Chapter 6
Trent
Three months ago, we started getting letters.
Typed words on plain white paper in a standard envelope and mailed to our house.
There was a woman out there claiming to be Travis and Andi’s mother. At first, she tried the woe-is-me approach, claiming her kids were taken unfairly because she got into trouble and, when she was out, they were lost in the system.
According to her, she searched for them for years and only found them when she saw a photo of Andi in some tabloid—an unauthorized photo, I might add. I will also add that this was exactly why you don’t take pictures of kids. Fucking vultures.
We ignored the first letter. And the second.
The third was more desperate in tone, begging us to let her see her children and claiming it wasn’t fair that we were keeping her away.
We ignored that one too, hoping she’d get bored and stop.
The fourth letter demanded money. She wanted half a million, or she was going to the press to tell everyone we took her kids.
That one was harder to ignore, but we did. The cops would say it was a baseless threat, a weak attempt to extort money from a celebrity. Since there was no physical threat and no basis at all for her claims, we didn’t want to give her the attention she sought by going to the press or police.
Plus, we didn’t want to scare our kids.
It wasn’t the first time we’d been stalked by paps trying to get photos or overzealous fans wanting Drew’s autograph. Hell, one time someone waited at the track for us to come out after a race and insisted he was Drew’s long-lost twin brother and they’d been separated at birth.
An introduction to my fist seemed to knock the sense back into that bozo. Or maybe he just knew I’d do worse than punch him if he came around again.
The fourth letter was weeks ago. When a fifth didn’t come, I hoped the woman had given up.
She gave up, all right. Gave up sending letters and graduated to direct contact with my child.
The next letter she sent? That would be from behind bars.
Kids had a right to be kids. Playing sports, going for ice cream, and hanging out with their friends was normal and probably something most parents didn’t think twice about.
But for our kids, it came with safety protocol, limited social media access, and as of tonight, warnings about attempted kidnapping.
After the meeting, we left all seven of them on the sectional to watch a movie while the adults went into the kitchen for a more adult-style family meeting.
Ivy went directly to the freezer and pulled out a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Rimmel got out two spoons, and the pair started eating it at the island, right out of the container.
Braeden stared between them and then opened his mouth.
Ivy held up her spoon. “Not one word.”
Rimmel tried to scoop out a bite, and a hunk of chocolate went flying across the counter and hit him in the chest.
Romeo grabbed it from where it landed and tossed it in his mouth. “Thanks, baby.”
Rimmel giggled.
“Eating out of the carton. Making a mess.” B shook his head. “When I do it, I get yelled at.”
“You aren’t as cute as they are,” Romeo told him.
Braeden sighed dramatically. “Pretty privilege,” he muttered, helping himself to a beer from the fridge. “Who else wants one?”
Romeo and Drew nodded, and when they each had one, B turned to me. “Trent?”
“No,” I said. “I need to make a phone call.” After grabbing my cell, I headed toward the sliders that led onto the back deck.
Before going out, I turned to Romeo. “You gonna be cool if the cops want to talk to Lolo about what happened tonight?”
The muscle in his jaw ticked, but he agreed.
I looked at my sister. “Rim?”
She laid her spoon down with a soft clink. “Of course. As long as we can be with her.”
“We’re all going to be there,” Romeo said, voice steely. “I’ll call my dad and have him come out in the morning. Wouldn’t hurt to have our lawyer present.”
I nodded.
“I’m calling security and adding extra to the gate and property perimeter,” Braeden said.
“What should I do?” Drew asked.
“Stand there and look pretty,” I said with a wink.
It was especially important to flirt with your person even when life was a shit circus. I learned that from Romeo.
Braeden snorted. “Pretty privilege.”
“Frat boy,” Drew intoned.
“Want some ice cream, Drew?” Ivy offered.
He scoffed. “I’m calling Gamble and getting the name of his private investigator. I’m not leaving it up to the cops to find this woman. I want her off the streets yesterday.”
“You think he’s awake at this time of night?” Rimmel worried.
“That man has more energy in his seventies than most men in their fifties,” Drew purported. “It is late, though,” he amended. “I’ll call Lorhaven instead.”
Drew followed me out onto the deck, and we made our calls on opposite ends. I was put through immediately to the chief and arranged for him and two of his deputies to come out to the compound in the morning.
Once finished, we met in the halo of illumination stretching across the deck boards through the window. Light and shadow cast across his face. The tip of his nose was pink from the cool air. Trees rustled in the distance, and the wind flirted with the blond tips of his hand-mussed hair.
Overhead, an abundance of stars made twinkling pinholes in the black velvet sky, but I only afforded them a passing glance because the man standing before me would always shine brighter.
The foot between us seemed too far, so I reached for his hand. “You talk to Lorhaven?”
He nodded. “I got the information. Offered to go out looking when they got here in a few days for Trav’s party.”
“She’ll be in jail by then.”
“You talk to the police?” Drew asked.
“Be here tomorrow at ten.”
“I’m ready to go home, T.”
Leaning into his space, I brushed a quiet kiss across his forehead. “Me too.”
Our fingers stayed linked as we walked back inside to inform the fam of the news.
“Extra security is on the way,” Braeden said.
“My dad will be here in the morning,” Romeo added.
“Listen, Rome.” I started, taking a step forward. “I’m sorry about this. That Lo was involved.”
Rimmel made a stricken sound and leaped off the barstool. She would have face-planted if Romeo hadn’t caught her around the waist, hauling her upright with one arm.
She didn’t even pause, so accustomed to falling that it barely even fazed her. Her body collided with mine, arms winding around my waist and face buried in the middle of my chest.
Since Drew refused to give up custody of my hand, I wrapped my free arm around her.
“You don’t have to apologize. No one expected this would happen.” She spoke fiercely into my shirt.
“Well, it did, and that’s your daughter,” I replied, still meeting Romeo’s gaze.
“Your daughter was there too,” he answered. “And your son.”
“I’m proud of that kid,” Braeden said. “He protected our girls.”
“He shouldn’t have had to.” My voice was harsh. Christ, he was sixteen years old. That was too much responsibility to put on a kid.
Drew’s fingers tightened around mine, and Rimmel lifted her head, brown eyes wide.
“Sorry for yelling, sis,” I murmured and patted her on the head. My wedding band got caught in the strands.
“Ow!” she said, reaching up.
I tried to pull my hand free again, but she grabbed my wrist.
“We’re stuck,” she declared. “Romeo! I’m stuck.”
Romeo shook his head. “You’re killing me, smalls.”
“You should really think about combing your hair,” I told her.
She snorted. “Like that helps. It just goes back to this anyway.”
I laughed, and it eased the worst of the pressure in my chest. When she smiled, I found myself smiling back.
“I got this,” Drew announced, finally relinquishing my hand so he could use both of his to untangle us. “I love ya, sis, but I draw the line at sharing my man.”
“This is ridiculous,” Rimmel muttered, trying to tug free. “Ow.”
Drew tsked. “Gonna need the butter.”
Ivy gasped. “You will not put butter in her hair!”
“Basically the same thing as conditioner,” Drew reasoned.
“You know it’s true,” Braeden wisecracked.
Ivy gasped again. “I am embarrassed to be married to you.”
“That hurts my feelings, blondie.”
“Good.”
She squealed when Braeden snatched her off the stool and tossed her over his shoulder. “We’re going to bed. Someone needs a reminder of why I’m the best husband on the planet.”
“He wishes,” Drew muttered. Suddenly, my hand pulled free from Rim’s knotted hair. “You’re free,” he announced.
“Braeden James, put me down,” Ivy exclaimed, slapping him on the back.
“Just a little lower next time, sweetheart.”
“Meeting tomorrow at ten.” I reminded them.
“We’ll be here,” B called.
“Good night!” Rimmel yelled as she smoothed out her hair.
“Ew, Dad!” Jax exclaimed a moment later, clearly getting an eyeful of his parents’ shenanigans. “That’s just gross.”
“We’re going to bed,” Braeden told them.
“TMI, Dad!” Nova hollered. “TMI!”
“Breakfast at nine!” Ivy called as Braeden’s footfalls hit the stairs. “Don’t stay up too late.”
“Come over here before you get caught on something else,” Romeo murmured, pulling Rim into his arms and wrapping them around her.
“We’re going home,” I told them. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Trent.” Romeo’s voice made me stop and turn. “We’re gonna deal with this like we do everything else. As a family.”
I nodded, and we went into the family room where I found Andi asleep against Travis’s shoulder while he hammered an Xbox controller with his fingers. My heart felt like a giant bruise seeing them like that.
“Time to go,” I whispered, reaching down to lift Andi. She stirred long enough to wind her thin arms around my neck before falling back into dreamland.
Trav handed the controller off to Blue and stood, following us out the front door.
In the driveway, Drew tossed him the keys to the fastback. “Can you drive this down to the house? I’m gonna ride with your dad and sister.”
Travis’s eyes rounded. “For real?”
It was the first time Drew had ever let him drive his baby without supervision.
“Unless you don’t want to—” Drew began.