Chapter Six #2
Rory met Jason, the star quarterback of Denver Thunders, when she came to work as his physical therapist. Their relationship was a whirlwind, something my brothers and I contributed to, if I did say so myself.
But it almost came crashing down when an obsessed coworker assaulted Rory in Jason’s apartment.
She pushed Jason away then, thinking she was not good enough for him anymore.
No matter how many times we talked to her, she wouldn’t listen.
It was thanks to Jason not giving up, and one small mistake regarding his health during a very important game, she got angry enough with him and went to see him, and Jason took his chance and didn’t let her go.
Max’s situation was a little different. He met Skylar years before he even laid eyes on her.
She was sending text to her dead boyfriend as a coping mechanism that somehow got delivered to Max’s phone.
It took Skylar to say her final goodbye to her high school sweetheart for Max to take action and find her.
It’s still a little unclear how he managed to be in front of the exact church Sky was in, but I had a sneaking suspicion that Chace was behind that one.
Instead of them riding into their sunset, it turned out that Sky was actually having mafia infiltrating her life without her even knowing.
It all came to a head, and Sky almost got hurt in the process of extracting her from their clutches, but Max was there at the last second.
And Chace’s story was even more fucked up.
He met Alina, the Mafia princess, while he was working undercover trying to bring them down.
I couldn’t even think about what they went through and how it all could’ve ended without my gut clenching so hard I was in danger of spilling the contents of my stomach.
The fact I was nowhere near to help my siblings still grated over my nerve endings.
I should’ve been there. I should’ve helped them. I should’ve kept them safe.
Instead I was flying all over the world, keeping stars, celebrities, and politicians safe while my family was facing danger.
“Carter, listen to me,” Max’s demand tore me from the not so fun memory lane and brought me to the present.
Cassie just got off the elevator and was heading my way.
A mix of determination and relief was warring on her face.
“Don’t fight it. Just claim that girl, and be done with it.
Let go of any reservations you have, and give yourself over to it.
It will save us all. But, most of all, you. ”
“What are you now, a love guru?”
“Hey, don’t be a dickhead,” Max scoffed. “I just want my baby brother to be happy.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I growled. “There’s nothing going on between Dynamo and me.”
“Dynamo?” Max chuckled.
Fuck.
“Shut up,” I muttered.
“Sure,” Max laughed this time but he quickly sobered, his tone taking on a serious note. “Listen to me, you deserve this.”
I closed my eyes for a brief second.
He always took this route when he was trying to convince me of something.
One night, I got drunk and talked to him about the guilt that was swirling inside me every time I looked at my siblings because I wasn’t there.
I left them alone. That, coupled with how our mother was after we lost our dad, I decided to close down doors on any possibility of a normal life.
There was no sunset, or happy endings for me. No newlywed energy. No happiness.
Only shadows from which I could observe and watch out for people.
Those I cared most for, and those who paid me.
“You need to stop with this bullshit. You and I both know what I do, and what I don't deserve. I failed you all, I will not put myself into a position where I will fail another person that I care about,” I growled, pissed that he would go there.
“Mr. Ryan,” Cassie came to stand before me and chose to ignore the fact I had a phone pressed to my ear, “Would you please reconsider and stay?”
“What about the tour?” I asked, not moving from my seat.
“Um,” she looked sideways, before she took a big breath and looked back at me.
“Can’t we work something out? Can’t you find more people that would help you with Harley’s security?
It is vital for this tour to continue. Her next album is set to drop in the middle of it, and is planned for the tour to boost its sales and streaming time.
Not to mention, she’s clearly writing new songs.
Songs she can present to the fan base organically.
” She stopped and waited. When I didn’t say a thing, she continued.
“It really is important that the tour continue.”
I stood up then, “Max I gotta go.” Hanging up, I looked at Cassie, and asked one simple question. An answer to which could either get me to watch Harley walk further in danger, or to get her somewhere safe. “Important to who?”
Cassie’s brows furrowed, “For everybody.”
“No. Either I take her somewhere safe, or I walk.”
I didn’t wait for her to answer.
Turning around, I started walking to the door, my only intent to leave that hotel.
Walking away was a dick move. I was fully aware of it.
But there was a reason I gave them Max’s number, after all we worked together.
I needed them to cave and cancel the damned tour.
And I knew, the insurance company demanded a twenty-four hour security of Harley Thorn even months before I was brought on.
They were just dragging their feet. If I walked away, they were fucked.
If they didn’t cave, I would call Trevor and beg him to take over Harley, but I wouldn’t be part of this madness, not even a second longer.
I knew he would demand the same thing as me.
I would make sure of it. I had enough guilt living in me.
If something happened to her, I wouldn’t be in the shadows anymore.
I would be living in permanent darkness.
I just needed to figure out, how the fuck would I stay away.
“Mr. Ryan, wait!”
I stopped and looked at her.
“Okay, “ Cassie’s shoulders slumped. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. “We’ll cancel the tour.”
I nodded, and started walking in the direction of the elevators.
I needed to go to Harley. I was away from her long enough.
“But, you have to tell her.” Cassie called behind my back.
Oh, fuck me.
I slid a card into the lock and braced.
I had no idea what was waiting for me behind those doors, but it could be anything.
When I left her, Harley was locked in my bedroom, not letting anyone come in. I understood that reaction. Her most private space was violated. Her words, something she cherished most of all, were used against her. And it was dawning on her this was no longer just an overzealous fan. A game.
This was something much darker and more dangerous.
I felt physically ill while I was leaving the suit, but I had to go to that meeting. I had to do anything that would guarantee her safety.
But what was behind those doors, I couldn’t imagine.
I expected her to still be closed off to the world. To cry. To scream. Or for a suite to be trashed in anger. All those reactions and emotions would be normal.
The deathly silence that greeted me as I entered wrapped itself quickly around my windpipe.
I bumped the side of my fist against Mark’s biceps, “How’s she doing?”
He glanced at me quickly before he focused back on a woman sitting on the couch in all that chaos around her, “She’s settled down. Been ruffling through all this for the last two hours, muttering to herself, and flipping pages like they would start to talk to her.”
“Do you know what that is? Has she told you?”
“No. She just kept asking where you were between all the flipping.”
“You can go to your break now.”
Mark didn’t wait for me to say the words twice. He turned and bolted for the door like he was escaping a prison.
I stood where I was and waited for the lock to click. My hope was it would jerk her out of her mind tormenting her, but we weren’t that lucky.
Slowly, I moved through the room until I was in front of her, a coffee table behind my knees.
Shifting papers scattered on it, I cleared enough space to sit on it so I could be eye level with her. “What’re you doing?”
Her head whipped up at hearing my words, and relief shone in her eyes for a heartbeat before they went dull again. “You’re here.”
Her soft tone, and her words grated on my skin. I wanted to find the sick fuck who did this to her, and tear him to pieces. A need to end this for her, to make her safe pulsed through me so strong my vision blurred.
I cleared my throat to get some semblance of normalcy and professionalism in me, "I' m here.”
“He didn’t get them,” she said, flipping through pages, her eyes tracking the words of the fast moving papers.
I looked around. Everywhere around her the papers, notebooks and journals were scattered. Upon closer inspection, I could see the handwriting was hers.
Those were her songs, lyrics, and personal thoughts laid bare here for anyone to see. The fact that Mark stood right in this room as she went through it left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t want anyone to see this. No one had a right to it. Only a few had that privilege.
The fact that I hoped I would become one of those few privileged caught me by surprise, but I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to.
I needed to get my head on straight. Get back behind the professional line I had.
I cleared my throat, “Harley, we need to talk.”
Hearing her name, her formal name slipped from my lips, her head snapped up, and her brow furrowed as she tilted her head.
She knew I was sliding into something official, something she wouldn’t like.
I haven’t missed the satisfied smile and a glint in her eye every time the nickname I gave her slipped from my mouth. “What’s going on?”
She looked between Cassie and me. Back and forth, back and forth.
But Cassie stood silent yet again.