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“Emerson?” Storm asks without looking up from his computer.
“How did you know?” I huff out a laugh as I pour myself a drink at the bar in the corner. “You want one?”
“It’s a bit early for hard liquor but go your hardest.” He chuckles. “And I know, because the only time I’ve ever seen you so exasperated is when she’s pissed you off. What did she do now?”
I take a sip of whiskey before collapsing into the seat across the desk from Storm. The movement is too similar to the one in the office in the penthouse, and I have to fight to keep myself calm. “She’s having trouble accepting the criminal component in our lives,” I tell him truthfully, it’s not like she’s the only woman in our lives that doesn’t condone that side of us. Wynter and Snow hate it, but they also grew up with it, making it a much easier pill to swallow.
Storm nods, finally drawing his attention from his computer. “Didn’t you know that would be the case? That the hardest battle you would have to overcome is her accepting what you do?”
“Yes, but I thought we were past it. I thought the night of the gala was the start and end of the argument about it, but clearly it wasn’t.” I sigh. Maybe this is why we had both stayed single for so long, because finding a woman that could accept us for who we are is next to impossible. But Emerson has to learn to live with this side of me, because I’m not letting her go. She’s mine, and it wouldn’t matter how hard she fought, I was never going to let her go.
“This is why I’m single.” Storm scrubs a hand over my face. “You’re probably better off talking to Everett about this shit, but I’ve got to know Emerson a lot over the last week, and she’s not uncomfortable with us. She knows where we go every day, she knows what we’re doing, and do you know what I see every morning when we leave the penthouse?” he asks and when I shake my head, he continues. “Worry. She’s worried that you won’t come home. She wouldn’t be worried if she didn’t care.”
“I’m not asking Everett for relationship advice after he broke our baby sister’s heart,” I growl.
“Not because he wanted to, Rayne. You know that. If he had it his way, they would be married with a few kids running around by now. The point is that it’s not easy for women to accept this side of us, it wasn’t easy for Mom. It’s not easy for Wynter and Snow, and of course it’s not easy for Emerson. But she’s doing her best and that’s all you can ask of her.”
I nod. “You’re right.”
He smirks. “I’m always right, big brother. Go easy on her, she’s been through a lot in the last few weeks and I can’t imagine it’s been easy for her.”
I lean back in my seat and throw back the rest of the drink. The liquor burns through my body and takes the edge off the irritation I feel. Storm’s right, I need to go easy on her because the harder I push, the harder she’ll push back. She’s not a meek woman who is going to jump when I say jump and that’s something I have to learn to live with.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I quickly pull it out. “What’s up?”
“There’s been a fire at the youth center,” Cameron says. “Not a lot of damage, all the kids and your girl’s dad are safe, but I think you should get her down here.”
“Fuck. I’m on my way.” I stand from my seat quickly. “Can you call security at the penthouse and get them to take Emerson to the Center?”
Storm nods. “Sure. I’ll pull some guys from one of the clubs as well to make sure she’s covered and we don’t leave the girls as sitting ducks at the penthouse.”
“Thanks,” I say over my shoulder as I tear out of his office and impatiently press the elevator button while dialing Emerson’s number. She’s going to freak the fuck out if security are the ones to tell her.
“Rayne, thank god. I’m so so—”
“It’s fine, sweet girl. I understand. Security are about to come grab you and take you to the Center. There’s been a small fire. No one is hurt, but we thought you might want to be there with your dad. I don’t want you to worry, Storm is organizing additional security for the trip and I’m going to meet you there, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“I’ll see you there, sweet girl.” I end the call as I climb into the low sports car I only drive when I need to feel the power the car harnesses, and I’m grateful Emerson pissed me off so much I felt the need for it today.
Getting across the other side of the city would normally take an hour, but in this baby, I can cut that time in half.
The roar of the engine soothes me as I turn onto the street quickly, needing to make sure I beat her there to prepare myself for her inevitable freak out.
There is nothing in the world more important to her than the Center, and I know I’m in for full-blown panic when she gets there.
39
Emerson
Security ushers me into the elevator and through the lobby, acting as a shield between me and the rest of the world. Personally I’m pretty sure the wall of muscles surrounding me brought more attention to us, but who am I to comment?
“Miss Miller, my name is Dan. This is how this is going to go. We have three cars. You’ll be in the middle one with me and two other guards and the driver. The cars are going to change position within the traffic a few times just in case someone is following us, and then we are going to split up. I don’t want you to worry. We are going to keep you safe.”
I nod my understanding as my heart beats against my ribs painfully. I can’t quite tell if it’s the fear of being outside the safety of the penthouse, or whether it’s because there’s been a fire at the place that so many people consider home, regardless of where they lay their head at night.
Dan helps me into the large black SUV and pushes me into the middle seat as he gets in one side, and another guard positions himself in the seat on the opposite side. This seems like an extreme amount of security for one person, but then Rayne does value my safety above all else.
