It was especially important to flirt with your person even when life was a shit circus. I learned that from Romeo.
Braeden snorted. “Pretty privilege.”
“Frat boy,” Drew intoned.
“Want some ice cream, Drew?” Ivy offered.
He scoffed. “I’m calling Gamble and getting the name of his private investigator. I’m not leaving it up to the cops to find this woman. I want her off the streets yesterday.”
“You think he’s awake at this time of night?” Rimmel worried.
“That man has more energy in his seventies than most men in their fifties,” Drew purported. “It is late, though,” he amended. “I’ll call Lorhaven instead.”
Drew followed me out onto the deck, and we made our calls on opposite ends. I was put through immediately to the chief and arranged for him and two of his deputies to come out to the compound in the morning.
Once finished, we met in the halo of illumination stretching across the deck boards through the window. Light and shadow cast across his face. The tip of his nose was pink from the cool air. Trees rustled in the distance, and the wind flirted with the blond tips of his hand-mussed hair.
Overhead, an abundance of stars made twinkling pinholes in the black velvet sky, but I only afforded them a passing glance because the man standing before me would always shine brighter.
The foot between us seemed too far, so I reached for his hand. “You talk to Lorhaven?”
He nodded. “I got the information. Offered to go out looking when they got here in a few days for Trav’s party.”
“She’ll be in jail by then.”
“You talk to the police?” Drew asked.
“Be here tomorrow at ten.”
“I’m ready to go home, T.”
Leaning into his space, I brushed a quiet kiss across his forehead. “Me too.”
Our fingers stayed linked as we walked back inside to inform the fam of the news.
“Extra security is on the way,” Braeden said.
“My dad will be here in the morning,” Romeo added.
“Listen, Rome.” I started, taking a step forward. “I’m sorry about this. That Lo was involved.”
Rimmel made a stricken sound and leaped off the barstool. She would have face-planted if Romeo hadn’t caught her around the waist, hauling her upright with one arm.
She didn’t even pause, so accustomed to falling that it barely even fazed her. Her body collided with mine, arms winding around my waist and face buried in the middle of my chest.
Since Drew refused to give up custody of my hand, I wrapped my free arm around her.
“You don’t have to apologize. No one expected this would happen.” She spoke fiercely into my shirt.
“Well, it did, and that’s your daughter,” I replied, still meeting Romeo’s gaze.
“Your daughter was there too,” he answered. “And your son.”
“I’m proud of that kid,” Braeden said. “He protected our girls.”
“He shouldn’t have had to.” My voice was harsh. Christ, he was sixteen years old. That was too much responsibility to put on a kid.
Drew’s fingers tightened around mine, and Rimmel lifted her head, brown eyes wide.
