Chapter 6
Chapter Six
RICH
S till no name, but at least I got an idea of who she might be running from. It helped temper some of the jealousy I’ve been having. When she fell asleep, I’d let my mind really drift, thinking up a million ideas for the reason she was on the run.
A lover being after her was high on my list. Her father should have been my first guess with how young she appears and based on the fact that I have my own daddy issues. Hell, I have parent and family issues all around.
I run my hand down my face, trying not to think about her being naked in my bathroom right now. She said her legs were sore, so she wanted to soak in the tub but wanted to shower first. I’m sure they are sore. Who knows how long she was in the water before I found her? Or how far she swam to get to shore. I’m convinced she came from one of the boats, but I don’t want to push her to tell me. I’m just grateful as fuck that I was standing on that dock. Who knows what would have happened if I wasn’t? I don’t even want to let my thoughts go down that road.
An idea sparks in my mind. I walk over to the double doors that go to my bathroom and knock. “Babe, I’m going to—” I’m cut off when she opens the door. Her hair is wet, and she has a towel wrapped around her. I see the tub filling up behind her.
“What?” She peers up at me.
“I’m going to pop downstairs?—”
“You’re leaving me?” Her eyes widen, an immediate panic setting in.
“No, shit.” This girl can slice me up with only a glance. “I was going to get those snacks I promised you and talk to my sister’s husband, King. It would only be for a few minutes, but I’ll stay.” I watch as she relaxes.
“I’m sorry, I just?—”
“Hey.” I itch to reach out and grab her, but I don’t want to see her flinch. That shit kills me. “No, sorry. I can stay. I’ll text my sister instead to drop the snacks off and talk to King later.”
“No, really; it’s fine. Just got worried for a second.”
“Not leaving the house. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime, dollface. Enjoy your bath. I’ll be right back,” I tell her. I need to get away from her. Seeing her being wet in only a damn towel is testing every ounce of self-control I have. Thoughts that I shouldn’t be having keep racing through my mind. Such as one tug and she’d be bare for me. Fuck. My lust isn’t anything she needs right now.
“Rich.” she reaches out and grabs my arm, halting me. “It’s Fallon.” She might as well have reached out and grabbed my heart and not my arm. My girl is giving me more, and I’ll greedily eat it up until I’ve got all of her.
“Fallon,” I repeat. Leaning down, I kiss the top of her head. She lets out a little happy sigh. I don’t move an inch, not until she does. I’ll stand here forever if that’s what it takes for her to trust me.
“I’ll see you in a little.” Fallon steps back.
“Sure will, dollface.” She gives me a bright smile, taking another step back fully into the bathroom. I reach out and close the door for her.
Fuck me.
I stare at the door for a few seconds before I force myself to move. I want to be back before she gets out of the bath.
I reluctantly make my way downstairs. When I enter the kitchen, everyone is there. It's not super shocking. This is usually where we gather when we do. Everyone stops talking when they spot me.
“Is everyone around here still keeping secrets?” I ask.
“You’re one to talk,” my sister tosses back.
“Guess it must be a family trait,” I fire right back. My sister and I keep bumping heads. I hate it, but we both continue to poke at each other. It’s been this way since our father passed.
“Well, maybe it’s one we should try and break.” Teddy starts to get up from her chair, but West snags her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her back into him.
“Only want to help,” King adds. I want to tell him that he’s helped enough. But I know my tone would be laced with sarcasm, and that has nothing to do with him being with my sister.
He took something from me that should have been mine. But I need to put that shit aside for now. I don’t have the quick connections King does. Sure, I could dig, but it would take me away from here, and I’m not leaving my girl right now. Plus, I want this handled fast. The sooner it is, the sooner my girl doesn’t have to look over her shoulder.
“All right then. I think she’s running from her father,” I tell them.
“You think she jumped off one of the boats?”
“I do.”
“I can check in on my regulars that come. High rollers,” King says.
“But maybe they weren’t there for the fights. It could be a coincidence,” West cuts in. Our eyes lock, and how do I know we’re on the same page? I have no fucking clue, but I know we are. I know for a fact he’s worked with the government before with his fancy gadgets. “I’ll make some calls.”
“Wait, what?” Teddy asks. “Call who?” She looks to West.
“The Coast Guard,” I supply.
“That’s a good idea.” King nods. “They’ll be tracking all the boats moving around out there.”
“She’s not giving you much else?” Teddy asks.
“She’s fucking scared.” I run my hand down my face. “Thought we might have drugged her damn food.”
Both West and King mutter a few curses while the girls gasp.
“Honestly, I pray it’s her damn father because with how skittish she is and thinking we could drug her—” I shake my head, not wanting to utter the word.
“Trafficking.” Teddy says it. “We know it’s real.” I nod because she’s fucking right. “And her father might have been about to do such a thing.”
“I could be way off, but you might be right.” I hate saying this shit, but it needs to be on the table. “She said she didn’t want them to find her, and I don’t get the sense anything with trafficking happened yet.”
“Rich father on a boat. Her running from a family and him keeping her close.” King speaks. “Arranged marriage. Bought bride. Old school.”
I clench my fist at my side. They have treated my girl as if she were property. A good that could be traded, used, and passed off, and not the precious angel she is. Who the fuck would do that? I sure as fuck know I’ll do anything to keep her. I am never letting any of them near her again. Over my dead body.
“Are you okay?” my sister asks, concern etched in her expression.
“I don’t know,” I admit. I have the urge to hit something. I could use a few hours in the gym to burn off the rage I am feeling. My temper has been slowly growing by the second. I’ve been trying to keep it at bay, but I know I’ll need a release soon. I can’t and won’t explode in front of Fallon. She flinches if you move too quickly.
“You’ll get used to it,” King drawls, leaning back in his chair. He plucks my sister out of her seat, putting her into his lap. Normally that would piss me off, seeing his hands all over my na?ve little sister, who I have spent my whole life protecting. Yet right now all I feel is jealousy over what they share together as Willa leans into him. A relationship had never even been on my radar until Fallon showed up.
“Used to what?” I ask.
“The shit you’re feeling.”
“You kind of get used to it,” West adds, shaking his head. His gaze is fixed on Teddy. I put together what they mean.
I’ve actually never seen King with a girl before my sister, and I know without a doubt that they’ve tried to get his attention. The girls that came to the fights batted their lashes at him, but he never gave them the time of day. It appeared to piss him off if anything. I understood it.
I knew what those girls wanted. I've gotten the same attention. I always have, even in school. Some of the girls would call me Hollywood because of my appearance. Said it was because my face was perfect, which is surprising because I've been hit in it a million times over the years.
Still, I ignored that shit. They wanted to use me for my looks or money. To gain some sort of imaginary status. That shit triggered me. For so many years, my father had used me. It was always about what he could get. I suppose my dollface and I have a lot more in common than I realized.