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Wren glares at Hart. “I had it handled.”
“Yeah. It had that look,” he says with sarcasm.
I shake my head and link my fingers with Brittney’s. I definitely made the right call by reaching out to Hart for protection detail. Now to get through the next few days and win this fight so we can all get on with our lives.
Hawk is sleeping soundly when I slip from under the covers. I swipe leggings and a sweatshirt from the chair beside the bed and tiptoe into the bathroom. After I dress, the phone trembles in my hand.Should I do this?I feel like it’ll help. If what stood between Hawk and me was a huge misunderstanding, who’s to say Matteo knowing the truth wouldn’t help fix their relationship too?
I bring his name up and press the call button before I lose my nerve. I chew on my bottom lip while it rings. “Hello?” he answers sounding surprised.
“Hey. Can we talk? It’s important,” I say barley above a whisper.
“Do you have any idea what time it is, Brittney?” he asks.
I pull my phone away from my ear and realize it’s one in the morning. “I know it’s late, but there’s not much time. I can’t talk during the day…you know that.”
He lets out a small sigh. “Can you be here in thirty minutes?” he asks.
“At Fantasia?” I ask to make sure.
“Yeah. I’ll be here for a while. We just closed but the staff is still cleaning up. The side entrance your boyfriend used will be unlocked,” he says flatly.
“Okay. I’ll be there,” I say and hang up. I close my eyes and send up a prayer I’m not about to make things worse.
When I exit the bathroom, Hawk still sleeps soundly with heavy, even breaths, so I slip out the bedroom door and shut it before silently moving through the mansion to the front door. I grabbed my shoes on the way out of the bedroom and I pause to slip them on.
I’m about to touch the knob when a voice startles me. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
I turn and grab my chest. “Vincent. You scared me,” I say.
He holds a whiskey tumbler in his hand as a fire crackles in the living room. I didn’t notice when I came down. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asks with furrowed brows.
“I, uh…I needed some air,” I lie.
He glances down at the keys hanging from my hand and back up to my eyes with a lift of his chin. “And you needed your keys for that?”
“I thought I might drive for a bit. I can’t sleep,” I say nervously.
He moves closer. “At one in the morning, Brittney. Cut the shit. Where are you going?”
I stand taller. “I love your nephew, Vincent. More than anything. What is it about me you don’t like or don’t trust?” I ask.
“I like you fine. But this family has had enough good intentions morph into disasters that couldn’t be fixed to last a lifetime. Whatever you think you’re about to do, it’s not a good idea,” he tells me.
“It’s a chance I’ll have to take, then. I can’t simply do nothing when I might be able to help,” I counter.
“And when it blows up in your face?” he asks.
“If…if it blows up, I’ll accept the consequences for my actions,” I admit.
“But what you don’t understand is whatever those consequences might be won’t only affect you. They’ll hurt him too,” he says with pain in his voice as he swallows hard.
I smile sadly. “I’m sorry, Vincent. But you won’t change my mind. This is something I must do. If I’m not back in a couple hours, send Hart to find me. I’ll text him where I’m going.”
“I hope you don’t regret this,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Me too,” I say as I slip out the door.
On the drive to Fantasia,I replay the conversation with Vincent in my head. I know I’m taking a big risk by coming, but I have to.I have to try.
