Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
E lias rolled by the gym on his way home to unload the truck. He didn’t stay when he saw the group of people waiting outside. The shopping center where the gym was located had no loitering signs posted, but those were ignored.
He kept driving and made it onto the island and down Dow Road without issue. The last thing he wanted to do was go to Easter dinner and be bombarded by his family. But getting out of it? Not so easy.
He made the turn off Dow onto a road leading toward the ocean. From there, he turned right and then right again, spotting the reporters lining his street. At the sight of his truck, cameras flashed and continued to do so while he hit the button for his garage and pulled up the driveway straight into it, remaining in the truck until the door was three-quarters of the way closed.
What a mess. He knew he should’ve expected his house to be surrounded but had hoped for the opposite. Movement in his side mirror caught his attention as someone literally rolled under his garage door, stopping it. The guy was wiry looking, wearing jeans and dress shirt, a lanyard with press credentials around his neck and his phone, flash on, in his hand.
“Mr. Blackwell, will you please give me a moment? Just answer a few questions, and I’ll go.”
Elias got out of the truck and straightened to his full height, which stood a solid eight to ten inches above the reporter. “Get out. Or get thrown out.”
“Mr. Blackwell??—”
Elias slammed a hand against the wall and hit the button to raise the door. “Last chance.”
“Are you and Quinley Anders having an affair? Why were you seen together after a week away? Is that why she ran away from the wedding and left her fiancé?”
Elias pointed to the street. “You can leave on your own, or I’ll make you leave. You’re trespassing on private property and inside my house .”
The door rose high enough that Elias stalked close and gently but firmly pushed the man outside before grabbing the door and stopping it again so that it couldn’t go higher and reveal his face. That done, he pressed the control button attached to the wall immediately by the door and watched as it rumbled its way back down. A vehicle pulled into the driveway, and he heard Cole’s deep voice ordering the reporter off the property. Ordering them all back and to leave before the police were called.
Elias left everything in the truck for now and entered the house through the garage. He went to the front door just as Cole’s footsteps hit the small landing. Elias opened the door, careful to stay behind the panel.
“You need security until this blows over,” Cole said as he stepped over the threshold.
“I have you.”
“Too bad Quinley’s ex wouldn’t send a few men your way to handle those idiots.”
Elias grunted at the thought. “Yeah, I don’t see that happening.”
“Would you if you caught him making out with Quinley days after she bailed on your wedding?”
“We weren’t making out—much.”
A low laugh erupted from Cole. Elias had always admired that about Cole. That regardless of what his brother had seen during his time in the military overseas, regardless of all he’d been through, he still laughed. Though, to be fair, that laughter had increased since Ana had returned to Cole’s life.
“He came to see Ana at her boutique and inquired about you. You will be happy to note the guy reassured Ana that he wouldn’t hold Quinley’s actions against her or kick her out of her new store location in his hotel lobby.”
Elias winced. “Glad to hear it. Did he mention not holding it against you and Gage when it comes to the limo contract?”
“No word yet. Not that we’ve asked under the circumstances.”
Elias ran his hands over his head and opened the fridge, offering Cole a drink.
“What’s going on, Elias?” Cole took the bottle and twisted off the top.
Elias did the same. “You know everything. How I met her, how she wound up at the cabin. Now I’m back in town and ready to get to work.”
“And the two of you?”
“We aren’t a couple if that’s what you’re asking. The kiss— She was just messing around. I think she… I think she needed to feel something, to break the ice and kiss the next guy is all. But it didn’t go any further than that.”
Cole didn’t look convinced, but Elias ignored him and moved to the living room, leaving the blinds down for now and probably the foreseeable future until he could open them without the threat of a camera lens zooming in on him.
“Did you want it to?”
Elias froze, the bottle lifted halfway to his lips.
Cole seemingly noted the action or lack thereof and shook his head. “I’m all for you meeting someone and settling down. I think you could use a good woman in your life, but Quinley??—”
“Is a good woman,” Elias said, cutting off whatever it was Cole was about to say.
“She left her fiancé in front of the entire world and nearly got herself killed in the process. Until the death threats die down—pun intended—that’s still a possibility.”
“Don’t joke about that.” He hated that there were crazy people out there who wanted to harm her just because she broke things off with Lachlan.
“I’m not. Not really. But Quinley’s actions have had consequences, and she’s dragged you and Ana through them all week. I don’t like it.”
“I know. I get it, but Quinley regrets how it went down, and she is a good person. I can see why she and Ana have been friends for so long. Quinley…talked a lot at the cabin. She knows she should’ve ended it sooner, but she ended it when she could. That’s all you or anyone else need to understand.”
Cole’s gaze narrowed on Elias, and he saw Cole go into big-brother mode. Still, he managed to keep his mouth shut and his thoughts and opinions about Quinley to himself.
Elias found himself a little surprised by his defense of Quinley, seeing as how he’d felt much the same way as Cole those first few days in her presence. He’d thought she’d obviously lacked loyalty and sympathy.
So when had his thoughts on the matter changed? Better yet, why?
Was it her tears that day in her bedroom floor when she’d found out about the death threats? The kiss on the couch? The smiles and banter and gleefulness when she’d crawled through the window of his bedroom to escape the cabin with him for their hike? The way she’d looked racing into the water that day to celebrate their plans for the future?
“Yeah, you’re coming with me. Let’s go,” Cole said, motioning for Elias to stand up. “You can take the spare bedroom in the garage apartment after we get dinner out of the way.”
“I have a whole house here. Why would I want your spare bedroom?”
“Because you can’t sit here brooding with those idiots outside all night. You’ll wind up in jail.”
Elias got up and remembered he hadn’t texted Quinley to let her know he’d made it home safe. Had she meant it, though? Or was it one of those things you say when you don’t know what to say? “You’re not staying with Ana?”
“The house is completely surrounded by Lachlan’s guards. They can handle things for a while. Lachlan must have banked on Quinley staying with Ana because he tripled security. I’ll check in on them later, but I doubt Ana will want me there until they’ve had plenty of time to talk. Come on.”
“I need to unload the truck and get the cooler unpacked.”
“Fine,” Cole said. “Let’s do it and then get out of here and leave the drama behind.”