Haidyn takes my hand again as if I’m going to walk over to her and squeezes it painfully. “Ow,” I whisper, and he loosens just a tad but keeps a good grip on it.
She ignores me and looks around the room. “Haidyn.” She acknowledges him, and his body stiffens against mine. “Tyson.” She nods, then looks back at Ryat. “I’m here to see my daughter.” She goes to step inside, but Ryat moves to block the front door.
“She’s unavailable,” he tells her tightly.
She seems unfazed. “I just wanted to swing by. When she isavailable, have her call me.” With that, she turns, giving Ryat her back, and steps off the front porch.
Ryat slams the door shut and pulls out his cell phone. He places it to his ear, and the house is so quiet we can hear it ringing on the other end before Blakely answers.
“Hey—”
“Your mother was just at our house,” he informs her. “Looking for you.”
A long silence comes from her end before she speaks. “I haven’t heard from her.”
“I’m on my way to come get you,” he growls. No questions asked, end of discussion.
“Ryat.” She sighs. “You can’t come get me. I drove. I picked up Lake, and we’re on our way to meet Elli for lunch. Then we’re going shopping for the babies. It’ll be fine. I’ll be home soon.”
I’m pretty sure she hangs up on him by the way he grinds his teeth when he puts his cell away. “How the fuck do you know LeAnne?” he demands, looking at me.
“Anne?” I ask, correcting her name. Haidyn and Tyson all turn to face me, and I feel like I’ve done something wrong all of a sudden. “She’s my mother’s best friend.” Haidyn’s hand tightens on mine again, and I whimper. I don’t even think he realizes he’s doing it, or he doesn’t care because he doesn’t let up like last time. “She met us for dinner weeks ago.” I ramble when they all just stare at me. Ever been the only woman in a room full of Lords staring at you like you’ve wronged them? It’s fucking terrifying.
“Weeks ago?” he barks, making me jump. “Why the fuck was she in town?”
“She’s looking for a house,” I rush out. “She and her husband are moving here…”
“Goddammit,” he shouts, cutting me off.
“Come on.” Tyson slides his jacket on before handing Haidyn the picture back that he shoves into his pocket with his free hand. “I’ll drive and drop you off. You can drive Blake home, and I’ll pick up Lake.” He’s already headed toward the door when Ryat walks toward us.
I want to step back, but the couch is there, and Haidyn still has a tight grip on my hand. Ryat comes to a stop before us, and I swallow nervously as he glares down at me. Surely, Haidyn won’t let him kill me, would he? He looks from me to Haidyn. “If you’re smart?—”
“I know.” Haidyn finally speaks, interrupting him.
Ryat nods like they’re speaking a different language I don’t understand. Then he adds, “Sorry, I have to cut the meeting short.”
“No worries,” Haidyn says. “We’ll finish it another time.”
I sitin the passenger seat of my Cullinan as Haidyn drives us back to his house. It was raining earlier, so we chose my car. Of course, the fucker had to drive. Haidyn is the type of man who is always in charge.
My mind is on what just happened at Ryat and Blakely’s. “Do you know Anne?” I come out and ask, tired of the lingering silence. He didn’t even turn on the radio. I can tell he’s inside his own head right now, and it’s driving me crazy, wondering what he’s thinking.
“LeAnne,” he corrects me in a dead tone.
Why do they keep calling her that? My mother has never called her anything other than Anne. Even my father called her Anne. They were best friends before I was ever born. She’s in all my childhood memories. She’s practically family to us. I’m named after her, for Christ’s sake. “I grew up visiting her in Chicago. I think I know her name.”
“Well, everyonethinksyou’re Charlotte, and we both know that’s a lie.”
I whip my head around and narrow my eyes on him while he continues to drive. I don’t like his attitude all of a sudden. It’s not my fault she showed up and ruined his meeting. “She called Blakely her daughter.” He says nothing, but it wasn’t a question; it was more like an observation. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
“It’s a long story,” he clips.
“Are you going to tell me?” I snap, getting irritated. Anne didn’t even acknowledge me there, but she made sure to point out that she knew who Ryat, Tyson, and Haidyn were.Why?
I huff at his silence and cross my arms over my chest, staring out the passenger window. Anne—LeAnne never mentioned having a kid. Her husband was killed a while back, and she was gifted to another Lord, forcing her to move to Texas. Maybe Blakely is his daughter, andLeAnneis having some kind of motherly crisis since she never had kids of her own.
I don’t know Blake personally, but I feel bad for her. Ryat seemed pissed at her. It’s not her fault. Then he went and picked her up…how did he know where she was?
