Chapter 34
Flynn met him in the lobby, but something was off. He clocked it instantly.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“What the fuck happened?”
He rushed toward her and caught her hips in his grip.
“I don’t really want to talk about it right here. You want to come up?” Her voice sounded strange and distant.
He hit the elevator button and pulled her inside as soon as it opened.
“What the fuck happened with your mom?” Marcus asked. He assumed from his short time with Flynn that nothing else could affect her quite like this.
“Upstairs, okay?”
She was barely there. A shell of herself.
Marcus pulled her against him as the elevator rose. “Whatever happened, I got you. It’s you and me against the world. I swear to you, Flynn. I mean it. Whatever it is, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Not anymore. I have strong shoulders, and I can carry any burden you’ve got.”
She burrowed into his chest as he squeezed her tight. “I love you, Marcus.”
He looked down at her messy brown hair. “I love you too, baby.”
It took all the patience he possessed to follow her silently down the hallway and wait for her to unlock her door. When the door was open, he followed her inside and shut it behind him.
“What happened? Talk to me, Stiglette.”
A harsh laugh burst from her lips. “Guess I’m not done with that life like I thought.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? What happened after I left?” He glanced at his watch. “It hasn’t even been ten hours, and you’re a completely different Flynn right now.”
She lifted her green gaze to his. It was hollow. “Have you ever lost thirty-four million dollars?”
He pushed off the door. “No …”
“You really don’t know how you’re going to react until it happens to you.” She burst out laughing again. “I’m really trying to look on the bright side, but, man, it is tough.”
“Flynn …” He walked toward the sofa. “Sit with me. Tell me what happened.” He unbuttoned his suit jacket, pulled it off, and laid it over the arm of the sofa. He undid his cuff links and shoved them in his pocket before rolling up his sleeves.
Flynn stood there, in the middle of the sunken living room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park.
He sat on the couch and opened his arms. “Baby, come here.”
Flynn made a beeline for his embrace, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap.
“I really don’t want to cry about it. There’s no use in crying about thirty-four million dollars that’s already gone.” She let out a long breath. “But it still sucks to have a mom who would do that to you.”
Sympathy poured through him as a picture began to take shape in his mind. He settled her on his lap, with her head pressed against his chest.
“Plenty of people would kill their own mother for that kind of money. Especially if she stole it from them. I think you’re doing just fine, baby. You react however you need to.”
“Part of me isn’t even surprised. How crazy is that?” she whispered.
“You’re not stupid. You had her number. You warned me.”
Flynn met his gaze, and he was amazed to see her smile.
“See, another silver lining. If she’s already fled the country to avoid extradition, she’ll never have a chance to sink her claws into you. You never have to meet her. That’s a win.”
This woman, the one he had thought was too young to take seriously, was turning out to be the biggest surprise of his life. Grown men with grandchildren would be bawling in the fetal position if they lost that much money, and Flynn was looking for the silver lining.
“You are a fucking miracle—you know that?”
“A broke-ass miracle.”
“Nah.” He laughed. “You weren’t broke before you got the news, and you aren’t now either. Look at this place. Fancy digs, baby.”
“And if I want to quit racing, I’m gonna have to move.”
“I’ve got a soft place you can land, baby,” he said.
“It’s got avocado-green appliances. And it can get loud on car-crushing days …
but the bed’s soft, and the man who sleeps in it loves you.
” Maybe he should’ve been surprised at how quickly he offered to have her move into his place, but the truth was, he wanted her there regardless.
“What am I going to do?” Flynn asked, her green eyes confused. “Just mooch off you? I’m not that kind of girl, Marcus.”
“No, you’re not. You’ll figure something out. You’re brilliant, educated, and even a little street smart. But we all need help sometimes. Let me help you. I told you I love you, Flynn, and I meant it. Besides …” He paused until she met his gaze once more. “You could be carrying my baby right now.”
She flushed. “I forgot about that. It’s been quite an afternoon.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “If I needed another reason not to stress, there’s my sign.”
He hugged her against him. “It’s gonna be okay. No matter what, it’s always going to be okay. We got this. There’s nothing life can throw at us that we can’t handle.”
She snuggled against his chest. “I’m so grateful you had that dream. The first one too.”
“You and me both, Flynn. You and me both.”