“Desiree, thank you.” Carly fetched her handbag.
“My driver is outside.”
Sinclair’s feet ate up the pavement and she double-stepped to keep up. After they slid into the backseat of his Lincoln Continental, Sinclair instructed his chauffeur and they pulled into D.C. traffic.
The silence helped Carly collect her jumbled thoughts, but she couldn’t slow her frantic heartbeat. Ashton had been her closest friend since second grade. Once, in middle school, things had almost ventured outside the friend zone, but his life had spun out of control and he needed a friend—not a girlfriend—to help him manage through the loss.
Over the years, she’d watched a revolving door of women come and go. But she’d remained steadfast in the friend zone, ignoring the innermost desires of her heart.
For as long as she could remember, he offered his support every single time her parents expressed their disappointment in her. Several months ago, her beloved grandfather had died and Ash had been her rock. And, over the years, he made her guts burn from all the belly laughing they’d done together.
So, she’d cling to that beloved friendship, knowing that one day someone would come along and claim his heart. A sharp pain stung her chest and she glanced over at Sinclair. He stared out the window, muscles in his jaw ticking again and again, as if keeping time to some tune running rampant through his mind.
“You’re overly protective of Desiree, so what didn’t you want her to know?” she asked.
Sadness tinged his eyes. “He might not make it.”
Adrenaline raced through her. “Oh, God, no.”
“Warren is out of his mind with worry. He didn’t say anything about who should visit or who shouldn’t. I made that decision.”
“Of course you did.”
“You hold it together when it counts. He needs that. He needs you.”
“I’ll be strong.”
“Desiree and Hudson can’t see their big brother fighting for his life. Some would say I have no right to keep his family away.” His lips quirked at the corners. She’d seen that sinister smile hundreds of times. “But you know I don’t give a damn what anyone says or thinks.”
The six men who’d graduated Harvard together had an unbreakable bond. When one was down, the others would rally around and lift him up. Throughout the years, she’d witnessed that over and over again. Tears clouded her eyes and she turned away.
The driver pulled up in front of her modest brick-front home in Arlington. Sinclair waited in the car while she threw clothing into an overnight bag. An hour later, they boarded his private jet at Dulles International Airport. Colton Mitus and Maverick’s father, Warren Hott, were seated.
Colton, CEO of Mitus Conglomerate, had a brilliant mind. Normally reserved and stoic, there was no denying the concern in his eyes. Ashton’s cocky, bold, larger-than-life personality seemed to be the glue that held these men together.
Worry lined Warren’s face, his eyes red from crying. Her heart broke. He looked so damn scared.
Both men rose to hug her.
“Thanks for the call,” Colton said to Sinclair. “What do you know?”
Sinclair placed a hand on his shoulder. “Give me five with the pilots, unless you want to fly this bird.”
“I’m in no condition to pilot anything.”
Silence hung heavy, the atmosphere thick with tension, as they taxied to the runway.
Once airborne, the flight attendant took their drink orders. Sinclair perked up, the familiar twinkle in his eyes returning when he glimpsed her long legs. Carly bit back a smile. This would have made Ashton laugh out loud while he encouraged his friend to take care of his personal business with her after the plane touched down. But Carly was confident that if she hadn’t been there, and Ashton had, both men would be vying for that flight attendant’s personal attention.
A moment later, the attendant returned with their drinks. Carly needed something strong to numb the shock, so she tossed back a whiskey, welcoming the burn. Only after the alcohol had calmed her palpitating heart did she ask for the rest of the story.
“Warren, how are you holding up?”
Ashton’s dad didn’t fake it where she was concerned. “I can’t lose him, Carly.”
Her heart stuttered, the pain reverberating through her. “He’ll pull through.” For his sake, she tried smiling. “Can you talk about what happened?”
He patted her hand. “Of course.” He regarded the two men sitting across from him. “Thanks for dropping everything. I know you both have a lot going on. In fact, I got your save-the-date wedding announcement, Colton. I look forward to the big event.”
