Chapter 15
Drew
I’m out like a light the minute my head hits the pillow, and I don’t wake up until I can hear voices coming from the living room.
I run my hand over the other side of the bed and find it empty and cold. I rub my eyes and crawl out of bed. I took the piss out of Zara yesterday for being sore. The laugh is on me now. I can hardly move my legs. Truth . . . I made her ride me because my legs were burning like a furnace.
I open the bedroom door and walk towards the kitchen. “Zara? Zara, what are you doing?!” I yell, but when she doesn’t answer me, I begin to worry. I can hear her voice. “Zara . . . where the hell are you?!” I shout louder.
“I’m in the living room. I’m on the phone to Laura.”
Thank fuck . . . I don’t know what I thought could have happened to her here, but it freaked me out.
“What time is it?” I walk up to her, and her face blushes bright red, her hand covering her mouth. “What?” I whisper.
“You’re naked,” she whispers and then points to my chest and the rest of my body.
I can’t see what she’s looking at, so I go in search of a mirror.
I stand in front of the mirror in the bathroom, and I can see exactly why she blushed and why she was pointing. It appears that she also likes giving hickeys, which makes me smile. My chest is covered in little, tiny ones, and then I see the fucking huge one on my neck.
“Fuck, shit, fuck,” I mutter. Did she try to fucking eat me? I’ve never seen anything so fucking huge in my life. On closer inspection, it’s not one but several all clumped together, which isn’t any better.
How the fuck am I going to cover this up? I can’t wear a jumper; it’s eighty-five degrees outside.
I walk back into the bedroom and put on some shorts and head back to the living room.
Zara has finished on the phone and is trying not to laugh when she sees me coming. I’m not laughing though.
“What the hell is this on my neck?” I snap.
“It’s the same as you left on my neck and on the back of my shoulder,” she replies.
Shit, I didn’t think she’d seen that one.
“It’s not funny, Zara. We’ve got to see my brothers and my parents. Do you know how much they are going to take the piss out of me? My mom is going to think I’m dating a fucking vampire.”
Her face falls, but then she bursts out laughing again.
“I’m sorry, Drew, I really am. I can cover it with makeup. I’ve got some really great stuff that covers all sorts of stuff.”
And then my heart almost shatters. I’m complaining about marks she’s given me in the throes of passion. Passion that I pushed and pushed her to, and, yet she’s brought the stuff with her that she used to cover up her bruises.
“No . . . I’m sorry. I overreacted. It’s as much my fault as it is yours. If I remember right, you have a fair few of these on your breasts.”
“We should try not to bite each other as much.”
“Fuck that, I love biting you. Let’s agree to stay away from the neck or anywhere that people can see,” I say, hoping that she agrees. I love it when I suck on her skin; she mewls, and her body reacts. I can’t stop doing that.
“Okay. But I can make that one disappear, if only temporary.”
I now realise it’s daylight outside. “What time is it?” I ask, remembering I asked before.
“My phone says 9:00 a.m. You were asleep for a really long time.”
I’m just about to tell her to come back to bed, when I hear the elevator moving. I look at Zara, and she looks back at me.
“Are we really allowed to be here?” she asks, panicked.
“Yes, of course. I just don’t know who’s coming up.” I run for the bedroom, but I’m not fast enough.
“Drew? Drew? Oh, hello, and who might you be?” Gee’s unmistakable British accent rings through the apartment.
I sprint back down the hallway and half slide into the living room.
“Hey . . . what are you doing here?” I ask breathlessly.
“Kane asked Brax to come and check on the place. Apparently, there was some movement on the motion detectors. And since no one was staying here . . .”
“Brax sent you. To check on the place?” I ask. “Why didn’t he come himself?”
Gee can’t lie to save her life. “He rang Carter, and he’s at home. He then rang you and guess what?”
“He got the US dialling tone.”
“You’re not just a handsome face, are you? Anyway, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Gee asks, smiling so widely at Zara that her face looks like it’s going to crack.
“Gee, this is Zara, Zara, this is Gee, my eldest brother Braxton’s better half.”
“That’s so kind of you to say,” she says, squinting her eyes at me.
“What? What have I said now? I was being nice.”
“Yeah, and that’s what’s weird,” Gee says, turning her focus back to Zara. “You look really familiar,” she says, smiling honestly.
“Do I? I don’t know how you’d know me.”
Gee shrieks and screams. “Oh my god! You’re British! We all thought Drew would fall for a Brit; he spends so much time there. Oh my god, wait till I tell Rubes. She’s going to be over the moon. Not as much as I am, but having someone who understands my sense of humour is such a bonus.” Gee rambles on, and Zara looks at her with her eyes wide but a big smile on her face.
“I’m going to put some clothes on. Don’t interrogate her too much, Gee. I don’t want you to scare her before she’s even stepped foot out of the place.”
I go and throw a pair of jeans on, I grab a T-shirt, and then I wrap a V neck jumper around my neck. I look like a fucking yacht boy. I swear she’s going to suffer for this later. Sore or not, I’m going to make her pay.
“Hey, you girls, okay?” I ask as I walk back into the room.
“Yeah, I knew I recognised Zara. She used to be in all of the newspapers in the society pages.”
I see Zara stiffen, and the smile she’s wearing is a false as a porn star’s tits.
“Yeah, that’s where we met, at a gala. Now, please, can you tell me why you’re here if you knew it was me?”
Gee shuffles in her seat a little, chews her lip, and picks at her nails.
“Gee? Why are you here?”
“Braxton wanted to make sure you were okay. You left in a rush, and you weren’t in the best headspace.”
I glare at her to shut up, but does she? No!
“He was in such a bad mood the whole weekend. There was no talking to him. He even fell out with Carter.”
“Gee!” I yell. “Please, can you stop giving Zara my life story? I had shit going on at work, okay? Stuff you guys wouldn’t have a clue about. Now, please, can you leave it alone?”
“No need to shout at me, Drew. I’m not the one who fucked an airhostess to piss off your brother.”
Gee slaps her own hand over her mouth. I just close my eyes and take a deep breath in. I don’t want to even look at Zara. I can’t. If she doesn’t hate me now, then I’m a very lucky man.
“Oh god, I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. Zara, please don’t take it out on him. It’s all my fault.”
I turn and walk away and pull my phone off the charging point. “Braxton!” I snap when he answers the call.
“Hey, you’re okay, I take it?”
“No, I’m fucking not. Get your woman out of this place now, or I swear I will not be responsible for what I do next.”
“Don’t you talk about Gee like that. She only came to see if you were okay.”
“No, she came to snoop to see who I was fucking. Well, she’s fucked everything up, so thanks for nothing. Fuck off and leave me alone.”
“What the hell has she done?”
“She told Zara about Shelly, that’s what, and don’t I look a fucking prize prick now? Call her and tell her to leave. I can’t deal with her right now. I’ve got Zara to explain to and . . . Fuck, Brax, I swear, I am so fucking angry right now.”
“Calm down. It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh yeah? You remember Carter’s little stunt with you in the shower? Times it by fucking ten and then ten again.”
“Okay. Give me two minutes, but who’s Zara?”
I end the call and wait.
“Brax has called. I have to go. I’m sorry, Drew.”
I don’t answer, I just wait until I hear the elevator doors close and then walk out to see Zara sitting quietly on the couch.
“I’m really sorry about that,” I say.
“I hope you are. That’s no way to treat anyone. What the hell got into you?”
“I didn’t want you to know what I’d done. It was bad enough when Carter told my brothers and having them be pissed off at me. I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”
“Drew . . . it was before we met.”
“But it wasn’t. It was on my last flight over to New York. My parents’ wedding anniversary.”
“Okay . . . it was before we first slept together, right?”
“Yeah, of course it was.”
“Then it’s nothing to do with me. You made a mistake. You paid the price. I’m not going to judge you because you’ve had a million women.”
“It’s not that many!”
“It wouldn’t matter if it was. I only need you to promise me that if you want someone else, you’ll tell me first. I’ve had my fair share of looking and feeling stupid.”
“I don’t want anyone else, Zara.”
“Call Gee and apologise. There was no need for the way you spoke to her. She came here and made me feel really welcome. That’s not the way to thank someone.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re going to get on well with my mom.” I huff and pull out my phone and dial Gee’s number.
“Hello?” she answers, sniffling.
Shit!
“Gee, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone off at you. I’m just embarrassed by how I behaved. Zara is cool, so everything is okay. Please don’t cry, or at least don’t tell Brax I made you cry.”
“Are you sure everything is, okay?” she asks, still crying.
Zara pulls the phone out of my hand and puts it on speakerphone. “Everything is fine, Gee. We had a long day yesterday, and Mr. Fucking Grumpy here needs more sleep.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to drop him in it. I just got carried away.”
“Nothing to apologise for. It would have come out anyway. Better now in private than on the centre pages of some shit magazine. Go home and let your man look after you.”
“We’re going to be great friends,” Gee says, and all I can do is roll my eyes. Oh, my fucking life.
The drama of the morning doesn’t stop there. My phone explodes with calls and texts. The family chat is full of my three brothers asking the same question: who is Zara?
I’m tormenting them by not responding. They’ll find out soon enough. I was only hoping that I’d have a little time alone with her first.
“I thought we could take a walk in Central Park. It’s a nice day, and it shouldn’t be too busy with it being a weekday.”
“Can we go on one of those rowboats?” she asks, and I almost want to laugh and say no.
“Sure, why not?”
Oh lord save me now.
“Can we go to the zoo, too?” she asks, and I have to take a good look at her. These are things a child would ask for.
“Are you sure you want to go to the zoo?”
“If it’s okay. I’ve never been to a zoo or been on a rowboat, and since I now have freedom, I’d like to do some of the things I never did as a child.”
It all makes sense, and who am I to deprive her of that? Hell, we visited the zoo so many times when we were children, we used to beg not to go, and as for the rowing boats, they became a battle ground between us boys.
“Of course it is, and anything else you want to do, just ask. Oh, and here, I forgot, you’ll need this.” I hand her a black card.
“What’s this for?” she asks, looking at it front and back.
“I know you’ll get embarrassed if you need to pay for something. This is just in case I’m not with you at the time. There’s no limit on it, but the bank will call if you try to spend over fifty thousand dollars.”
“I can’t accept this. It’ll freak me out carrying it around.”
“Don’t argue. Put it in your purse and go and get ready.”
***
The zoo was about as interesting as watching paint dry. It must be twelve years since I’ve been, and it hasn’t changed at all.
The rowing boats, however, I forgot how much fun they can be when you’re not being rammed by your bothers in the hope that you’ll capsize and drown.
By early afternoon, I’ve had enough of my phone blowing up, so I convince Zara it’s probably best we go and face my mom and dad and my brothers.
As luck would have it, as they put it, they are all having dinner at Braxton’s, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if we came along, too? Fucking hell. All of them at the same time.
“I need you to promise me that whatever they say, you’re not going to up and leave. I think Gee has probably told you the worst of it, but just in case there is shit I’ve forgotten.”
“You worry too much,” she says, kissing me just as Braxton’s door opens.
“Drew, darling. I can’t believe you’re back so soon!” my mom screeches as she pulls me through the doorway.
“Erm, Mom, this is Zara.”
“Oh wow, aren’t you a beauty? And a fellow Brit too, I’ve been told.”
“Yes, Mrs. Blackmoore, that’s correct.”
“And she speaks so eloquently, too. The King’s English. I just love hearing it. Makes me miss home a little though.”
“If you came to visit once in a while, you might not miss it so much,” I say dryly, which only gets me a glare from both my mom and Zara.
I catch Braxton staring at me from across the room and Kane standing next to him. Both have their arms folded and are looking slightly pissed off, to say the least.
“Let them in, Mom! We all want to meet the woman who’s caught Drew in her net!” Brax yells across the room.
“I’m not a fucking fish!” I snap, feeling very much like the youngest brother.
“Leave him alone!” my mom yells back at Brax, making me feel even more like a child.
“Come on in and take a seat. We’re just about to serve drinks,” my dad says, easing the tension that suddenly appeared between me and my oldest brother.
I know he’s pissed at me for yelling at Gee. I would be too if someone yelled at Zara like I did, but she also shouldn’t have said what she did.
We sit down in Brax’s large living area, one that was once pristine and mainly white, grey, and black. It’s now scattered with colour, and with baby items everywhere.
I sit Zara as close to me as possible. I don’t want the women getting to her and telling her any more of my history. I’ve kept myself to myself. I’ve never disgraced the family, but they will still find something.
“Zara, why don’t you come and help in the kitchen?” my mom asks, and my stomach flips over.
“You don’t have to. You’re a guest.” I take hold of her hand, hoping she stays put.
“It’s okay, don’t worry. Unless they tell me you’re a serial killer, I think we’ll be fine.”
I huff out a breath and let her go. I wasn’t worried about her meeting them until Gee showed me what women are really like this morning.
“So . . .” my dad says, sitting in the spot where Zara was.
“So what?” I ask.
“The girl. Who is she, and how come we didn’t know about her before?”
“It’s a recent thing, and I’m also helping her out of a situation.”
“What type of situation?” my dad asks, his tone changing from playful to serious.
“She’s got a few family issues. I’m just getting her out of the way for a while.”
“So, you’re not an item?”
“I wouldn’t say that . . . We’re not putting a label on it. Not yet anyway.”
“So, you think it might last a while?”
“I’d like to think so. She’s a nice girl, fun, and feisty as hell.”
“She’ll fit in well with the other women then,” Braxton chips in.
I stop myself from saying my next thought: I don’t want to let her down. Instead, I smile at my brother, who, from the looks of it, has forgiven me.
“Where is she from?” my dad asks.
“About twenty minutes from my house. She lived in one of those big stately homes.”
“What did you say her last name was?”
“I didn’t say, but it’s Doyle. Why? Do you know many people around my area all of a sudden?”
“No, I just wanted to know a little more about the woman. You seem to like her a lot. I’d hate to see you get taken in.”
“Taken in . . . by Zara? Are you kidding me? It’s me that’s been a pain in her ass,” I snap angrily.
“Okay, calm down, Drew,” Kane joins in. Always the reasonable one.
“Why do I feel like I’m being interrogated? The women better not be doing this to Zara!” I stand up with every intention of going to save her.
My dad pulls me back down, and then I hear laughter coming from the kitchen.
“What is it you want?” I ask, looking at all three of them.
“Nothing, we only want an idea of what’s in your head.”
“And did you do this to him and him?” I direct the question at my dad but point at Brax and Kane.
“No, but they’re older than you. Lived a bit more of a precarious life.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Brax mutters under his breath, and I give him a squinted glare.
“You still think I’m a kid? I’m twenty-fucking-five. You’d had Braxton at my age.”
“Yes, and I knew the second I saw your mother that she was it for me. It was the same with your brothers. If you don’t feel that way about her, don’t string her along. She seems too nice to be shit all over.”
“You’ve met her for five seconds.”
“Dad . . .” Kane interrupts. “Leave him alone. No wonder he doesn’t come back that often. It’s the first woman we’ve met, and you’re going the right way about him not coming back.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” my dad snaps at Kane. “He’s my boy, and I—”
“He’s right, Dad. Give him a break. He is a grown man, and he’s doing okay. He doesn’t need us arranging his life or making sure he’s made the right decisions. He hasn’t needed that since the day he turned eighteen,” Brax says, coming to stand next to where I’m sitting.
“Thanks . . . I think,” I mumble under my breath, a little confused why both brothers are defending me. They’re usually the first to stick the boot in at any opportunity.
The women come back from the kitchen, and I notice my mom isn’t as chirpy as she was before. I don’t worry about it, because Zara is laughing and smiling with Gee and Ruby.
The evening goes on with no more arguments or tension, and by the time we leave, we’ve arranged to meet up again on our return journey home.
The next two days, I take Zara around all the usual tourist places, do some shopping on Fifth Avenue, and I even manage a horse-drawn carriage ride around Central Park. My baseball cap and glasses stop me from being recognised, and it’s nice to feel relaxed until we’re heading for the airport on our way to Texas and I get a text from Carlos.
Carlos: We’ve got another sick horse. We’ve given it the antidote the vet left. Just thought you should know.
Drew: Thank you. Which horse?
I wait and wait for the reply. Just before we take off to Texas, I call him, but there’s no answer. I’ve even tried calling Laura, but she doesn’t answer either.
“Whichever horse it is, it’ll be okay. At least they know what’s causing it to happen.”
“But it’s not okay, is it? Someone is trying to kill my horses, and each one that gets sick means that they can’t race until they are fully fit, which could be anything up to a year!” I yell, and I know I shouldn’t. It’s not her fault. But it isn’t fucking okay.
“Drew, if you want to go back to the UK, let’s go. I’d rather that than you be screwed up.”
“I’m not screwed up. I’m angry, and I swear to god, Zara, if your father has anything to do with this, I will kill him myself!” I yell at her again.
“If he has got something to do with this, I’ll bloody well help you!” she shouts back and then smiles.
I’m about to apologise when my phone pings.
Carlos: Greenland’s Pastures. He’s doing okay. I don’t think he had as much as Luna.
Drew: Do I need to come back?
Carlos: No, I’ve got it under control, and Laura has been a great hand. We’ll catch whoever is doing this. We’re going to watch that three days of CCTV to see if we spot anything.
Drew: Thank you and thank Laura too. If another horse goes down, I want to know.
“It wasn’t Jasmine, but it was a horse that was due to race next week. It could be one our competitors . . . but why? I’ve never had an issue with any of them before,” I tell Zara.
“What if it’s Richard? He’s a competitor.”
“Is he bright enough to think of this?” I ask her, being serious.
“He might not have thought about it, but he could be arranging it.”
“Whoever it is is going to be really fucking sorry.”
We sit quietly for a while. I’m answering emails, and Zara’s reading another shitty magazine.
“Drew, do you think your parents liked me?” she asks out of the blue.
“Yeah, of course. Why? What happened in the kitchen?”
“Your mother asked me about my family. She said I looked like someone she used to know.”
“Did she say who?”
“She asked who my mother was, and when I told her, she said she didn’t know her, and she must have been mistaken.”
“You do look a lot like your mother. Obviously a much more beautiful version, but you can see the genetic imprint.”
“A lot of people have said that. They also say I don’t look a bit like my father.”
“I’d say that’s a bonus, especially for me.” I laugh and pull her into my lap. “You’re right, things will be okay. It’s just a bit worrying that we might have someone sneaking around doing god knows what to my horses.”