Chapter 40
Paisley
A fter packing up the front of the shop, I check over the back porch, locking up the storage room, before bringing in some drying flowers. Despite the rocky start to my first day as a shop owner, the rest of the day has run smoothly, making me feel quite empowered. My new staff are helpful and seem on board with the ideas I have to change things up a little.
I feel the vibration of my phone ringing in my pocket, and I pull it out to answer, seeing it’s Noah. “Go home, Gemma. I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell one of my new girls. She waves me off as I answer the call and lock the front door after her.
“Noah, is everything okay?” I ask, wondering where he is. He said he would be ten minutes max. And I wouldn’t like to admit it, but after last night, I don’t really want to leave this place alone tonight. Even though both he and Beckett are sure Margo was the one who ran me off the road, none of us know what she’s capable of, and I would prefer not to find out.
“Pais. We need to talk.” His voice is shaky, and worry floods me instantly.
“T… talk,” I stutter out, wondering what the hell is going on, but by the sinking feeling in my stomach, I already know it’s not going to be good.
There is a long pause, and I wait for him to answer. “Us getting back together was a mistake,” he snips, his voice distant, almost uncaring or uninterested.
I wonder if I heard him properly, because what I think he just said was us getting back together was a mistake, but that can’t be right. “What are you saying?”
“This thing between us is over. For good this time,” he says more clearly this time.
I take hold of the workbench in front of me, casting a quick glance at my phone, wondering if I misread the person calling and this is all some big joke. But it’s Noah’s number. What the hell has changed since he walked out of here ready to confront Margo about her running me off the road last night? “Is Margo there?” I ask, more frantic. Is she putting him up to this? It’s the only explanation that makes sense.
“Yes. You’re on speaker. She wanted to be here when I called you.” He pauses. “We’re together. Have been since she started as my campaign manager.”
A flash of sickness washes over me, my hands going all clammy. My heart hammers in my chest, and I’m not sure if I’m going to puke or pass out. I hear the words he’s saying, but I don’t believe him. He wouldn’t do this to me. To us. This couldn’t be happening. I hang up the call and throw my phone down on my desk, my hands trembling uncontrollably. For the longest time, I pace back and forth the length of the shop, trying to process what he just said. Trying to find the sense in his hurtful words. He and Margo have been together all this time? Hot tears prickle in my eyes before rolling down my cheeks. He promised me he wouldn’t hurt me. Swore to me black and blue this was real. My chest feels like it’s going to cave in from the pain lodged in it. This can’t be happening. I collapse on the floor and let myself fall apart.
For what feels like hours I sit on the floor of my shop, too emotionally drained to move. When my bladder continues to protest, I make my way to standing on shaky legs up, dragging my body to the bathroom.
When I walk back out, I jump in shock when I see a dark figure standing in the back alley of the shop. “Beckett, you gave me a fright,” I say covering my chest when I realize it’s him approaching me. “Why are you around the back?” I ask, confused to see him here at this time of night. I should be long gone by now, but maybe he was looking for me.
“Sorry, kitten, I didn’t mean to give you a fright,” he says, but his expression is grim, and I start to worry instantly. Another guy joins him; he’s huge and burly and covered in tattoos, the kind that run up his neck. I don’t like the look of him at all. In fact, I think I’ve seen him before somewhere.
“What’s going on?” I stutter out, on edge as I look between the two of them.
“This isn’t how I wanted things to go down, but I have no choice.” He backs me up until I hit the bathroom door with a thud.
“What are you talking about, Beckett?”
He unlocks the door with a key off his own set, and fear shoots up my spine. I never gave him a key to this place. He motions for me to enter the small space. “This is for your own good, kitten. I don’t want to risk anything to happen to you while I’m fixing a little family problem, okay?”
“Fixing what, Beckett?” I murmur nervously. I’m not doing what he says without a damn good explanation.
He throws a set of keys at the second guy. “Lock up,” he tells him, and the guy responds with a tip of his jaw. As he walks away, I notice the symbol on the back of his jacket. He’s a Rebel Raider.
My eyes widen in fear as they meet with Beckett’s. What the hell? “Beckett, answer me, please, what’s going on? First Noah calls to break up with me, and now you’re acting all strange. You’re freaking me out.”
“Noah broke up with you?” he asks as if it’s news to him.
I nod, a fresh wave of sadness coming over me. “He called with Margo on speakerphone this afternoon. Apparently they’re together or some shit, and he broke up with me just like that.”
Beckett looks over me, his face softening. “Margo’s been a busy girl today. She’s also got my father to agree to marry her.”
“Are you kidding me?”
He shakes his head, disgusted. “I can’t explain, but you have to know, whatever Noah is doing right now it’s for you. Not to hurt you, okay. I’m going to fix this, but you need to stay here, where you will be safe.”
“I want to come with you,” I say, starting to panic. I don’t like being kept in the dark, and right now, it feels like they all know something I don’t.
“There is some dangerous shit going down tonight. You’re safer here.” He holds out his hand. “Phone,” he asks impatiently. By his expression, I know he’s not messing around. He’s deadly serious, and I’m all alone here.
“Not till you tell me what’s going on,” I demand, stomping my foot. “Please, Beckett.”
His eyes narrow in on me. “Don’t be difficult, Paisley.” The dark edge of his voice slices through me.
Nervously I hand it over. “I trusted you,” I whisper, so close to tears. All my friends said I shouldn’t, my brother, Noah, they all tried to warn me, but I thought I knew better. I saw him for who he was showing me he was. I wanted to think he was different because he’s been so good to me.
His eyes meet mine, and for a second, I see the Beckett I’ve gotten to know, the surprisingly sweet and caring guy who I thought was my friend, but then just as quickly he’s gone and replaced by another version of him. One I don’t like at all. “You got away from your father, I’m still answering to mine.” There is a sadness to his words that haunts me. After what he told me his father was doing to him and Hamilton, I’m sickened to think what’s really going on here. Is his father behind this? Is that why he’s locking me up?
“Please, Beckett, don’t leave me in here,” I try pleading with his sense of decency, if he even has any left. How could I have been so wrong about him?
But he closes the door and locks it. There is no way out. It’s a small space with no window. Immediately I start banging on the door, panic flooding through me. “Let me out,” I cry, tears streaming down my face, and I can’t stop them. Things have gone from bad to worse today, and I’m confused as hell and trapped.
“Don’t let her out, no matter what she tells you. And if anyone comes for her, kill them,” he tells someone.
My arms tingle with goosebumps as a shiver runs through me. Kill them? What’s he going on about. Kill who? Who is after me? I keep banging on the door until my fist is too sore. My body crumples to the cold tile floor, and I bring my knees up to my chest, hugging them tightly. The look in Beckett’s eyes told me he was doing this to protect me, but it doesn’t make any sense. Locking me up here can’t protect me.