I bite my lip and think about it before answering him.“I do, but we both know they won’t allow it to happen for a while.But it will take you long enough to find everything, so we have time for them to get used to us.”
“If I got it all right away, would you marry me without them?”
“I told you if you got all that, I’d marry you, didn’t I?”
“I’m on it.”He kisses my forehead and jumps up to grab his phone.
He responds to a text message while I roll out of bed and head for the bathroom.I have to get to the theater for warmups and to get in makeup.Patrick still leaves marks all over my body, and I have to cover my tattoos.
An hour later, we’re on our way to the theater.Patrick and I are in the back seat of his SUV, with Hayes and JJ up front.
“Hayes, pull over here for a moment,” Patrick says, and I notice a small strip mall with a high-end jeweler.
I figure he’s going in to get a ring ordered, so I don’t get out.I stay in the back seat, answering emails.Mr.March is coming back on Monday, and I need to get everything ready for his arrival.
“Oh shit,” Hayes says from the front seat, and I turn as the doors click locked.
I expect there to be a problem but see Roisin walking up to the SUV.That’s when I realize I haven’t seen any of Patrick’s family since that first night.We only stay at his condo.
“Hayes, is my brother in there?”She pounds on his window.
He rolls it down partially so she can’t see into the back, and it dawns on me that Patrick is keeping me a secret from his family.If he wanted them to know about me, wouldn’t he be okay with Roisin seeing me?But Hayes isn’t allowing it.My heart thumps hard.He told me he loved me.
“No, he’s busy.It’s just JJ and me.”
“No, it isn’t.I can see someone in the back.He hasn’t been home in a couple of weeks except to grab clothes.Does he have a girlfriend back there?”she yells at him.
“No one’s back there.”
I am a secret.All of my family knows about us, but he hasn’t told his about me.Oh shit.I can’t stay here.I can’t.
I open the ride-share app on my phone and schedule an immediate pickup.Roisin keeps pounding on the window, yelling about how her brother doesn’t keep secrets.I don’t have much more time, or he’ll come out before I make my escape, and Hayes will stop me.I spot the car service pulling up and slide across to the opposite door.I flip the lock and jump out.
“It better not be that bimbo manager from the club,” Roisin screams as my tears start to fall.
I turn to her.
“I took care of her.I need to go.”
Several things happen at once.Roisin sees me and gasps.Hayes yells my name, and Patrick steps out of the jewelry store.
I rush for the car and jump in, shouting for the driver to take off.Patrick knows where I’m heading, but he won’t be able to get in.My heart shatters.I don’t want to be a secret.
Patrick
“Sweets,” I yell as she takes off in a car.The tears running down her face break my heart.“Daria,” I shout, but the car is gone.
Roisin walks toward me, and I look at the SUV, wondering what the fuck just happened.Hayes rushes over.
“You said you didn’t want anyone to know yet,” he says before Ro can say anything.
“Fuck.”I know exactly what happened.
The two most important people in my world don’t know each other.I was keeping them apart, per advice from someone else, and I’m regretting it now.Hayes’s words are proof.Daria thought I didn’t want anyone to know about her, and I did that because I was protecting her.We’re still trying to find my aunt, and there’s still the other threats too.Lyric has a lead on my aunt.I’ve sent men to see if it’s really her before I go there because I didn’t want to leave Daria’s side.
I’m missing important information, and I can’t let my guard down, or Daria and Ro both could get hurt as collateral damage.I’ve already found out from Hayes that there’s a threat on her life.He also gave me the information on the man who touched my woman.If he touches her again, I’ll be dealing with him.
“Was that the Sugar Plum Fairy?”
