Chapter 28
You know what? I’m just gonna say it. Sharks just aren’t eating enough people.
— Pepper’s secret thoughts
PEPPER
“ Are you sure?”
I looked at the billionaire who’d offered me the world and nodded.
He was the only one I’d told of my plans, mostly because he was the one who was affected the most.
“ I truly appreciate your thoughtful offer,” I promised. “ But here’s the thing, I can’t do what I love while also working as hard as I think I’m going to be expected to work for you.”
“ I don’t expect…” he started, but I was already shaking my head.
“ It’s not that,” I hurriedly continued. “ I don’t think that you would force me to. I think that I would feel like I owed it to you, and… I’m a perfectionist. I would want to give you that, and I’m not going to make myself do that. Plus … I have a job that I adore. I work with my soon to be sister-in-law. I can take time off when I want. I can work on my wigs when I have free time. And to be honest, I’ve got everything I need.”
i.e., I didn’t need his money, nor did I want it.
He smiled then. “ I guess that’s a good thing. It’s a weird feeling to have someone turning down your money.”
I flashed him a grin. “ If you want another way to spend your money, one that’s just as good…”
I then let him know about Garnett’s new initiative.
After the call, I texted Garnett to expect a call from him, and she texted back with: OMG .
Heading out of the small apartment above the bakery where I’d taken the call, I drove to Dallas .
I made it to the station just in time for the daycare’s bus to pull to a stop in front of the station.
I had to laugh at the number of Carters out there waiting for Forest to get dropped off.
Pulling over at the mouth of the west entrance, I put it in park and watched.
All the Carters moved forward as soon as Forest appeared on the top of the bus steps.
The daycare let out at two-fifteen every day.
It was a Montessori school that started at eight in the morning, and when they were done with school, they dropped every single child off at their homes—or offices in Forest’s case.
We’d chosen this particular school because it was supposed to be the best, but also because I was almost always off when the bus would drop off.
Today would’ve been one of those days, but I’d got caught up in the phone call and asked Quaid , who I knew would be at the station, to grab Forest for me.
Apparently , he’d shared the love with the brothers.
Upon seeing the entirety of his uncles, sans Quincy and Auden , as well as his grandfather, he was ecstatic.
Usually , either Atlas or I would be there when Forest got off the bus.
If it was me picking him up, I’d take Forest inside to see whichever Carter was there to say a quick hello and goodbye.
He especially loved getting lovins’ from ‘ Gammy .’
But Grammy and Atlas were at a PR event for the SWAT team today at Dallas Cowboys Stadium —my next stop for the day.
After watching the adorableness go on for a few more minutes, I pointed my car to a parking spot and got out.
I was walking across the parking lot, my gaze on the group of men, when I heard a screech of tires.
I looked up just in time to see a car coming directly at me.
I gasped, tried to jump out of the way, but didn’t make it.
There was a horrible thump, followed by my body flying ten feet—at least that’s what it felt like—through the air and then I hit the ground.
I didn’t feel any pain.
Truthfully , I was convinced that maybe I wasn’t hurt as badly as I expected.
Except , when I tried to turn over, I couldn’t.
I opened my mouth to cry out, to say something, anything… but I couldn’t.
I couldn’t breathe.
Couldn’t move.
Could only hear.
And what I heard would chill me to my bones.
Forest .
Crying .
I tried to roll over again, tried to crawl toward that sound, but a body hit the ground beside mine.
“ Don’t move.”
The crying was getting worse.
I started to crawl, my body moving now with my determination.
“ Please , please stay still,” I heard someone say.
I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.
I …
Something broke.
Something deep inside of me broke.
I felt it break.
And then I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t do anything but lie there.
I didn’t know if I was even breathing.
In fact…
“ No , no, no,” the woman—yes, it had to be a woman—bent over, and I could see her hair as it fell over me.
It took me a long time to focus as she held onto my face.
“ No more moving,” she ordered.
I licked my lips and tasted blood.
“ Forest ,” I tried to whisper.
It didn’t come out, though, because she shooshed me. “ I know. I know it hurts. The medics will be here soon.”
That hadn’t been what I’d been intending, but it was good to know that they were on their way.
I was hurt. Seriously hurt.
“ I’m …” I took a breath that felt like I was breathing through glass. “ I hurt.”
I hadn’t intended to say that.
I’d intended to ask about… something. Someone .
What was I going to ask?
“ It’s a good thing that you feel pain,” I heard Shayne say.
Shayne .
That was her name.
And , because I knew she was trying to distract me because of how bad it was, I asked, “ It is?”
“ Well , yeah.” Shayne leaned over, her eyes focusing on mine. “ I have a condition. I don’t feel pain. Like none. But at least when people can feel pain, they can tell themselves to stop doing whatever they’re doing that’s causing the pain. I can’t do that, because I don’t know that I’ve hurt myself.”
The pain was almost overwhelming now.
“ I wish I didn’t feel pain,” I whispered to her.
She ran her finger along my brow, causing me to momentarily focus on the path of her finger.
Across my forehead. Over the bridge of my nose. Down to my top lip. Then back again.
Over and over and over.
“ This is something I learned from a Korean acupuncture specialist. She was amazing and taught me so much stuff. This is one of the pain relief zones,” she murmured, continuing it.
I swallowed hard, trying not to make her feel bad that it wasn’t working.
“ Shayne ,” I sounded sick. “ Did Forest see?”
There was a pause, and then, “ I don’t think he understood, even if he did.”
I hated that.
I didn’t want him to ever see that.
“ Is he okay?” I asked, tilting my head, causing Shayne to freak and pin my head between her hands. “ Who was in the car?”
If one of the brothers were over here right now, I’d ask.
But they were staying far away, guarding the woman who was in the car. Even scarier, they were making no moves to try to help her.
“ Who is it?” I asked—no, pleaded.
Shayne ran her fingers once again over my brow before she said, “ Don’t worry about it.”
I opened my eyes and narrowed them at her. “ Who . Is . It ?”
Shayne sighed, keeping me as still as possible. “ Pretty sure it’s Emory and your sister.”
How … awesome.
“ They’re out?” I asked in surprise.
“ They were both let out on their own recognizance thanks to the new DA half an hour ago,” she said. “ Emory’s brother dropped off her car. The two of them were seen driving out of the lot twenty minutes ago. But all of the brothers were wary, so they were out here to get Forest off the bus.”
Forest .
Thank God they didn’t hurt him.
“ He’s okay?” I asked.
“ He’s okay.” She frowned.
“ What happened?” I asked.
The woman’s eyes went wide with worry. “ You don’t remember, Pepper ?”
I blinked. “ Do I know you?”
“ I’m your soon to be sister-in-law,” she said. “ You’re about to marry my husband’s brother.”
I blinked. “ Who ?”