Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
T alking to Ana helped more than Quinley thought possible. Better still, the new outfit Ana had brought from the boutique specifically with her in mind went a long way to boost a girl’s ego and self-esteem.
But the thing that bothered her now?
Elias hadn’t texted her. Hadn’t mentioned getting home or whether or not the reporters were at his house as well. Was he okay?
Or just happy to be rid of her and hoping to never hear from her again?
“I know your clothes and belongings are in limbo, so I grabbed a few things to have here just in case.”
Quinley forced herself to focus on Ana, on the moment. “It’s beautiful, Ana. I love it.”
“I knew you would.”
“Thank you. For doing this when…” Her eyes stung, and she swallowed back the lump in her throat. She’d hurt so many people. People she loved and cared about and who didn’t deserve to be caught in the chaos.
“Stop or you’ll make me cry. And don’t say you’re sorry. Not again. I’m just glad you’re here and you’re safe. The rest will sort itself out. Give it time.”
Quinley nodded and then turned back to take a final look at herself in the mirror. The outfit was feminine yet professional. A super sheer blouse with a tiny delicate ruffle landing at the swells of her breasts and gathered on her arms like frothy milk, topped by a fitted teal-colored vest with tiny rose-gold buttons down the front and matching linen pants. Pointy-toed shoes completed the look with the small kitten heel Quinley preferred. There was a jacket to tie it all together, and Ana had even grabbed jewelry. “It’s perfect.”
“I thought of you the moment I saw it. I knew you’d want to armor up to meet with your parents and Rhys.”
How right she was. And even though she should probably wait to see them another day and not after a six-hour drive, she didn’t want to put it off a minute longer. Not when they were the last steps to be taken to close out that part of her life in order to begin the next.
She’d taken great pains to get her makeup just right, but now that she was all put together, and knew she looked as good as she could, nerves kicked in. This was not going to be easy.
“Just tell them,” Ana said softly. “Tell them what you told me. Say it wasn’t right and you had to end it or wind up in divorce. If they refuse to understand that you had to follow your heart, that’s on them.”
“You sound like Elias,” she murmured, her thoughts drifting to him yet again. “That’s what he said, too.”
Ana’s expression took on a curious frown. “You and Elias got along during the week?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I don’t know. He seems…difficult. From what Cole and the others have said, he’s very uptight.”
Quinley wondered if Ana knew about Elias’s allergies. Elias had said his brothers did, but when he’d made the comment, it didn’t seem as though the brothers were as sympathetic as they could have been. Maybe it was time to give Elias a little more sympathy? “I’d call him regimented, not uptight. And he has reason to be with how bad his food allergies are. I teased him unmercifully with my junk food choices, but I commend him on living his best life when the alternative is to be sick all the time.”
Ana’s frown deepened. “They’re that bad?”
“From what he shared with me, yeah, they are. He said he was constantly sick as a kid because his body reacted to the food he ate. That’s why he worked so hard to figure out the issue. To take care of himself and not be sick. It was his way of helping out, you know, after their parents were killed. So he wouldn’t be the weak link and get them split up.”
“Oh, wow,” Ana said, lowering herself to the edge of the bed. “Cole’s mentioned a few things in passing, and at family gatherings, I’ve noted how Elias avoids eating anything except whatever he brings, but—I had no idea. And to feel that way when he was just a kid?”
Quinley nodded, her heart tugging at the emotion flashing over Ana’s face.
She faced the mirror and straightened a pinched ruffle along her chest. “My opinion only,” she clarified, “but I don’t think the brothers realize how hard it is on Elias. I mean, he cooked all week just so he knew what was in the food and that it was safe for him. To keep from risking it. No one does that unless it’s life-and-death important.”
Ana stood and moved to where Quinley was, linking their arms at the elbows as she met Quinley’s gaze in the mirror.
“Some might not think a week is long enough to develop feelings for someone, but it totally is. Are you sure there’s nothing more going on between you and Elias?”
Quinley fixed a button this time, tracing her movements in her reflection and letting out a breath. “My life is a mess. I have too much going on, too much to sort out and do with a new home and business and…life.”
Ana made a small sound that drew Quinley’s gaze back to hers. “What?” Her best friend leaned her head lightly against Quinley’s shoulder.
“Nothing,” she said, tugging Quinley with her toward the bedroom door. “It’s just that wasn’t the question I asked. And yet I think you answered it.”
Thirty minutes later, Axel accompanied Quinley up the elevator to what she’d gathered was Rhys’s brand-new house?
She’d expected to be taken to the penthouse apartment Rhys had lived in for the last year, the one she had moved her things into, but instead Axel had driven her here, to a newly constructed home on River Road. A house she’d understood was to be built “someday.”
That didn’t seem to be the case, though. This home looked like the one Rhys had briefly shown her, asked if she’d liked, yet here it was.
The landscaping, concrete and pavers along the driveway were obviously new, and there was still a construction dumpster hidden off to one side of the property, but the exterior of the house was complete. The interior of the garage, too.
Riverfront with a gated drive, the home was three stories and massive. The lower level held a large parking garage, elevator, storage, and private maids’ quarters. She and Axel bypassed the middle level on the way up, but she knew from the memory of her brief glance of the plans it held the living room, kitchen, bath, study, workout room and a glass enclosed sunroom, while the third level held the many bedrooms, another sunroom, as well as a smaller kitchen and an ornate staircase leading to the rooftop deck. The deck had a large bar, outdoor kitchen and every amenity a billionaire heir’s home might need.
Apparently Rhys was on the top-floor deck, and the elevator moved from parking level to the roof far too quickly for her peace of mind as realization dawned with slow, stomach-churning intensity.
Leaving Ana’s house had been an ordeal. Word of her return had gotten out as photos from their gas station stop had gone viral, and people guessed they were heading home to Carolina Cove.
By the time they’d arrived, a mass of guards and security were positioned around Ana’s home and neighborhood for crowd control. People had screamed and shouted at her when she’d left the safety of the house for the blacked-out SUV, but it was a woman’s shrill voice screaming vile, horrific things at her that had truly shaken her.
The guards’ attention had zeroed in on the woman, and within moments, she’d been taken away for questioning by police due to the sheer vehemence and vitriol she’d spewed for all to hear.
The woman was one of Rhys’s fans, no doubt. But perhaps more?
“You okay, Miss Anders?”
She must really look shaken if Axel broke his typical silence and asked. “I’m fine.”
His phone dinged, and he pulled it from his pocket as the elevator doors opened. Quinley stepped off into the sunshine beginning to wane over the beautiful view of the Cape Fear River. It would be a spectacular sunset. A beautiful ending to a stressful day and…a final goodbye?
Rhys stood staring out at the view, his back to her. And as she slowly approached him, she hated herself for comparing Rhys to Elias. Both men were handsome, both tall and broad and easily able to turn a woman’s head.
Elias was quiet, more reserved, maybe even a bit brutish in a way, whereas Rhys was what she and Ana had always termed a pretty boy. The kind of man with a face, build and visible style that stated he came from money without actually saying a word.
Rhys was dressed casually today in designer slacks and a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt cuffed at his forearms, a Patek Philippe watch banding his wrist and supple-looking Italian loafers on his feet.
“Mr. Lachlan, the woman arrested outside Ms. Taylor’s house is the woman we’ve been searching for. She’s being questioned regarding the threats, but her identity has been confirmed.”
Quinley looked at Axel in surprise and then back to Rhys. “Exactly how many threats were made?”
Rhys turned and focused entirely on her. “Eleven in all. Eight were considered relatively nonthreatening, but three were made by people with a history of violence or mental illness. Two are now in custody with her arrest, but one remains.”
But eleven total. Okay then. One person wanting her dead was one thing but eleven ?
“The most volatile threats came from that woman,” Rhys said. “The police were able to identify her since she was already in the system, but they couldn’t find her. We had…hoped your return to the area would root her out and apparently it did.”
She looked at Axel and blinked, struggling to find the words she needed. “You walked right behind me into the house and in front of me as we came out. I ran into you because you stuck like glue. Axel…”
The large man dipped his head. “My job is to protect you, Ms. Anders.”
And he had. But what would have happened if the woman had brought a gun? Tried to stab her or any number of other awful, horrible things? She would’ve hit Axel, not her.
Quinley stretched out a trembling hand and laid it on Axel’s thick forearm. “I’m sorry I made your job more difficult. You know, before . Thank you, Axel.”
“You’re not the first, Ms. Anders. And you’re welcome.”
“Let me know the moment you learn anything else, Axel,” Rhys said to the man as both an order and a dismissal.
Axel excused himself with a final nod at Quinley. To avoid Rhys’s stare, she watched as Axel moved to the farthest point away from them but didn’t leave the roof. For safety? In case someone lurked out there amongst the pines lining the river between homes?
She scanned the area nervously, vaguely aware that Rhys moved away from the railing and gently grasped her elbow in his hand, tugging her to the large seating area in the middle of the roof where someone would have to be atop the trees to see them.
She inhaled, and even though she’d love nothing more than to sit down, she chose to remain standing on trembling legs. Facing Rhys. “Where are we?”
A grimace crossed his handsome face before a muscle spasmed in his jawline. “It was to be our home. I…had planned to give you a posthoneymoon surprise.”
Their home. She blinked rapidly and fought off the tingle in her nose as her eyes burned with the threat of tears. “I’m so sorry , Rhys.”
He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and stared down at her, his gaze searching and…hurt. “What’s going on, Quinley? You told me Elias Blackwell was just a friend.”
Her stomach threatened to revolt, and she pressed a hand to the buttons over her waist. “He is .”
Rhys drew back and shook his head. “You kiss your friends? Lay atop them on the couch while doing it?”
She felt her face heat with embarrassment and guilt and hoped the sunset would be blamed as the cause. Axel might have literally protected her with his life that day, but he’d also thrown her under the bus with one of his many reports. “I have never cheated on you. Not once, not ever . The—the kiss with Elias just happened, but we—we were obviously over, Rhys.”
“You think because you left me, I don’t care what you do? Who you’re with?”
“I’m not with Elias. He has nothing to do with us. With why I couldn’t marry you. I should have talked to you, told you I had doubts. Hard-core doubts, but I couldn’t. And that woman today? Rhys, people want me dead because I hurt you. And I know that’s not your fault and you’ve done everything in your power to protect me, but I don’t want a life I have to be protected from . I have no doubt there is a lovely woman out there able to put up with bodyguards and willing to live in a beautiful, gilded cage, but she’s not me. I can’t. I hate myself for hurting you, though.”
Rhys crossed an arm over his chest, bracing the other against it to lift a hand to his mouth. He rubbed his fingers over his chin, his lips, staring at her the entire time. “Is that the only time you kissed him? The day Axel saw you?”
Her shoulders tightened to the point of pain, and her lips parted to suck in more air. Not that it did any good. She felt a bit dizzy and hated herself even more because of the truth. “What does it matter?”
His jaw locked, and she realized she’d given him the answer he sought, however unintentionally.
“Once more,” she said, deciding that now wasn’t the time to hold back. “It… We weren’t together, Rhys. And Elias and I— We aren’t together, either. Don’t think it’s something it’s not.”
Rhys continued to study her a long moment, looking at her so intensely, she felt him search her soul, so long she had to fight the urge to squirm on her feet. Finally he said, “The only problem is that you don’t go around kissing men you don’t like, Quinley. Even I know that. It’s one of the things I loved about you.”
Breath stuttered in her lungs, her chest squeezed tight, and she probably gaped like a fish out of water as the words sank home. Sank deep .
The truth of them bit into her until her body and face flushed again with the undeniable awareness that his words were true. She might like men, might enjoy flirting, but she wasn’t that woman kissing every man who paid attention to her. Kissing was intimate, personal. Only for those she deemed…more.
Rhys lowered his arms to his sides and straightened to his full height, eyes widening a bit as though seeing her come to awareness and now hating himself for pointing it out when she hadn’t even been fully conscious of the fact.
He muttered a soft curse, shaking his head presumedly at himself, and then released a deep sigh.
“The guards stay in place until the threats and media attention are gone. Once it’s safe, you’ll be free of them.”
She lifted a hand and ignored the way it shook as she placed it on his chest, over his heart. Rhys stilled. “I did love you. Don’t ever think I didn’t. You will find the right woman. It’s just not me.”
Rhys placed his hand over hers and gently squeezed. “If you ever need anything, come to me, Quinley. I mean it.”
Tears flooded her eyes, too many to blink away this time. So she ducked her head and used him for balance, leaning against him as she rose to her toes and pressed a kiss on his whisker-rough cheek. “If you need me, I’m here to vet your next girl. She’s got to deserve you. No slackers allowed.”
His lips quirked, and she supposed it was a good thing that they could end things with a smile. Even a sad one. They could continue talking about all the whys, but nothing would change the truth. They both knew it now.
Quinley sniffled and pulled away, giving Rhys one last glance goodbye before she made her way toward the elevator.
The moment he saw her approach, Axel left his post and joined her at the door. “Take care of him, Axel,” she said, her voice thick. “Keep away the riffraff and gold diggers.”
Axel nodded once. “Will do, Ms. Anders. Be happy to.”