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I growled in my mother’s direction. “She’s the love of my life, Mamma. Learn to live with it or go home.” I closed my eyes, like I could block out the pain that had nothing to do with my damaged body. “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.”
I closed my eyes, but Tally leaving just played over and over in my mind.
FORTY-SEVEN
TALLY
With the baby hooked over one arm and the phone pressed to my ear, I just felt tired. So fucking tired. “Thank you again for this,” I said to the person on the other end. “I know this probably seems insane, but I just needed somewhere no one would find me, you know?”
Charlotte chuckled darkly. “Don’t even stress it, girl. If anyone knows anything about having psycho exes, it’s me.” There was history there, and normally, I’d want to know. But right now, I was at capacity for drama with my own bullshit. “Besides, that apartment is just sitting there empty, so you’re doing us a favor really.”
I’d sent a message to Charlotte in the hopes she could help me out, which, now that I thought about it, was stupid. But it had paid off.
Shaking my head, I tuned back into her words down the phone. “Now, Pieter is the doorman, and he’ll help you take your stuff upstairs. I’m going to tell you the code to get in the door, and you can’t forget it, all right? But you also can’t write it down; that’s not very secure. If you forget, call me and I’ll remind you, or talk to Pieter and he’ll walk you through resetting it.”
I would not cry. I would not cry.
Finnegan, the absolutely giant bodyguard Rocco had insisted I have, hulked behind me. The guy was easily forty, but he had muscles on his muscles. He did nothing for me, though I appreciated his presence when I jumped at shadows in the parking garage.
“Thanks, Charlotte. And thank the guys too.”
I hung up and typed the code into the door. It popped open like magic, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t leaving this apartment until Brick Willtot was no longer a threat. The detective had assured me that it would be over soon, that they were compiling irrefutable evidence, but I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder.
Finnegan checked out the apartment, before he put my suitcase in the bedroom. “I’ll go and get the rest of the stuff from the car. Don’t open the door for anyone, okay?” Something about Finnegan gave me safe vibes. Maybe it was the completely impartial way he looked at me. I’d seen that look before, as a teenager, with my best friend.
Nodding, I waited until he’d left to flop down onto the couch and unbuckle Bobbi-June from her carrier. Propping her against the cushions, I kissed her tiny feet. “It’s just for a little while, baby. And then we’ll go back and see your daddies.”
Her sparkling blue eyes gave me a concerned look, as she looked around the room. Obviously, she wasn’t really concerned, because she had no idea that her biological grandfather was trying to kill me.
This apartment was furnished with high-end stuff, and I was already worried about ruining it with assorted baby vomit. Or one of those poo explosions, like last month, which had traumatized us all, including Norton the dog.
“We’re just going to hang out, have a girls-only holiday and hope for the best. First, I have to call my boss and tell him I’m on the run. Should be fine, right? I’m definitely not getting fired.”
Bobbi-June looked skeptical and sucked on her fist.
Antony answered on the second ring. “Tally, are you okay?”
I let out a choked, bitter laugh. “I’m fine. I’m sorry to run out on you like this, especially when you’re already down a driver, but I’m going to need a little bit of time off.”
There was silence at the end of the line, and I could hear Antony standing and shutting his office door. “Are you safe?”
I didn’t deserve this man’s kindness. “I’m safe. I, uh, I don’t know what Hayes or Rocco told you?—”
“They told me that Brick Willtot has lost his godforsaken mind and that you’ve… left to keep them safe. That’s very noble, Tally. A little silly, but noble all the same.”
I made a rude noise, my emotional turmoil apparently making me stupid. “Like you wouldn’t do the same if someone was threatening Vanessa, or any of the guys.”
“Touché, kid. Your job is here, once that whackjob is behind bars.” He paused. “You should have come to me, come to us. We would have kept you safe.” His voice was soft and kind, but the idea of putting them in danger too made me want to vomit.
I sucked in a shuddering breath. “Rocco made me get a big, hulking bodyguard, so I’m fine.”
“Hopefully, you’re back before next weekend, because we’re going to need our reserve driver,” he said pensively. “Don’t worry about anything, Tally. You’re part of the family here, and we’ve always got our family’s back.”
After we hung up, Finnegan and Pieter the doorman appeared with the rest of the baby stuff. Bobbi-June was too big for the bassinet now, but it would have to do for a couple of more weeks as we figured everything out.
Once I’d set everything up, I put her down for a nap and climbed into the bed beside her. I was exhausted, and I couldn’t see it getting better anytime soon.
Three days later, I was going out of my brain for a whole different reason. I was still keeping in touch with the guys, sending little updates, but refusing to enter into any conversations about me coming home. I just promised I would, once this was all over.
