Chapter 23
Itug the flower-patterned quilt over Lola’s shoulder. After her ice cream with Diana, she came up to shower. While we waited for clothes she could put on, she fell asleep on Lou’s childhood bed.
She’s been so brave. More than I would have been at her age. Then again, I didn’t have two adults protecting me. Because it wasn’t just me there. Gavin used his own body to shield her.
A soft knock has me turning to the door. Lou walks in with two bags full of clothes and sets them on the floor near my feet.
“Oh my God, Lou!” I whisper loudly as I pull out a pink blouse with a unicorn on it. The tag hanging from the collar is one of those handwritten ones you get at fancy stores. “A hundred dollars?” I pull out another, this one white with tiny rainbows. “I hope you didn’t buy all this just for us.”
“Mom’s neighbor owns a children’s boutique. She keeps a lot of inventory in her house. Trust me when I say my mother was in heaven picking these out.”
“But it’s too much, Lou.”
She leans over the bed and gently grazes Lola’s cheek. “After all the ugly she’s seen, she’ll need something pretty to help erase some of those memories.”
It’s true. She’s seen more than I wanted her to. “Some memories can’t be erased, unfortunately. Even with something nice.”
“Yeah. But it can make them fuzzy around the edges. Like a bad dream.” She smiles at me and squeezes my shoulder. “Come on. I have some stuff for you too.”
I accompany her to the guest room. On the bed, are a couple of piles of folded clothes.
“They’re not new,” she tells me when I lift a blue cotton blouse. “I hope you don’t mind. They’re from my closet.”
“No, it’s great. Thank you so much.”
“Andie?”
“Mmm,” I say, going through the nicest hand-me downs I’ve ever received.
“Rowan and I haven’t had a chance to talk since he got home. But, he did message me earlier. He said…” she trails off and chuckles nervously. “He said Gavin is your captive?”
A burst of laughter erupts from me. “What?”
“I know, it’s ridiculous.” She waives her hand at the notion. “But, I had to ask. I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t be. Actually,” I bite my lower lip. I’ve known this woman for all of an hour, and yet, I desperately want to trust her. “He is. Was. I don’t know.”
Her brows shoot upward. “Seriously?”
“It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got time. The boys are deep in negotiations.”
“You don’t want to sit in with them?” I ask her.
“It has nothing to do with me. This is all Gavin and—” She cuts herself off before saying more.
I narrow my gaze on her. “Gavin and who?”
“He’ll have to tell you that. Now, let’s talk about Gavin and you.” She shoves aside the clothes and sits on the bed, patting the space next to her. “Sit.”
“I… I don’t know. You might think badly of us if I tell you.”
She shrugs. “Girl, if only you knew the shit Rowan and I did to each other. Trust me, I’m the last person to judge.”
Blowing out a breath, I sit. “Okay.”
I stutter through the first part of the story. I’m not exactly proud of the fact that I stole from Gavin. But soon, the words are flowing out of me so fast, I don’t think I’d be able to stop even if she asked me to.
I tell her about the theft, and the blackmail. I tell her about the sex and the club and the explosion. And I tell her about my impulse to kidnap Gavin after I saved him, even though it didn’t work out exactly as I thought.
Lou listens, not a hint of judgement or disgust in her expression.
“He was tied to the bed,” I tell her as I near the end of the tale. “The first day. Then I realized he wasn’t actually secure. There seemed no point in keeping him like that. But we made sure to always have an eye on him.”
She blinks at me, then smiles almost pitifully. “Andie… Oh my God, I can’t even chide you because I was just as blind as you. Love makes us so stupid.”
“What?” I ask, not quite sure if I should be offended.
“Can’t you see it? The reason Gavin stayed isn’t because you kept an eye on him. He stayed because he knew that if he emerged, he’d have to do it without you, or he’d put you at risk. But as long as he remained hidden, he could stay in your little love nest for a long time.” Her eyes gleam with that twinkle hopeless romantics tend to have.
“What are you talking about?”
She sighs as if she can’t believe how dense I am. “Do you really think you could have kept a man like him if he didn’t want to stay? The only thing strong enough to keep him there was his desire to be with you. And even now, he could have left you with Luca and Carina. You would have been safe. But he knew that if he did, he wouldn’t see you again.”
The protest I’m about to make dies on my lips. Is she right? Could Gavin have left whenever he wanted to?
“Can I come in?” Gavin peeks into the room and I turn to him, my mind still reeling from my thoughts.
Lou stands. “Everything settled?”
He nods. “It’s done.”
“Does that mean you’re staying?”
Gavin glances at me. “For a bit, at least.”
“Good. I like her.” She throws her chin my way. “Besides, I think Mom wants a bit more Lola time. She misses having a little girl.”
“Thank you, Lou,” I say.
“Of course. I’ll leave you two alone.” She looks over her shoulder at me and winks before she leaves.
Gavin lets out a breath as he plops back onto the mattress, pinching his nose. Then he lifts his tired gaze to mine. “How’s Lola?”
“Happy. Lou’s mother gave her ice cream and let her play with a new litter of kittens. Turns out a stray cat liked the garden and made it home. She’s been in heaven.”
“Were they guarded well?”
“They have their own secret service here. Maybe not a good as the casino, but pretty tight.”
“Yeah. So good I can’t get in now.”
I lay beside him and run my palm down his chest. “Who were you meeting with downstairs?”
He gives me a side glance. “Gideon Black.”
Shaking my head, I say, “I’m sorry. I thought you just said?—”
“I did. He’s Rowan’s brother. And as it turns out, he’s not the one that attacked the casino.”
“Who was it then?”
Gavin reaches to smooth the frown that’s formed between my brows. “We’re assuming Marco Tadesco.”
I process that. “I’m speechless.”
He chuckles as he brings his arm around me. “Me too. Gideon has been the enemy for a long time. Now suddenly he’s my only hope.”
“He’s going to help you?”
“Yes,” he replies with a bit of hesitation. “But at a price that may cost me more in the end.”
“What is it?”
“Gideon took Luca’s sister. Luca’s come really close to finding her, but Gideon is a smart man. Smart enough to hide her where he’ll never think to look.”
“What does that have to do with you?”
He lets out a long breath and taps his forehead with his fist. “I’m going to be the next hiding place.”
* * *
Two nights later, I watch as Gavin gets ready to fight for what belongs to him. It’s so strange to see him in black jeans and a T-shirt instead of a suit. I can get used to it though, just like I did those gray sweatpants.
The sound of him moving around the room stirred me awake a few minutes ago. I hadn’t wanted to fall asleep. I wanted to enjoy his presence as long as I could before he left. Because I know that no matter what happens, everything will change after this.
If he returns unscathed, his casino back in his hands, he’ll be busy with repairing both the building and the relationships. There will be no more need for me.
If he doesn’t return… God, the mere thought is an inexplicable stab to my chest, one that I swore would keep me awake. But the feel of his warm body pressed intimately against mine after we had sex, lulled me to the point of no return.
I recall what Lou said about ugly memories and pretty things. She wasn’t talking about me, yet every word felt personal. The things I’ve seen… Ugly can’t begin to describe them.
Then I think, Gavin is something pretty. He could never erase what’s been done to me. But has he somehow blurred the edges of that memory?
Yes. He has. He’s made me feel again. Made me want again. Put the most vulnerable part of me in control so that I feel safe again.
And now, I stand to lose him forever.
I sit up, holding the sheet over my breasts, my throat tight. “How’s your ankle?”
He shifts his attention from the combat boot he’s just finished tying. “It’s fine. Rowan gave me something to help with the lingering pain.”
“I’m scared, Gavin.” The confession comes out before I can stop it. “Aren’t you scared?”
“Of what?”
“That something will happen to you.” I can barely get the words out.
His mouth opens as if he’s going to say something comforting. Something that reassures me that their plan will go flawlessly. After all, he built that casino. He knows every secret entrance and tunnel. And he has Gideon and Rowan to back him up.
But he doesn’t soothe my fears. Instead, he clamps his mouth shut as his eyes take me in. Then something strange comes over him, something too complicated for me to comprehend.
He swallows hard as his gaze locks on mine. His hand lifts to my hair, and he lets it run through his fingers. “Did you ever see the photograph outside my bedroom door?”
I frown as I think about that. Yes, I did. The day I searched for something that gave me a clue as to who he is. “The Red House.”
“It’s the house I grew up in. The neighborhood kids called it The Red House because the brick was so brightly painted, it stood out like a sore thumb. My brother inherited it, but didn’t want it because our childhood was so shitty. Said it was bad luck. So, he gave it to me. I mortgaged it and used the money to move to Las Vegas and become what I did. I turned it’s luck around, Andie.”
“So I was right.” I attempt a smile. “You named your casino after it.”
He nods and takes my hand, squeezing it urgently. Almost painfully. “The Duran’s attorney has drawn up a last will and testament for me. It was filed today, and will take a few days to be processed, but it’s uncontestable. If something happens to me, I want you and Lola to go there. The house will be yours. I want you to start fresh. I want it to turn your life around.”
“What?” I rear back in shock. “I can’t take your?—”
“You can and you will. The neighborhood was crap back then, but it’s been cleaned up since. I updated the house a few years ago. All the modern conveniences have been put in. It’s paid off so you never have to worry about the rent. And there’s a safe with five million dollars in case of an emergency.”
“No!” I shake my head vehemently. “I don’t want your money.”
“But you need it. Lola needs it.”
Lola. He says the one thing that makes it impossible for me to refuse such a grand gesture. But why? Why give us so much if we’re nothing to him? Unless…
I swallow down the knot in my throat. “Lou said something to me, Gavin. She said I couldn’t have kept you in my apartment if you didn’t want to stay. Did you? Did you want to stay with me?”
His breathing pattern changes, as if it’s strained, his chest too tight. “I want to stay.”
“Then stay. Come with me to The Red House.”
He smiles and cups my cheek. I lean into his palm and close my eyes for a moment, savoring his touch.
“I never wanted…” he trails off and swallows. “If it was just about me, I would risk having my enemies constantly at my heels. But I’m not alone anymore.” He bends forward and captures my lips in a soft kiss.
Tears begin to stream down my face. “Come back to us.”
“Sleep,” he murmurs. “When you wake up, it will all be over.”