I help April into the passenger seat and jump behind the wheel. We take off.
She looks out the window, her head resting on it. “I don’t want to go home,” she whispers.
“Roses?” I ask.
She nods.
“Okay.” I yank on the e-brake and turn the wheel, making a U-turn.
My phone rings through the silent car, and I press ignore when I seeLucylight up.
Twenty minutes later, we pull up to the shop, and April doesn’t wait for me to open her door. She hops out and heads straight in to Roses, looking shell-shocked. I follow her inside and take in the damage.
Three floral cooler doors are busted, and there’s glass all over the place. Flowers and petals mingle with water on the floor. The shelves that held her vases have been ripped from the wall and pieces of them are strewn across the floor as well.
“I have someone coming,” I tell her.
Her eyes meet mine. “What?”
“I made a call. A friend of mine is coming to stand guard at the door for the night. Then, tomorrow morning, I have another friend coming to clean everything up for you.”
She glances away from me, but not before I see tears building in her eyes. “You don’t have to do that.”
She sniffs, and I cross over to her. Placing my fingers on her chin, I lift it so she looks up at me. “I know.”
The first tear trails down her face as she says, “I’m… I’m sorry for what I said before.”
“Don’t worry about it.” The truth is, she wasn’t far off. This is what I do. What the Kings do. I can’t blame the Mason brothers for what they did, or how they did it, but I can take care of this issue. I’ll pay Ethan’s debt, and it will all go away. And I’ll make sure her shop is better than before.
The bell to the shop chimes, and I release April to turn and face my friend Lance. “Hey, man.” I pull him in for a half man hug.
He whistles, his gaze scanning the surrounding mess. “I’m guessing you didn’t do this?”
“No,” is my clipped answer.
He nods, getting the point. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”
When I turn around, April is nowhere in sight. I head into the office and see a door on the left open. I hear water running. Walking into it, I see it’s a small bathroom, and she has her hands under the running faucet, washing them off.
I come up to her and see them shake. “Let me help you.”
She sniffs as I pump soap onto my hands and cover hers with mine. They shake uncontrollably. “Hey.” I grab them tightly. “You’re okay,” I assure her. “I’m going to take care of it.”
She bows her head, and I pull her hands from the water. “Look at me,” I order.
She lifts her head, and my chest tightens at the look of defeat in her eyes. Everything this woman has gone through—her mother dying, having to quit college to take over her mom’s shop, dealing with Ethan—is a lot.
“I promise you. I’m going to take care of it.”
She yanks her soapy hands from mine and wraps them around my neck, burying her head into my chest. “Thank you,” she sobs.
I let out a long breath, just thankful she’s standing here with me. It could have been a lot worse. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and I’ll take you home.”
“I don’t want to go home.”
APRIL
We walk intoAlexa’s bar, and I slide into a booth in the corner. It’s darker back here, and the music isn’t as loud since there aren’t speakers in this area. I’m not here to party or make friends, just have a drink in quiet.
