8. CHAPTER 8
Alex hoped he looked a lot stronger than he felt. All the eyes in Sam’s living room turned to stare at him as he held up his phone propped against the doorframe. “Leave Doctor Thornton alone, or else you’ll both pay.” He read the message on his phone.
“Alex, I told you to wait for me to finish that call before taking off on your own,” Dawn said, rushing into the house behind him. “If you’d fallen and hit that thick head of yours, I’m the one Harriet’s going to skin alive.” She skidded to a halt when she saw the room’s occupants. “Oh, hi!”
She was greeted by a chorus from the living room.
“I was just showing everyone the message I got half an hour ago,” Alex told Dawn, staring at her accusingly.
“Where is Emily?” Daniella’s eyes widened in concern as she.
“She’s with Harriet at my house,” Alex told her. “Don’t worry, she’s in the safest place she could be.”
“Unless Harriet has a gun!” Jennifer said beneath her breath.
“No, but her invisible team of bodyguards do,” Alex told Jennifer, remembering that Harriet had accidentally shot Jennifer in the arm a few months ago.
“Harley, help Alex to the sofa,” Daniella ordered her cousin.
“Let him walk there on his own!” Dawn tilted her head slightly and smirked at Alex. “He managed to run in here on his own.”
“I can get to the sofa!” Alex said defensively. “I wasn’t leaning against the doorframe to prop myself up,” he lied. “I was standing here waiting for a moment that would be appropriate for me to interrupt the intense conversation.”
“You were eavesdropping,” Daniella accused him.
“How long were you standing there for?” Ethans’ eyes narrowed on Alex.
“Why? Were you discussing what Santa’s bringing me for Christmas this year?” Alex gave his brother a teasing grin.
“Alex!” Ethan growled warningly. “How long?”
Alex shrugged. “Not long.”
“Six minutes,” Dawn told them. “I parked the car as my phone rang. When I answered, Alex jumped out of the car and entered the front door as I said hello. My call lasted six minutes.”
“Oh, so now you’re a snitch, Miss Daisy!“ Alex taunted her.
“If you’re referring to me not wanting to exceed the speed limit while you kept insisting that I do on our way here, then you should know that Miss Daisy wasn’t the one who drove slowly. That would be the chauffeur her son hired after Miss Daisy crashed her car into her neighbor’s yard,” Dawn corrected him. “Unless you’re insinuating that I crash cars, which would also be inaccurate because the only one of us I know that’s crashed their car more than once is…” she acted like she had to think about it. “Mm… Oh yes—You!”
“May I see your phone?” Harley walked up to Alex, saving him from answering Dawn.
“Here.” Alex handed the phone to Harley before walking with him toward the sofa, gratefully accepting Harley’s silent help.
“Do you mind if my uncle and I keep your phone for a while so we can try and trace the call?” He glanced at Sam. “It’s a blocked number.”
“We can give it a shot,” Sam said.
“Keep it for as long as you need,” Alex told him. “Anyone who needs me can contact Ethan, Harriet, or Dawn.”
Alex sat on the sofa while Dawn plopped into an armchair beside him.
“So now I’m your chauffeur and secretary.” Sarcasm dripped from Dawn’s voice.
Before Alex could answer, Harley asked, “You got this message forty-five minutes ago?”
Alex nodded and glared at Dawn accusingly. “Yes. We would’ve been here sooner, but Dawn had to change her clothes.”
“I was in my pajamas, Alex!” Dawn pointed out impatiently.
“You shouldn’t even be out of bed,” Daniella stated, pushing herself to her feet. “Let alone driving anywhere. You could’ve just called Harley.”
“I thought maybe Sam or Harley would want to try trace this,” Alex explained to Daniella. “And don’t worry, Dawn drove me, and trust me, the way she drove, we were in no danger other than being pulled over for going too slow or if we suddenly found ourselves having to partake in a high-speed chase.”
Alex’s heart went wild as Daniella sat beside him.
“May I?” Daniella asked, reaching toward his forehead.
Their eyes locked, and Alex felt his throat go dry as he nodded. Her soft, cool hand touched his forehead.
“I should’ve let Harriet drive you!” Dawn glared at him.
“I’m glad Dawn drove you. She sounds like she’s a responsible driver.” Daniella smiled at him. “You don’t need to be stressed out right now with Harriet behind the wheel.”
Alex’s heart warmed at the look of worry in her eyes which gave him hope that she may care about him a little.
“If Harriet had driven him here,” Dawn advised Daniella, “it would’ve been her you’d have to treat for stress, as Alex is the worst backseat driver! He kept yelling at me to go faster.”
“Excuse me, I’m just going to get my doctor’s bag so I can take your vitals and check your wound while you’re here.” Daniella hid a smile as she stood and excused herself before leaving the room.
Alex couldn’t blame her for not wanting to get in the middle of an argument with Dawn.
“I wasn’t in the backseat,” Alex pointed out. “I was in the passenger seat, and I wish Harriet had driven me here because we would’ve gotten here sooner than the sloth, snail, and tortoise that left the same time as us and got here faster.”
Boof!Alex’s face was hit by a cushion. “Ow! My hand.”
“Wow! So your hands are attached to your face now!” Dawn shook her head.
“You know I’ve just recovered from a fever that gave me a sore head,” Alex reminded her.
“What a freakin’ baby!” Dawn rolled her eyes before lifting an eyebrow and saying in a low voice. “I notice you don’t act like a whiney baby when the beautiful doctor is in the room.”
“Why you…” Alex hissed. “That’s playing dirty, Dawn.”
She shrugged. “It’s not like something you’d ever do, is it?”
“Well, maybe the old Alex,” Alex defended his actions. “But I’m trying to be a better person, remember? So you should be leading by example as my mentor.”
“We haven’t started the Alex Improvement Training yet.” Dawn folded her arms, an evil smile lifting the one side of her mouth. “Think of this as giving you a taste of the old Alex medicine.”
“Is this because I insulted your driving?” Alex kept his voice low.
The other occupants of the room were locked in various discussions. Their attention had turned away from Alex for the time being.
“This is about the way you yelled at me in the car to drive faster, hurling scathing remarks at me about my driving,” Dawn listed his infractions in the last ten minutes to him. “The way you avoid the truth by talking around it and giving half-baked answers that skirt the border of blatantly lying. And, yes, the way your tongue spews snarky comments.”
“Oh!” Alex was taken aback for a few seconds as he realized he’d done everything Dawn had accused him of. He turned to her with a frown. “I’m sorry, Dawn.”
She looked stunned by his apology for a few seconds. “While I appreciate and accept your apology,” Dawn’s expression became serious, “if you’re truly serious about trying to be a better person and re-establishing the good parts of the old Alex with the good parts of this Alex you’ve grown into…” She shrugged. “Then you need to start thinking before you speak because you’re just like a stray bullet Alex. You fire off words, not caring where or who they hit nor the damage they’ve caused.”
“So, what do I do?” Alex asked her. “Should I write an apology note to everyone I may ever have offended?”
“You’d need a news studio to broadcast one across the country,” Dawn told him sarcastically. “But no. Just think before you speak.”
“I can do that.” Alex nodded. His hand reached out and squeezed Dawn’s. “I was joking about your driving.” He swallowed. “Okay, I was partially joking about your driving.” She lifted her brows. “Okay!” He hissed. “You’re a darn terrible driver!”
“See, that’s the truth. Now work on the delivery,” Dawn instructed. “Instead of saying that with such vehemence, try to say it more like…” She thought for a moment. “Dawn, while I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to drive me here, you should work on your driving skills.”
“Isn’t that what I said, but much shorter and more to the point?” Alex looked at her questioningly.
“No. It was hurtful and meant to embarrass me,” Dawn pointed out. “While you think it’s funny, it’s really not. While I’m used to your snark, other people don’t know you as well as I do, and you just come across as a snarky jerk.”
“Ah!” Alex nodded. “Sugarcoat the truth.”
“No. Just don’t make it acidic,” Dawn suggested. “While you may have grown a thick skin, other people are more sensitive. Until you realize that you’ll never change.”
“What’s this about my brother changing?” Ethan picked up on their conversation.
“Alex has decided he wants to be a better person.” Dawn gave Alex a smug smile, ignoring his warning look. “He’s decided he wants to change and become a better person.”
“We don’t want tornados to rip through our continent either, but we all know that’s never going to happen!” Ethan harrumphed in disbelief.
“Are you saying that people can’t change?” Carly challenged Ethan, and Alex smiled, seeing his goody-two-shoes brother put on the spot.
“No!” Ethan held up his hand and shook his head. “I know people can change.” He glanced at Alex. “I just don’t believe my brother will.”
“Oh?” Jennifer got in on the conversation. “And why is that?”
“Do you think he can’t?” Dawn asked Ethan.
“No.” Ethan shook his head again, and Alex’s grin widened. This was good. Seeing Ethan squirm until his eyes, reflecting sadness and defeat, locked onto Alex’s. “I just don’t think he wants to change even if Alex says he does, as he’s promised to do countless times in the past.”
Alex’s grin fell, and his heart dropped. His brother was right. How many times over the years had Alex’s family brought him to task because of his playboy lifestyle, disregard for other people’s feelings, and refusal to settle down? Alex suddenly felt awful about how he’d lived his life, hiding who he really was from everyone, even his loved ones. He’d reasoned with himself that if they couldn’t see behind the outside to who he really was, then that was their problem. But Alex had realized months ago, after a heart-to-heart with his father, that people couldn’t see what he didn’t want them to.
While he’d asked Harriet and Dawn to help him change, Alex had been making a concerted effort to do so since he’d arrived on Plum Island. Yes, he wanted his loved ones to know he’d changed, especially now that he had something to change for. His head turned as Daniella walked back into the room with her doctor’s bag and tablet.
“Well, I think he can.” Dawn’s eyes glittered with a challenge as she set her chin stubbornly and turned to Alex. “And if you hadn’t realized Ethan, he already has.”
“What’s happening?” Daniella asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around the room.
“Dawn was just telling everyone that I’m recovering,” Alex did that, skirting around the truth thing Dawn just accused him of.
“Well, I’ll be the judge of that,” Daniella said with a smile, sitting beside Alex.
In more ways than you realize! Guilt surged through Alex. “I do feel a lot better.”
“If you sit still for a few minutes, I can examine you.” Daniella fiddled with her tablet before looking up and making his pulse quicken when she took his splinted hand. “How is the pain?”
“My hand no longer feels like a balloon that’s on fire and about to burst. It’s more of a bearable ache now,” Alex answered honestly.
“That’s good,” Daniella told him. “It means it’s healing. Take ibuprofen for the pain if it gets too much.”
“It’s fine,” Alex shrugged. “But I’ll take it if I need to.” That’s good, right? Show some vulnerability!
Alex watched as Daniella pulled a temperature scanner from her bag and aimed it at Alex.
“I’m happy that your temperature is back within normal limits,” Daniella told him, slipping the device back into the bag and jotting down the results on her tablet. “I’m going to examine your hand.”
Alex watched Daniella work with his heart in his throat and using all his will to stop himself from reaching out and pulling her into his arms.
You are in deep here, Alex!He warned himself.
“You mentioned that Emily was safe with Harriet because of her invisible bodyguards,” Daniella said as she unraveled the bandage around Alex’s hand.
“Yeah, I think her parents must’ve commissioned them after the incident with Jennifer and Harley.” Alex frowned, trying to remember where he’d heard that.
Daniella’s eyes widened, and she turned to Sam, who was just finishing a phone call. “Did you know about this?” Her uncle usually knew when there were any new security teams on the island.
Sam nodded. “Yes, I did. Ethan discussed it with me after Harriet’s and Dawn’s family contacted him when they heard about Harley and Jennifer’s ordeal.”
“Excuse me?” Dawn blanched and turned a scathing look at Ethan. “My parents contacted you about my safety, and you didn’t think to mention this to me?”
“They asked me not to,” Ethan told her honestly. “They said you’d react this way.”
“What way?” Dawn’s shoulders stiffened.
Alex braced himself for the Dawnadoe that was brewing and about to blow Ethan’s way. He’d have thought his brother would know better by now not to anger Dawn. She may be tiny, but when she blew, she was like a F5 tornado. Alex had numerous scars from their many fights when they were growing up.
“That you’d reject them wanting you to have around-the-clock bodyguards,” Ethan told her. “They just wanted you protected after what happened to Jennifer.” He held up a hand, stopping her tirade that was about to break loose as he continued. “But I told them you were fine. My security team was here, so they left it.”
“Then Carly, Shay, and myself were kidnapped and nearly became kebabs on a chair,” Alex said, giving his brother a smug smile when Ethan glared at him. “So they contacted my brother again and were adamant that he get tighter security.”
“You knew about this and failed to tell me?” Dawn’s glare turned on Alex.
Uh-oh! This must be one of the ‘I should’ve thought before I spoke’ times,Alex noted. “Hey!” He held up his good hand. “I only knew about this…” he frowned. “How did I know about this?”
“I told you he was awake!” Ethan turned to Harley, who’d been standing aside with Sam, listening to Sam’s call.
“He seemed really out of it to me when he came around while we were discussing Dawn and Harriet’s security detail,” Harley answered Ethan with a shrug. “I didn’t think he’d remember it.” He grinned. “He was slurring a whole lot of nonsense.”
“Hey, I’m right here!” Alex stated frustratedly.
“Even in a delirious state, people can remember events or conversations that are happening around them,” Daniella informed him.
“That photographic memory of yours probably snapshotted it all,” Dawn pointed out.
“Oh!” Daniella looked at him wide-eyed. “You have an eidetic memory?”
“Yes.” Alex nodded.
“I do, too,” Daniella admitted, smiling. “Dawn is right in a sense. If you were semi-conscious, you probably did overhear the conversation without realizing it. Then, when Ethan started speaking about the security detail, it could’ve triggered the memory.” She smiled. “I’ve never been delirious, but I’ve subconsciously picked up conversations around me at times. It can be both a boon and a bane.”
“I like that.” Alex’s lips curved into a smile. “It’s a gift that is both a boon and a bane.”
“I like that too,” Dawn said. “Can I use it in a script?”
“Of course,” Daniella laughed before whispering to Alex. “I’ve noticed Dawn does that often. She asks if she can use people’s words.”
Alex sighed. “You get used to it,” he whispered back, glancing at Dawn, who was typing on her screen. “At least she’ll forget that she was about to roast Ethan for having a security team assigned to her without getting her permission.”
“I see Dawn has a typical scholastic type short attention span,” Daniella noted as she carefully attended to his hand. “The angry red around the cut has nearly gone, thank goodness. In a few more days, all the infection should be gone.”
“Like I mentioned earlier, it sure feels much better.” Alex breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alex, you do know that it can flare up again if you don’t follow my instructions,” Daniella made him aware. “When we’re done here, I want you to go home and take it easy for a few days.”
“Will you visit?” Alex asked before he could stop himself.
“Of course, I’ll check up on you at least once a day until I’m happy that the infection in your hand is completely gone,” Daniella told him. “Once you are clear, you’ll need to check in at the clinic so we can readdress the treatment for the break.”
“Sure, whatever you say, doc.” Alex grinned. “Your word is my command.”
“Yeah, right!” Dawn snorted, having heard him. “Unless you put a chip in his head with a remote control, I doubt Alex would ever follow orders willingly.”
“He seems to be doing fine so far,” Daniella stuck up for Alex, warming his heart once again and increasing the bit of hope that she may care for him.
“Alex, we’re going to take your phone with us to Uncle Sam’s workshop,” Harley told him. “If you can stick around for a while, we can get it back to you as soon as we’re done.”
“Sure,” Alex said with a nod.
“I need to go,” Ethan stood, glancing at his wristwatch. “Reef and Shay want to go to the Beach Hut. Carly and I promised to go with them to pick out a surfboard for Shay.”
“Of course,” Daniella told them. “We’re finished here.” She smiled and was about to get up to walk them out when Ethan stopped her.
“We’ll see ourselves out,” Ethan told her. “You finish up there.”
Carly and Ethan left to a chorus of goodbyes.
“I must go and pack for Boston,” Jennifer said, pulling out her phone.
“I can take you home,” Harley offered.
“No, I’ll get a cab,” Jennifer replied.
“Or I can give you a lift,” Dawn stood and looked at Harley. “If you don’t mind bringing Alex home,” she said.
“I’ll take him home,” Daniella said. “I can fetch Emily at the same time.”
“That’s settled, then.” Dawn looked at Alex with a knowing smile. “I’ll see you later, Alex. Be good.“ Her words held an undertone of meaning before she and Jennifer left.
Harley and Sam disappeared to Sam’s workshop, which doubled as his office, out in the back garden, leaving Alex alone with Daniella tending to his hand in a quiet bubble of privacy. He had to admit to himself that he enjoyed having Daniella’s full attention on him; her gentle touch made the ache in his hand and heart feel a lot better. She finished tending to his hand in a comfortable silence, filled with an unspoken understanding that had started to weave itself between them since Alex’s injury.
“Ethan told me that you had a cochlear implant, having lost hearing in your left ear after contracting meningitis.” Daniella’s words surprised him.
“Ethan told you that?” Alex’s surprise registered in his voice.
Daniella looked up, meeting his gaze with a softness that made his heart skip a beat. “Yes, he did. I’m relieved to hear someone on Plum Island understands what Emily goes through. No wonder she warmed to you so quickly, and it explains why you sign so well.”
“I read lips, too,” Alex told her, but he wasn’t sure why he had to blurt that out.
“I’ll remember to be careful what I mutter in your presence.” Daniella laughed. “Like I do when my daughter is around.”
The sound echoed through his heart and resonated in his soul. Yup. I’m madly and utterly in love with Daniella! Emily had weaved a place into his heart right up there with his niece, Shay, the moment he’d found her on the rocks. Contrary to what Harriet had said about Alex only thinking he was in love with Daniella because she seemed unobtainable, Alex hadn’t felt this way about anyone since his first love broke his heart.
“Yes, it’s a superpower the hearing impaired have,” Alex teased.
“Does it work?” Daniella’s question threw him for a bit until he realized she was talking about the implant.
“It helps me make sense of sounds in that ear,” Alex told her. “I don’t use it as often as I should, as it’s experimental because I’m only partially deaf in my left ear. It tends to cause weird feedback for me. I’m thinking of having it removed when I go for my next checkup.”
“Are you sure it’s worth the risk of the removal?” Daniella asked him. “The surgery to remove it could further damage the cochlear in the ear.”
“I know.” Alex nodded. “I’m also considering leaving the internal electrode in and maybe trying the next advanced external device.”
“As your doctor,” Daniella advised, “I think that’s the better option.”
“That’s what my parents say as well.” Alex laughed.
“Well, that’s three against one,” Daniella said with a smile. “Take it from a surgeon. It’s best to avoid too many surgeries.”
Here was Alex’s opportunity to tell Daniella his secret, but he choked on the words. His mind went back to early that morning and the conversation with Emily after discovering her standing at the door and having read Harriet’s words.
Did I read that correctly? Emily had signed to Alex earlier. Do you have feelings for my mother? she’d asked him. Her eyes filled with suspicion.
Yes.Alex had signed back.
Were you only nice to me because you were trying to get close to her?Emily had asked.
Alex doesn’t do that!Dawn had jumped in, having learned how to sign with Alex, as she had been with him when he’d lost his hearing. I can honestly say that Alex has a big soft spot for you. Especially as you share something that none of us can quite comprehend.
Emily had scrutinized Alex for the better part of two minutes before replying. I believe you. Then she’d looked at Harriet and said surprisingly clearly with her lovely young voice. “I want to help you help Alex win my mother’s heart.”
Alex swallowed as he remembered Emily’s words and a lump formed in his throat. That’s when he blurted out his secret about Daniella to the three of them. Silence fell over the balcony, and three pairs of stunned eyes stared at him before they burst out laughing. Alex had watched them with disbelief and felt a little hurt that they found his predicament and what he’d done so darn amusing.
That’s when he told them that as soon as Daniella came to check on him later that day, he was going to admit the truth to her. But Emily was the one who told him not to—not yet anyway. Her reasoning was that her mother mistrusted most people, and she hadn’t had a relationship since Emily’s father had passed away. She advised that Alex first show her that he’s not the person Daniella thinks he is. He needs to prove himself, and only then come clean. Harriet and Dawn had agreed with Emily’s reasoning. Dawn was the one who pointed out that no one ever just blurted out all their secrets. The first part of a relationship was getting to know each other.
Harriet agreed that only when you knew where the relationship was going would you divulge secrets. Alex wasn’t so convinced, and he still wasn’t. The secret he was keeping wasn’t about him—it was about Daniella. Emily responded that her mother knew a lot about him, too, as she’d read everything in magazines, and that was similar to what Alex knew. Alex really wished people wouldn’t believe things they read in an article about him.
“Alex?” Daniella’s voice snapped him from his thoughts. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine,” Alex assured her and decided to test the waters to see if he should or shouldn’t tell her. “Daniella, can I ask you something?” Her brow creased. “It’s kinda personal.”
“Okay.” Daniella’s eyes narrowed. “But I can’t say whether or not I’ll answer it.”
“Fair enough,” Alex agreed. “It’s about the message I got warning me to stay away from you. From the parts of the conversation I overheard when I arrived here, it seems you were talking about whoever Harley and Sam suspect sent me that message.”
“Correct,” Daniella answered. “To all of the above.” She bit her lip contemplatively for a few seconds. “I was going to talk to the three of you later when I came to check on you. But maybe you can pass it on for me to Harriet and Dawn for me.”
“Sure,” Alex promised.
Daniella surprised Alex yet again by opening up and telling him about Doctor Jackson and why Daniella and Emily changed, took Daniella’s grandmother’s family name, and moved to Plum Island. Again, Alex had a window of opportunity to tell her, but Emily’s words rang in his head. Then, he got distracted when Daniella ended the story by telling him what triggered the meeting and why she knew it was time to warn her friends and loved ones. While Alex hoped he could move into her loved ones bracket for the moment, he was happy to be classed as a friend.
“I knew that man would go after my friends. I’m sorry he targeted you first,” Daniella said, frowning. “If he did, that means he thinks we have more than just a doctor-patient relationship.” Her eyes widened and flashed with shock and fear. His heart thudded when he realized the fear was for him. “Oh, no, Alex. Please be extra careful. He tried to harm a friend of mine a few times because she saw right through him. There’s no telling what he’ll do if he thinks we’re in a relationship.”
“Or maybe that’s the perfect way to flush him out!” Harley’s voice made them both jump, and Alex came very close to squealing like a child he’d gotten such a fright.
Someone needs to put a freakin’ bell on Harley,Alex hissed to himself, and as his heart rate settled, he became intrigued by Harley’s idea. “What are you suggesting?”
“That you and Daniella are seen to be more than friends,” Harley told him. “Here’s your phone. The number that messaged was from a burner that went dead after the message was sent to you.”
“It must be Doctor Jackson, though,” Sam said, walking into the living room. “It’s the same tactic that he used to message and terrorize Daniella in Los Angeles.”
Even with a cane, Sam moved as silently as a mouse. What was with this family? They were like stealth machines.
“Alex, I’m so sorry to have pulled you into this.” Daniella’s voice was distraught. “You don’t have to get any more involved than you already are.”
“I want to help,” Alex assured her and meant every single word of it.
He knew what that man had put her through, and Alex hated people who used fear and intimidation to control others. He glanced at Daniella, and his heart swelled. Alex knew he’d lay his life down to protect her and Emily and ensure their safety.
“Are you sure you want to get involved, son?” Sam asked him. “We don’t always play by … the rules, let’s say.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life,” Alex told them.
“I think my nephew is onto a good idea,” Sam said, glancing at Daniella. “While we were trying to find the number that sent the message to Alex, we gave the FBI the information Harley received.”
“A few minutes after that, Uncle Sam’s man who was watching Doctor Jackson said he just disappeared,” Harley told them.
“How do you just disappear?” Alex asked.
“I did.” Daniella shrugged, her face paling. “That means he could be on his way here, and we don’t know.”
“Harley and one of the Blackwell’s security details are going to pay Stanley Wells a visit in a few minutes,” Sam informed them. “We’ll get what we need to know from him.”
“In the meantime, instead of sitting waiting for Doctor Creepo to make a move, I say we incite him to make one,” Harley suggested. “It’s going to be risky and dangerous. That’s why I’m going to suggest that Ethan, Jennifer, Reef, Carly, and Shay go to Boston with Emily, and I’ll stay here to run security.”
“That’s a great idea,” Daniella nodded. “Emily will love having friends with her.” She looked at Alex. “It’s her sixteenth birthday next week.”
“Oh, wow.” Alex’s brows shot up. “We need to give her a party.”
“We were planning to. She wants to have it at the Beach Hut like Tucker’s birthday last year,” Daniella told him, and as he frowned, she explained. “Tucker? He’s Finn Shaw’s son. Finn is the owner of the Beach Hut and Caroline Danes’s older brother’s son.”
“Yeah, I know Finn and Tucker.” Alex nodded in realization, then looked at Harley. “With my brother taking them, they’ll have Blackwell security and the added security detail that are currently following Harriet and Dawn.”
“So we’ll all be safe in Boston while the three of you are here alone?” Jennifer’s voice came from the door of the living room.
“We’ll be fine as long as Harley is with us,” Daniella assured Jennifer. “If you don’t mind him staying with us.”
“I insist he does if you’re going to pretend to be having a relationship with Alex,” Jennifer said. “Doctor Creepo is not going to like thinking he has to compete for your affections.”
“No, he is not,” Daniella said, shaking her head. Her eyes met Alex’s. “Are you sure you want to do this? It could be dangerous.”
“I’ve dealt with jealous exes,” Alex assured her with a warm smile. “I’ve even dealt with crazed ex-husbands.” He held up his broken hand.
“That’s what’s worrying me,” Daniella admitted. “You can’t go punching anyone else.”
“I won’t,” Alex said, trying not to make it sound like a promise, as he didn’t know if he could keep that one.
“If you really want to draw him out fast,” Jennifer suggested. “We could drop the story to Trinity and let her send it through the news grapevine to ensure it’s splashed everywhere so he sees it.”
“Or if you really wanted to make headlines, enrage Doctor Creepo into making a move,” Alex looked at Daniella as the idea took root, “we could get married!”
Daniella’s eyes widened, and she gaped at Alex. Not the reaction he’d thought he would get the second time around asking someone to marry him.