaw, then says something to Denver.

The men listen, then Uncle Mal speaks, and Sullivan nods.

My father’s gaze shifts to me, his eyes softening before he says something that makes Denver glance in my direction.

The moment Denver’s eyes meet mine, heat blooms in my core.

“What do you think they’re going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I answer Halliday. “Knowing my father, he’ll want to go straight to Neil, even if all he’ll do is repeat exactly what he told me and Denver.”

“What about Denver? He sounded really pissed on the phone earlier.”

“You heard him talking to Dad?”

Her cheeks flush. “I was in the office with your father when he called.”

“Uh-huh. Helping him work, right?”

“Yeah,” she replies.

I narrow my eyes, smirking when she avoids my gaze and picks up a crayon to color with Molly instead.

“You know I’m messing with you. I’m happy for you both. And I know you…” I look pointedly at her stomach where she hasn’t started to show her pregnancy yet “… I mean, the baby got in there somehow, didn’t it.”

Halliday wrinkles her nose up with a soft laugh. “I can’t talk about that with you. It’s… weird.”

“Baby,” Molly says, pointing at Halliday’s stomach.

“Yes. Baby.” I stroke her gorgeous dark curls. “It’s exciting, isn’t it? A new life.”

Halliday reaches over to fuss Monty where he’s sitting on my lap, then places her hand on my forearm.

“Are you okay?” she asks as Molly slides off her chair to pick up a crayon that’s rolled onto the floor.

“I’m fine. It was just weird seeing him in person. I recognized him from the photos, but he just looked… I don’t know… normal?”

“You thought he wasn’t going to because you’d made him out to be this monster in your head that your mom was deceiving your father with?”

“Exactly,” I say, looking into her understanding gaze.

“He just looked sad. I guess I always thought of him as the enemy, but seeing him today…” I blow out a breath.

“What they did was wrong. But he loved her. I could tell how by the way he looked like he’s been suffering.

None of us have survived these past two and a half years without scars. ”

“Scars are marks of what we’ve overcome, signs of strength,” Halliday says, squeezing my arm reassuringly. “Here.” She reaches into her purse on the floor and takes something out. “It helps aid in times of emotional overwhelm.”

She presses a crystal into my palm.

“It’s beautiful,” I say, studying its shiny black surface.

“It’s black tourmaline. It creates a protective shield around the bearer.”

“Like a bodyguard,” I muse, taking in the sensation of it in my hand, and the way it’s dark, inky surface matches the suit of a certain hulk who’s been by my side through everything.

“How are things between you and Denver? Sterling’s been concerned about throwing you both together.”

I look up into Halliday’s worried gaze.

“It’s fine. Dad doesn’t need to worry. Denver and I are getting along fine.”

Halliday’s expression softens and she glances at my father.

“Good. He’s been worried knowing it’s not what you wanted. But he does everything out of love. You’re everything to him. You, Sullivan, Molly, Mal…”

“And you and the baby,” I add. “He was a mess before you came along.”

“I love him so much,” Halliday murmurs, more to herself as she gazes at my father adoringly. “So, you and Denver? It’s all okay?” She turns back to me.

“Yep. We’ve gotten used to each other.”

Her eyes thin into slits. “You said he has no personality. I thought you couldn’t stand him.”

“He’s grown on me.” I shrug, playing down the way my heart lifts as Denver glances our way again. “And Monty likes him.”

“Hmm, okay.” Halliday’s assessment of me ends and a smile transforms her face as my father and Denver walk over to us.

“We’re going to take Molly home with us for dinner. Sullivan’s going with Mal and the boys to pay Neil a visit,” my father says to Halliday.

“Oh. You don’t want to go with them?” she asks.

His eyes soften, and he shakes his head. “No, they’ve got this. And you said you were tired earlier. I want to make sure you take it easy.”

“I’m fine. I’m just pregnant.” But as she protests, she fails to hide the weary tinge in her voice.

My father’s eyes warm as he gazes at her. “I know, Baby girl. So let’s get you and Molly home.”

The fact that my father is happy to leave the others to deal with Neil tonight is testament to how much Halliday has changed his life. He’s looking forward to the future again, instead of being stuck in limbo with the pain of our family’s past.

“Sweetheart, Denver’s going to stay with you tonight,” Dad tells me.

“Um—”

My father lifts a hand. “I know it’s usually only during the day, but please, it’ll make me feel better until they’ve seen Neil.”

Denver’s brows are lowered as he stands beside my father, all silent and serious.

“Please, Sinclair. Don’t argue with me on this,” my father adds.

I clamp my mouth shut and nod.

“I’ll take care of her,” Denver says.

I bite my lower lip.

“Thank you.” My father exhales in relief, then ruffles Molly’s hair. “Come on, Munchkin, go and say goodbye to daddy, then we’ll go.”

After they’ve left, Denver leans close.

“Time to go, Princess.”

I turn my face, enjoying the way his warm minty breath cascades over my cheek.

“Back to my place?”

“Later. I have something to show you first.”

“Denver Layne, did you get me a surprise?”

He clears his throat, his attention darting to where the remaining men are still talking, but they’re too engrossed to be paying attention to us.

“Maybe,” he rumbles.

“Maybe?” I squeal as his lips twitch. “You did! Thank you!”

“You don’t know what it is yet,” he says.

“I don’t care what it is. After today, anything is going to be amazing. It’s exactly the distraction I need. Thank you.” I clasp my hands together in front of my face. “Can I have it now? Where is it?”

I start patting his pockets, searching.

“Sinclair,” he warns, but there’s warmth in his tone.

“Where are you hiding it?” I slide a hand over his crotch, grazing his dick. “Is it this? Because if it is, then I want to unwrap it now.”

“No.” His hand closes around my wrist. “You can’t do that here,” he hisses, his entire body tensing.

I peel my eyes from his dark ones to look across at the table of men.

“They’re not looking.”

Denver exhales, looking at me like he wants to spank me. I flutter my lashes innocently.

“If it’s not this, then can I have my real surprise? Pretty please?”

His thumb traces soft circles over my inner wrist. He wets his lips with his tongue before he rasps quietly, “It’s outside, Princess.”

“I love this one! Turn it up!”

Denver cranks the radio, and a song called “Unleash” blares from Lenny’s speakers.

My grin almost splits my face in two as we hurtle down the freeway.

“I can’t believe you got him back.” I pat the steering wheel to the beat of the music as I drive. “Thank you!”

I turn to Denver in the front passenger seat.

“See, even Monty is excited to have my car back!”

Monty sits tall and proud on Denver’s lap, staring out of the front windscreen. His tail keeps wagging, creating a constant side to side sweep over Denver’s shirt.

“Eyes on the road,” Denver grunts, grabbing the steering wheel and straightening us up where we’re drifting lanes.

“Oh, people are so friendly when that happens. Look.” I blow a kiss to the man in the car that overtakes us. He smiles at me, then his eyes move past me, and it falls from his face. He puts his foot down and speeds past us.

I look at Denver who’s glowering.

“You didn’t have to scare him. He looked worried you were going to kill him.”

“The only person who should be worried for their life right now is me,” he clips as another car blasts its horn at us.

I throw my head back and laugh. This is exactly what I needed.