“No—”
“Excellent. So it’s settled,” Chagny spoke over me. “Let’s go. Devlin must be getting tired, holding Kim like that.”
Mr. Dae kissed his wife goodbye and headed out. The rest of us started toward the exit.
After I gave my address, I walked away from the group, not waiting to ensure they would follow. When I was a few feet away, Chagny said, “How unfortunate for Carla that she missed tonight.”
“Oh yes. But good for our girl,” Mrs. Dae replied.
“Somebody mentioned rehearsal had been intense today. The Maestro is very stern with the musicians. Maybe she just needed a night off,” Chagny said with saccharine sweetness.
I kept my focus on breathing and not punching him in the face.
What game was he playing at? I put more distance between us. Wes’s car sat idling waiting for us. A minivan wasn’t my vehicle of choice, but my brother had it ready and waiting.
“Is she okay?” Wes asked.
“She will be. Help me get her in,” I responded.
He opened the passenger door for me. I placed her in the seat, leaning it all the way back so she could get comfortable. She curled up, still more out of it than anybody should be after just a little bit of champagne. She mumbled incoherently—something about food and notes.
Once she was situated, Wes cleared his throat. “I’m not aiding and abetting criminal activity, am I?”
I shot him a look.
“Don’t answer that. Just give me the keys to the bike and we can pretend this never happened.”
I tossed him the keys and he caught them happily.
“I’ll see you back at my house,” I said.
Once in the driver’s seat, I finally smoothed the loose strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind the soft shell of her ear. Electricity shot through me.
I balled my fist and pulled it away.
Kim could help me with my music. Nothing more. I wouldn’t let old feelings get in the way of new goals.
* * *
“It’s not kidnapping,” I said to Wes. Wear a mask and people automatically paint you as the bad guy.
“You keep saying that like it’s true.” My brother closed the door behind him as he came into the front hallway to whisper-yell at me.
Kim was still asleep in the guest bedroom upstairs. I didn’t think Beethoven’sFifthwould wake her right now. Though I did keep my hat and mask on just in case.
“Thanks for the car and for bringing my bike back.”
He made a gesture like I was dumb for thanking him. “Just don’t tell Kelly.”
I made a gesture like he was dumb for having to say that. But yeah, I would definitely tell Kelly at the earliest opportunity if it meant I got to see my brother smacked upside the head by his pint-sized wife. “And you don’t have to whisper. She’s fine. Just tired.”
“That’s good. Still weird that she’s here.”
I sighed pointedly at him. “For the record, her mom followed me here.” And left again at the soonest opportunity. Chagny, too. Every second he was in my company he would subtly undermine me in passive aggressive ways. They guy was smooth. I’d never be able to charm her parents like he did so effortlessly. None of that it mattered as much as her health. Thankfully, Wes had arrived shortly after and could out charm a used car salesman. When Chagny realized he was outmatched, he cleared out. Mrs. Dae seemed eager to return to her party, and Chagny relented as soon as she’d made it obvious she was ready to go.
“I didn’t just whisk her away in the night. They agreed that it would be better if I took her here and called the doctor rather than wait four hours at the ER.”
“Sure, this is all a totally normal thing to do. Nobody will think anything of it. Rumors won’t start.” Wes made his way toward the kitchen and I followed. He helped himself to my fridge and snagged two beers.
