Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

43. Rose

43

ROSE

Today I’m meeting Ashcroft Miller, aka Beast, as popularly called by the Teager men, in St. Peppers. Ashcroft adopted Zander and his brothers and raised them to be successful and independent. I already have so much respect for him, although thinking about him often reminds me of the time when I begged someone to adopt me. It was the day I learned the word adoption and thought my life was going to change forever. But nothing like that happened.

Zander is showing me around Beast’s property when his brothers join us. I greet Zach and Zane with a hug. These men, who have accepted me wholeheartedly into their small family, have become so special to me in such a short time.

We all enter the beautiful European-style house. Everything from the heavy main door, the wooden staircase leading to the first floor, and the wine-colored carpets make it look like a set from some period drama. It fits the image of Beast I have in my mind.

Zander leads me to the living room. I’m about to sit on the ochre couch when someone walks in. Familiar yet foreign dark-brown eyes narrow on me, and I can’t breathe.

“Roxy!” Zane leads his elder brothers as they welcome the new woman.

They all hug her, while I’m glued to the couch. I close my eyes and focus on the memory of those brown eyes narrowing on me again and again.

I’ve seen them, but where? How could I forget? I never forget.

I have a photographic memory, daggit!

I only remember that those eyes spur bad memories. I wasn’t able to breathe back then.

When was it? Was it in the hospital? Was she a nurse? Can she be someone from Kindred Hearts?

Why can’t I remember?

“Rose. Rose. Couch girl!” My brain barely registers Zander’s worried voice coming from afar.

I open my eyes to find him shaking my shoulders.

“What is it, baby?” He engulfs my trembling body in his arms, providing me with his warmth.

I can’t believe I’m having a meltdown in Ashcroft’s home. It’s like a reality check for me, and maybe for Zander too. This is what it’s like to be with me. I try to breathe, but all these thoughts are only making me nervous. I start to wheeze, and Zander hugs me tight.

“Rose. Baby, what is it?”

How can I tell him that it’s nothing? It’s just my sick mind.

“I… I…” My arid voice makes it hard to form words.

Zane hands me a glass of water, and I gulp quickly.

“Easy. Everything’s okay.” Zander continues to rub my back, his touch bringing my anxiety down. I try to refocus on my breathing. After a few minutes, my heart rate slows, and the trembling ceases.

“Are you feeling better?” Zach asks.

Everyone has a concerned expression on their face and I’ve no idea when she left. Probably when I was busy having a meltdown .

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t…mean to scare anyone.” I cling to Zander, seeking more of his warmth.

“We don’t scare that easy. Next time, try harder.” Zach winks.

I don’t want a next time, but I don’t tell him that. I’m just glad they’re all still here and aren’t asking me to leave.

“W-what happened, R-Rose?” Zane asks in his raspy voice as he sits on the coffee table before me. “Th-there must have been a tr-rigger.”

Should I tell them? But what would I even say?

“You can t-tell us.” As always, it feels like Zane can read my mind. He leans slightly forward and holds my small hands in his bigger ones, squeezing them lightly.

“I’ve seen those brown eyes, but…I can’t remember where? That’s…never happened to me before.”

Zander pulls me closer to his chest. “Brown eyes?”

“The woman who was here a few minutes ago.” I point to the door through which she came.

“Roxanne?” Zach asks.

I nod.

“Her eyes ar-re a common sh-shade, Rose. Do you remember anyth-thing else?”

I shake my head.

“Is-s it pos-ssible you’re anxious to meet Beas-st and probably w-weren’t expecting anyone else?”

Zane’s explanation makes sense.

I hadn’t expected to meet a woman in Beast’s house. When I was rehearsing this meeting in my head, there were only five of us.

And it’s not news that I don’t do well with surprises. Could it just be my nerves?

But what about those eyes? I know I’ve seen them somewhere.

Before I can think more, a tall—no, not tall, a giant—man walks in .

Zander and his brothers are tall. This man is huge. He has more than a foot over Zander’s six-feet frame and is equally as broad. I now understand the nickname Beast.

“Good morning.” Ashcroft’s gaze meets mine, and his eyes widen for a second. Or is it just my brain tricking me again? “Rose, it’s nice to finally meet you.” The affectionate lilt in his voice takes me by surprise.

I get up from the couch, out of Zander’s arms, to greet Ashcroft. He holds my hands before placing a chaste kiss on both my cheeks.

When we all take our seats, I stick to Zander like glue while Zane takes the other end of the couch. Beast and Zach sit across from us.

I close my eyes for a second, inhaling a deep breath and saying a silent prayer, hoping the rest of this meeting remains uneventful.

Proving that the day is still young, and my hope short-lived, Ashcroft asks, “Mind me asking about your parents?”

“I—I grew up in an orphanage for special children,” I state flatly.

When he raises his eyebrow in surprise, I shift nervously in my seat.

Didn’t Zander tell him about me?

“I’ve suffered from social anxiety disorder since a young age,” I clarify, my mouth dry and my skin hot from embarrassment.

He nods, but just when I think we can move past this topic, he asks again, “So, your parents?”

I realize he’s not interested in me and my experience.

“Rose didn’t grow up with her birth parents like we did.” Zander’s arms tighten around me—as always, he’s protecting me. My knight in shining armor.

I look up to see the angry glare he’s giving Ashcroft.

“Yes, but you know about them.”

Apparently, Ashcroft isn’t going to let it go. “Someone from an orphanage called Kindred Hearts found me when I was a baby. No one knows much about my parents.” I hope this ends the discussion. I’m not prepared to go into all the gory details today.

Thankfully, my words seem to satisfy him. “I’m sorry, dear. It’s just that…you remind me of someone.” A sad smile pulls on his lips. “You have a rare shade of blue eyes. It’s a genetic mutation. Did you know that?”

I nod. “It’s a mutation of the OCA2 gene.” Over the years, I’ve done extensive research on the gene. It’s highly possible that I inherited it from one of my parents.

Ashcroft fixes his glassy, empty eyes on me. He’s lost in another world, searching for something or someone in my face. I look at Zander for help, and he clears his throat loudly and suddenly, Ashcroft’s trance breaks.

Without missing a beat, he springs out of his seat. “Let’s have lunch. Roxanne has been cooking the whole morning. She misses these three.” Ashcroft walks toward the door, and my mind once again zeroes in on the name Roxanne.

As if he can hear my heart thudding inside my chest, Zander whispers in my ear, “It’s okay, couch girl. Beast likes you.”

I can feel his smile as he kisses behind my ear, and I welcome the distraction he provides with his words and his kiss.

Minutes later, we’re all seated around the table, and my trembling hands grab at the cloth napkin sitting on my lap. I ball the cotton as Roxanne places a salad bowl on the table. I avoid looking at her, but I can feel her gaze lingering on me.

What is it about her that’s giving me chills in this warm, heated dining room?

After putting out the food, she leaves and thankfully doesn’t show up again.

Ashcroft asks about my work at Elixir Inc. and my life in Cherrywood .

“Cherrywood is very pretty in the spring,” I tell him. “You should definitely visit.”

As soon as I say the words, I realize it’s a first. The first time I have someone to invite to a place that feels like home.

“Thank you so much. I might take you up on that if you offer to be my guide,” Ashcroft says, and something warms inside me at his approving tone.

“I’d love to, but I think you’d have a better time with someone who is more familiar with the town. Even Zander knows more about Cherrywood than me.”

“Of course he does. He’s a businessman. He’s chasing three deals in that town; he has to know everything about it.”

“Three deals?” I glance between Zander and Ashcroft.

Zach snickers and then raises his index finger. “Our third office site, one. Your new home”—he raises a second finger before waving his hand between Zander and me—“two. And you.” Three fingers are up, and there’s a huge grin on his face.

“Me?”

“You are the biggest deal of my life, Rose.” Zander pulls my chair closer to him and puts his arm around me.

“Oh.” I sit there in surprise. “I sound…important,” I blurt, and of course, all four men chuckle.

“You are very important, Rose,” Ashcroft says. “In this house, at this very moment, you are the most important person. After your wedding, this house will be as much yours as it is theirs.”

My breathing halts for a second. My hands shake as I grab the edge of the table. Foreign emotions of gratitude hit me at his unexpectedly soft words.

“Th-thank you so much. It means a lot to me.” More than he’ll ever know.

“And I mean it.”

I nod because I worry if I have to speak more, I’ll turn into a sobbing mess.