Hawk gave a short nod. Closing his fingers around Tyler's neck for a second time, he wrenched his wrist, forcing Tyler to turn and face the door. "Outside," he ordered. Skewering Bryce with his eyes, he added, "You, too."
"What did I do?" Bryce asked the room, before following them out, that wide grin still on full display.
I wanted to know what the fuck was going on, but first, I needed to talk to Parker. Ignoring the thunk of the door closing behind us, I caught her gaze. "Can we talk?"
The pause was endless before she said, simply, "I don't think so."
Her words hit me like a fist to the gut. I'd expected her to make me work for it. I hadn't expected her to cut me off at the knees. I said nothing, staring at her, drinking in her face. Beneath the flush on her cheeks from the scene with Tyler, I caught the puffiness under her eyes, the dark circles. Had I made her cry?
The thought turned my stomach. I'd been overconfident and careless. I hadn't meant to be cruel. I'd forgotten that while I'd been waiting for Parker for years, she was not quite free of her marriage to my asshole, abusive brother. He was the only man she'd had a serious relationship with. Her only lover until me.
Parker had deep reservations about getting involved with me, reservations that wouldn't be erased by one night of romance and amazing sex. And I'd left her to wake up alone.
This wasn't about her making me work for her forgiveness. This was no game. I'd broken something fragile and precious. I had to fix it before she'd trust me again.
Fuck. I didn't know how to do this. "I owe you an apology," I began.
Parker was already shaking her head. "You don't. There's nothing to apologise for. I understand. Claudia needed you and you left. It gave me time to clear my head and—"
"Parker, please." I knew what she was doing. She was trying to convince herself that we were over, that this was a mistake and I was nothing more than her soon-to-be-ex brother-in-law. I was back to square one, all the ground I'd gained in the past few months lost because I hadn't left a god damned note.
"I don't want to have this conversation with an audience–" I paused, giving her a second to agree to talk in private. I didn't want to have this conversation with an audience, but I would if the alternative was letting Parker push me away.
Parker lifted her chin and said nothing.
"I should have woken you up and told you I was leaving," I said in a low voice, as if that could stop Griffen, Hope, and Royal from hanging on every word. Parker stiffened, but remained silent.
"It was early, and we didn't get much sleep, so I thought I'd call you when I landed. It never occurred to me that you'd think I ran out on you." I glanced at Griffen, who watched me with blank eyes. "I should have asked Griffen to tell you where I was, but I didn't want to–" I gestured between us. "I didn't want to tell him about us if you weren't ready."
"Well, he knows now," Parker said, sourly. "And maybe I'm not mad at you for leaving. Maybe I'm just not interested." She lifted her chin, giving me her cool, polished shell.
Parker could try that act with me, but it wouldn't work. I'd hurt her, I got that, but I didn't believe for a second that she was finished with me. I knew this woman. She wasn't playing games. She never would have given herself to me the way she had–trusting me to take her on the bike, laughing and talking at dinner, sharing her body freely–if she didn't have serious feelings for me.
Plenty of women went wild after a breakup. More power to them, but that was not Parker. I wasn't a rebound. I was hers. And she was mine.
"Parker," I said, softly, "I'm sorry. I fucked up. I was tired and worried about Claudia, and neither of those things excuses my not just waking you up and telling you I was leaving."
"Parker," Hope hissed from behind Parker. Parker turned and shot her sister-in-law a glare. Hope raised an eyebrow and returned the look. Parker shook her head. Hope stared back, not budging. "Remember what Quinn said."
"You're annoying," Parker responded.
"I know," Hope cheerily returned.
Parker turned to me. "Fine. I'll talk to you in the library." Turning on her heel, she marched from the room, regal and composed despite her ragged ponytail and stained t-shirt. I followed, thinking that I owed Hope Sawyer a debt. I didn't understand how she'd convinced Parker to talk to me, but I knew I owed her all the same.
ChapterTwenty-Five
NASH
"What did Quinn say?" I asked Parker as she closed the heavy door to the library.
"None of your business." Parker was hanging on to cool perfection. That was fine. I liked her shell as much as I liked what was inside. I loved every part of her. And I was in this for the long haul. She had a right to be mad at me, but I wasn't going to let her chase me off.
"Who's Harvey?" I asked. Parker jerked her chin up at the unexpected question before letting out a sigh. She sounded utterly exhausted. I fought the urge to take her in my arms. If I tried she'd probably take a swing at me.
"Harvey is our family's lawyer. He's also the only one who knows the ins and outs of my father's will."
Immediately, I understood. "Your cousin thinks something in the will gives Tyler the right to live here?"
