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“Nothing’s going to. I told you.”
“I know you did.” I placed my hands on his chest. Feeling his heart thump steadily beneath my palms soothed me.
“Let’s go upstairs.” He gathered my hands in his. “We’ll talk there.”
“It might be better here.”
“Addy.” He blew out a breath that was minty, warm, and stirred wisps of hair around my face.
I wanted to kiss him badly, so I did. Just went right up on my toes and planted one on him.
His mouth curved. “Nice way to distract me.”
“I wanted to kiss you before I tell you.”
“Okay,con bu?m c?a tôi.Let’s go.” He swept my feet off the ground. “Up in the air and in my arms where you belong.”
My mouth curving and my toes curling, I bleeped the locks on my SUV and burrowed into him as he carried me inside.
Through the kitchen, then the restaurant, he strode. He ducked through the curtain, took the stairs two at a time, then entered his apartment. He shifted me in his arms so he could lock the door and set the alarm.
“I know your code now,” I told him.
“You have the key to my heart. Which do you think is more important?”
“Right.” Enough said on that matter. “How was the rest of your evening?”
“Good. Claire and Missy came by the restaurant. I told them to work on a name for the band. I also gave them a strong warning about Martin.” He studied me closely as he took me into his room. “Have you not told her anything about him?”
“No. I don’t like to talk about him.”
“Odd.” He tilted his head. “She seems to know him.”
“Probably from Lakeside. From the private school she attended while living there.”
Lakeside High was Claire and Ella’s school. It had been Miranda and Martin’s before them, and Winston and Grace’s before their children. Knowing this, I’d pored over every picture from Lakeside High functions that made the newspapers, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ella, and I had.
My daughter was on the dance team. Her blue eyes as a young child had changed like the birthing nurse had said they might. They were a striking jade color now, and her black hair was sable brown with coppery highlights. She had an adorable smattering of faint freckles across the bridge of her nose like I’d had when younger. Ella was unique, stunningly beautiful, and didn’t look at all like Martin, which made me glad.
“Why would Claire run into Martin there?” Barry asked.
“I’m just speculating. Claire hasn’t mentioned Martin to me.” I bit down on my lip and tapped on his chest. “Put me down, please.”
He set me down, and I took a step backward. My feet slipped a little on the sheepskin rug, but I firmed my shoulders and said what needed saying.
“I have a daughter,” I blurted, deciding to just dive in. When his eyes widened, I felt my nerve slipping like my feet had. “Martin got me pregnant. But that doesn’t matter.”
Steeling myself, I rushed to get it all out.
“What matters is she’smydaughter. That’s what has always mattered. As soon as I realized I was pregnant with his baby, I knew I had to protect her somehow. I had to get out. Even though he threatened you and Rachel all the time to get me to do whatever he wanted, I couldn’t have my baby see him do those things to me. Or worse, let a monster like him raise her.”
“Oh, Addy. Fuck.” Barry’s eyes were so anguished and angry, they almost broke my resolve to finish.
“I love her with everything I have in me. I think you understand. You have a son. It’s obvious you love him. I’m so glad you have him.” My voice cracked like my soul had when they took my baby from me.
“Darlin’.” He took a step toward me, but I held up a hand to put him off. I had to get it all out first.
“I love my Ella, but I couldn’t keep her. I had no money then, none at all, no power, and Martin being who he is ...” I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. “I only had one option, and that was to give her up to keep her safe. I knew I couldn’t protect her from Martin, but they could.”
