Bryce raised his chin and crossed his tanned arms over his chest. "The poor guy just lost his home, his wife is fucking his brother practically in front of him, and now you two are trying to make him out to be the villain in all this? Get a life!"
I couldn't figure out if he was lying, or if he really believed the bullshit he was spouting.
Hawk's voice was calm when he spoke again, as if Bryce's outburst hadn't happened. "Parker was in bad shape when Finn and Savannah found her. She'd been in the dumbwaiter for a few hours. Trapped in that tiny box, unable to move, in complete darkness, while it got hotter and hotter. She was close to heat stroke when Finn pulled her out. Too much longer and she'd be in the hospital. She could have gone into shock."
The blood drained from Bryce's face as Hawk spoke, until he was gray under his tan. Shaking his head wildly, he insisted, "It wasn't me. I like to fuck around, but I'd never hurt anyone. I'd never hurt Parker. She's always been–" He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "She was always–" He shook his head, backing toward the door. "I'd never hurt Parker."
When no one moved to stop him, Bryce whirled and bolted from the room. The three of us watched him go. "I know we can't prove it," Hawk said, "but he's the one who shoved Parker in that dumbwaiter."
"Agreed," Griffen added. I only nodded and excused myself to go sit with Parker.
After her close call that morning, I needed to be with her, needed to see for myself that she was fine. Hawk had exaggerated the danger I'd been in, but not Parker's. She'd been close to heat stroke. If Finn and Savannah hadn't been in the storeroom, if my meeting had run later, if she'd been in there much longer, she could have died.
I'd taken her from Finn and the second I touched her, I'd known genuine terror. The heat had baked off her skin, her body shaking so hard it had been difficult to keep her in my arms. And most of all, she'd seemed barely conscious, withdrawn, tears leaking from her eyes. I'd never forget any of it. I couldn't stand how close I'd come to losing her.
The seed of an idea took root as I let myself back into our rooms, sending Hope away to rest herself. I thought about it all that day, and the next, and the day after that. Finally, by the middle of the week, I called my lawyer with a set of very specific instructions. Within another few days, papers were signed and my plans carried out.
My original plan had involved romantic dates with Parker, new adventures, and lots and lots of sex. Then Tyler had shown up and blown that plan to hell.
Now I had a new plan. One that would eliminate the Tyler problem for good. I just had to talk Parker into it.
I stalled through the weekend, waiting for her to get back to full strength. By Sunday, we were both going a little stir crazy. So stir crazy that we were joining the rest of the family for Sunday dinner. Parker had insisted that she was finished with hiding. She felt fine, and we weren't running from anything. I'd agreed. But before we went downstairs–
"Parker, I have a proposal for you."
She turned, a laugh in her eyes as she screwed on the back of a diamond earring. "I hope not! I'm not divorced yet. "
I was glad she could laugh about it. I tried for a smile. "Not that kind of proposal. When it's time for that kind of proposal, I won't announce it ahead of time."
"Good to know," Parker said with a smile, coming closer to reach up and pull me down for a kiss. Something about the incident in the dumbwaiter had changed her. She'd lost her reservations about our relationship, wasn't worrying about whether it was inappropriate or awkward.
Parker was mine. She loved me, and she didn't care who knew it. I had to hope that was going to work in my favor.
Unaccustomed to the nerves skittering up and down my spine, I broke our kiss and reached behind me for a white rectangular envelope. Handing it to Parker, I waited.
Raising one pale eyebrow, Parker pulled out the stack of papers inside and reviewed them. Her brows drew together as she scanned page after page, mouth pursing in a scowl. Flipping the last page to the back of the pile, she shoved the papers back at me.
"What is this supposed to be? I don't want this, Nash."
The honest distress in her eyes gutted me. I was doing this all wrong. "I want you to leave Heartstone Manor with me. I know that means you'll lose your inheritance. That's what the money's for."
Parker stared at me, her face blank for a moment as she tried to absorb what I was saying. Then she laughed, tossing the papers onto a nearby table.
"Fifteen million dollars, Nash? You have a very optimistic idea of what I was worth to my father." She shook her head, her certainty and sad eyes turning the knife in my gut. "Fifteen thousand, maybe. Nothing is more like it. But there's no way there's fifteen million in my inheritance. Maybe for Griffen or Ford, but not for me or my sisters."
"I want you to leave with me, Parker," I said, trying again. I had to make her understand. "It isn't safe here. Even with the extra security, we're living like prisoners. I want you in an environment I can control. As long as Tyler is here, I can't keep you safe, so let me take you away from Tyler."
"And in return for leaving my home, my family, I get fifteen million dollars?"
"Will you forget about the money?" I said, painfully aware I was too loud, my frustrated anger leaking out. "This isn't about money, it's about keeping you safe."
Once, Parker might have flinched from my raised voice. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips and glared at me. "Listen to yourself. Do you know who you sound like?"
What? Why wasn't this going the way it was supposed to? I didn't answer her question, just glared back at her.
"Your father, Nash. You sound like your father. He did things like this to you all the time. 'Do what I say and all this will be yours.' You hated that crap. I can't believe you'd do it to me."
The disappointment in her voice was too much. "It's not the same! I'm trying to keep you alive, not manipulate you."
