AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I love you,” he says back, taking my lips and kissing me slowly. It’s the beginning of a sonata, a calming melody before the crescendo to get to the epic finale—Piper.
ChapterFifty-Seven
Finnegan
When we arriveat Lady Bug Bar & Grill, the place is packed.
Derek takes in the scene, inspects the logo, and then says, “That tattoo of the ladybug on the side of your ribs is beginning to make sense.”
I don’t have time to respond since the hostess asks, “Table inside, outside, or do you want to sit at the bar?” Pen poised over the list of waiting patrons.
“Bar,” I answer, noting that it’s almost vacant and hoping that maybe the bartender knows where we can find our ladybug.
We make our way to the bar. As we take our seats, the bartender fixes me with an intense stare. His green eyes search my face. He shakes his head slowly and speaks with an edge. “Get the fuck out of here.”
“You don’t know me, and you’re already ordering me to leave? Someone has to teach you a thing or two about customer service,” I argue, my voice tense.
He stares at me, his eyes cold and calculating. “I know your fucking face,” he says, then flicks an irritated glance toward Derek. “And I’ve met you before too. Don’t make me call security.”
“We just want to talk to Piper,” I say with the calmest voice I can manage.
He lets out an exasperated sigh. “She doesn’t want to speak to you,” he replies with conviction in his tone.
Who the fuck is this man?
I clench my jaw and stare at him in disbelief. “Have you asked her, or have you just decided what she needs?”
His features darken, and he leans closer. “I’ve been around her for the past few months. I know she doesn’t want to see you,” he growls in a low voice. If his eyes had knives, I would be dead.
I’m about to reply when a familiar voice catches my attention. “Grey, can you make two cosmos and—fuck.” Before I can reply, I hear Piper’s voice behind me—sweet and strong—and when I turn around, there she is: Piper looking as beautiful as ever.
“Hey, Ladybug,” I greet her.
She scrunches her nose, and her free hand turns into a fist. “You don’t get to call me that, Finnegan Gil.” Her gaze turns cold and piercing. “Actually, get the fuck out of this establishment. You’re not welcome.”
“Pipe,” Derek greets her, his tone light and friendly in contrast to hers.
“What are you two doing here?” she asks, her voice a low growl.
“We want to talk to you,” I say. “No, we need to talk to you. We understand a lot happened while I was missing, but there are also a lot of misunderstandings. We need to clear things up.”
Her lips press together into a thin line as she considers our proposal. Then, she shakes her head and says, “Leave.”
“You can’t just push us away. Not after us reading your journal and knowing how you really feel,” Derek says. “I need my chance with you, and him. At least listen to us.”
Her jaw tenses, and she bites her lip before relenting. “We’re busy. Unless you help, I don’t have time for either of you.”
I’m surprised she doesn’t kick us out, but instead, she might’ve given us a chance to prove ourselves. She sends me to the kitchen to wash dishes and Derek for busser duty to clean tables. An hour later, an older man who looks strikingly similar to Greyson approaches me with another guy who relieves me from my duty.
I follow the older version of Greyson to a small office. When I get there, Derek is already waiting. As I enter the room, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, unsure of what to expect from these strangers.
“If you two don’t know us, we’re Piper’s parents. This is Thea, that’s Matt, and I’m Tristan,” the man who grabbed me from the kitchen says. “Let me start by asking, what the fuck are you doing in this establishment?”
“We should say get the fuck out of here,” Matt corrects him.
“No. I’m curious why these men came to see our daughter.” He crosses his arms, glaring at me. “Do your wife and kids know about this visit?”
I can feel the weight of their judgment bearing down on me. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Since, technically, I’m dead, I don’t have a wife—the last time I checked your daughter called herself a widow. As far as I know, we don’t have children. Finnegan Gil made a mistake of telling his publisher that he had a wife and a child when he didn’t.”
