Changing Roles

by Melanie Moreland

  His eyes were focused on her. “I like her too…a lot.”

  “She’s feisty.”

  “She’s smart, funny, and sexy as hell,” he pronounced. “She makes me laugh. I like how she makes me feel when I’m with her. So at ease and happy.”

  “So, not bringing her back, then.”

  He shook his head. “Not if I can convince her to stay for the night. I already promised her a tour of the studio tomorrow.”

  “The way she’s looking at you, I don’t think it’ll be too difficult to convince her.” I pointed out. “And the way the two of them are scheming over there, I think it’s being decided for you.”

  He grinned, taking another swig of his beer. “I’m surprisingly good with it.” He swallowed. “I’ll make sure to give her back after you’re gone. I know she wants to spend time with Shelby.”

  “I think Shelby is thrilled her matchmaking worked. She doesn’t mind Caroline spending time with you.”

  “And you are all for it,” he stated dryly.

  I didn’t bother to hide my amusement. “Whatever makes Shelby happy.”

  He snorted but didn’t say anything else for a few moments.

  “When do you leave?”

  “Sunday.”

  “You don’t sound enthused.”

  I shrugged. “It’s fine. I hate leaving Shelby these days, even if it’s only for a short time. She’s handling all of this well, but I keep thinking something is going to go wrong.”

  “She’s strong, Liam. She loves you.”

  “I love her.”

  His voice was serious. “I know. It’s good to see. She’s changing you—for the better.”

  I had no response. He was right.

  He took another sip of beer. “Aunt Liz know about this?”

  “Yes. I called and told her. She was thrilled but told me it took me long enough.”

  “Sounds like her.”

  Merriment drew our gazes again, and I grinned at the sight of their two beautiful heads bent close together, giggling. I liked seeing Shelby relaxed and happy. “Will she be getting a call from you soon, Douglas?”

  His eyes left Caroline and met mine. He huffed out a sigh. “Yeah, you wanker. She probably will be.”

  “That means a Scottish invasion. An epic one.” I turned on the Scottish accent. “Both her laddies in love? With such bonny wee lassies?” I sniggered. “Oooch, me boys! When do I get grandweans? I’ve been waiting to change nappies for some wee bairns for sooo long.” I drew out the words. “Dad won’t even come to hold her back. She’ll be full-out mental with happiness.”

  He laughed. “She’ll be daft.” He fixed me with a stern look I knew he was struggling to maintain. “She’s your mum. She stays with you.”

  I knew he was full of it. He adored my mum and always complained when she didn’t spend enough time with him on her visits. “She’ll want to spend time with Caroline as well. We’ll share.”

  “I’ll do sixty-forty. And you’re the sixty.”

  I knew he was only bluffing. He’d try to steal her more often—he always did. “Done.”

  “Okay.” He stood. “Let’s go join the ladies.” He looked back, meeting my gaze. “We’ll keep an eye on Shelby, Liam. And Ryan and Everett are here.” He sighed. “I’ll even bring Caroline back while you’re gone, so Shelby isn’t alone. She’ll be fine.”

  I drained my beer and stood beside him. “Thanks. I am worried. It’s only a week, but it seems…”

  He gripped my shoulder. “I know. We’ll make sure she’s okay.”

  “Good.”

  I needed to know that.

  I kissed Shelby, a fierce, deep kiss as I pulled her against me. I didn’t want to go. The past few days had flown by too fast, and now I had to leave again. She eased back, panting. “The car is waiting.”

  “It can wait another few minutes,” I growled, capturing her mouth again.

  I pressed my forehead against hers. “Don’t go out without Ryan. Please, Beaker.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Call Everett if you need something or you’re scared.”

  “I will.”

  “Caroline—”

  She cut me off. “Caroline is with Douglas, Liam. She’ll be over later today. We’re going to do some fun things this week, and I’ll be sure Ryan is with us. Douglas is also coming at times. The rest of the time, I’ll be fine—just like I always am. You’ll be home by the weekend. Don’t worry so much, please.”

  “I’m sorry, I…I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you.”

  She pulled me back with one last kiss. “You have to. It’s your job. Go do what you do and be brilliant. I’ll be right here when you get home.”

  “I’ll call you when I get there.”

  “Okay.”

  I walked toward the car, turning partway down the steps. “Maybe from the airport, before I get on the plane.”

  “Whatever you need to do, Oscar,” she giggled.

  “Go back to bed. It’s early,” I instructed her firmly.

  The car door was open; Mark waiting for me.

  I turned around as I got in the car, for one last look at my Shelby. Leaning on the doorframe, wearing one of my T-shirts and leggings, her hair tumbling past her shoulders in total disarray from my hands, she was breathtaking to me.

  She was home.

  I lifted my hand and slid into the car before I ran back to her for one last kiss.

  Because I knew one would never be enough. I needed more of her. More kisses, more time.

  I took out my phone and texted Everett.

  Liam: Clear my schedule as much as possible. No more time away from home for a while.

  He replied quickly.

  Everett: Okay. Will do what I can.

  I sighed. I rarely demanded much, but I wanted this. More than anything.

  Liam: Just take care of it, Ev.

  His reply was brief.

  Everett: Done.

  It was what I wanted. I’d do this movie, all the publicity the studio wanted for Nighthawk, and then I would take some time off. Maybe take Shelby away for a holiday. The two of us on a deserted island or something—just somewhere private we could be alone and I could spoil her. I’d like to do that.

  About halfway to the airport, my phone buzzed, and I looked at it, expecting to see another return text from Ev. Instead, there was a picture from Shelby with the text —waiting for you right here—and I had to smile. She had taken a selfie, lying in our bed, resting on my pillow with Thor beside her head, curled into her dark hair. She was smiling into the camera, her eyes half-closed and sleepy-looking. She was so damned sexy, and she had no idea.

  I wrote her back.

  Liam: I love you in our bed.

  Her return text made my heart clench a little more.

  Shelby: I love you everywhere.

  God, she was brilliant.

  The next week couldn’t go by quick enough.

  21

  Liam

  I yanked my T-shirt over my head, grabbed my duffle bag off the floor, and shoved my few personal items in it. I looked around the trailer to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind. Satisfied, I pulled the door open and went to find Mark. The location shoot I was involved with was done, and I was ready to go back to the hotel. I had an interview later in the afternoon and a flight home the next morning. I had a few days off, then the film I was working on would continue to shoot in LA, meaning I would be home.

  I hated being away from home now. Being away from Shelby.

  I clambered down the steps, surprised to see Mark headed my way, his face dark and scowling. My stomach tightened at his expression. “We need to go, Liam,” he informed me quietly. “Now.”

  “Go where?”

  “Back to LA. Everett booked a private plane. We’ll go to the hotel, get your stuff, and head to the airport.”

  I grabbed his arm. “What happened?”

  “Shelby. She’s been hurt. She needs you.”

&nb
sp; Panic shot through me at his words, and my breath caught in my throat as I struggled to stay calm. “Screw the luggage,” I growled. “They can send it. Let’s go.”

  “Stay calm, Liam,” Mark muttered, grabbing my arm, hustling me onto the plane. I looked behind me one last time at the crowd of photographers at the gate. They were too far away for me to hear what they were yelling, but I knew something big had happened to cause all this mayhem.

  “Why aren’t Everett or Cassidy answering their phones?” I snarled, throwing myself into one of the plush seats. “What the hell is going on? What happened to Shelby?”

  “Fasten your seat belt. I’ll tell you once we’re in the air.”

  I was about to tell Mark to fuck the hell off and tell me now, but I held my tongue. I wasn’t acting like myself due to worry about Shelby. Being an asshole to him wasn’t going to help the situation. Without saying another word, I buckled myself in and leaned my head against the headrest, drawing in deep breaths and wishing we had stopped at the hotel. I could use a Xanax right now. But since I didn’t have any on me, I concentrated on my breathing and tried to think about something calming.

  Except, the one thing that made me calm was Shelby.

  And she was hurt. How hurt, I didn’t know.

  My pulse picked up, and my heart started racing.

  “Mark?” I gasped, struggling for breath.

  “Yeah?”

  I swallowed heavily, trying to get the words out. “Is…is she going to be okay?”

  “Yes. I need to get you to her, Liam. In one piece. Stay. Calm.”

  I let out the pent-up air. “Okay.”

  As soon as the plane leveled off, I sat up. “Tell me. Now.”

  Wordlessly, Mark handed me a copy of one of the daily rags. The one I loathed the most since they were notorious for printing more lies than truth, yet their sales were unbelievable. People ate up that bullshit.

  I was horrified at the headline.

  Shelby Carter’s Husband Breaks His Silence.

  “I was dumped for a richer, younger man.

  She used me. Now she’s using him.”

  Fuck.

  Malcolm fucking Johnson had reappeared.

  I scanned the article, my hands gripping the paper so tight, it started to tear. The article was full of lies and accusations. His version of the story was she left him to pursue me, wanting a younger, richer man. She was the one who made off with the money, leaving him high and dry. She played him. She’d played me. Used her brother’s connection to get to me and bided her time until I fell for her. He was ashamed to say how often he had caught her cheating with younger men in their marriage, but he had tried hard to make it work, because he loved her deeply. He called her a pathological liar and stated that she was desperately trying to hold on to her youth by being with younger men. He was shocked to discover, while he was away trying to come to grips with his pain, he was being divorced and cast aside.

  I stopped reading and looked at Mark.

  “This is total bullshit. We can prove all this is false. Tell me Everett has Samuels on it.”

  Mark nodded.

  “Shelby must be shattered,” I muttered. “No wonder Everett sent for me.”

  “That’s not why.”

  “What?”

  “This hit the media this morning—Everett and Cassidy had no warning. Shelby had an eye doctor appointment this morning. When she came out of the building, she was surrounded.”

  My stomach dropped.

  “Ryan wasn’t there?”

  “He was. There were too many of them, Liam. He tried. He’s injured as well.”

  I threw myself out of the seat, pacing the aisle and cursing. I slammed my hand on the top of one of the seats. “Fuck!”

  I spun around. “What happened?”

  “Everett said it was a mob, and they were lying in wait for them. They were rabid. Pushing and yelling, shoving copies of the article in her face. There were too many of them, and Ryan tried to get Shelby back to the car. There were repairs happening on the stairs—work being done on the handrail. Things escalated, and somehow…” He paused and took in a deep breath. “One of the reporters grabbed at her, and Ryan pushed him away. The reporter took a swing at Ryan, and it caught Shelby. She stumbled backward and began to fall over the railing. Ryan grabbed her, but the railing gave way and he went over, and they both fell to the concrete.”

  Shelby.

  My legs gave out, and I sat heavily, staring at him.

  “How bad?” My voice was hollow as I asked.

  “Luckily, it was only one flight of stairs. Had it been higher, things would have been much worse. Still, Ryan took the brunt of the fall. Somehow, he twisted Shelby, so she was on top of him. Protecting her body with his. She hit her head on the railing as they went over. His body landed on a concrete border surrounding the bushes, which caused the bulk of his injuries, then he hit the pavement. Shelby’s arm was broken, she’s bruised, and she was unconscious when she arrived at the hospital.”

  “Unconscious?”

  He nodded. “She’s still unresponsive, Liam.”

  I buried my hand in my hair, and a funny choking noise came out of my throat.

  “Ryan?”

  “His injuries are extensive. Shattered hip, shoulder, and leg, broken ribs.”

  My voice became pleading. “You said she’d be okay.”

  “She will be, Liam. You have to believe that.”

  “Everett is with her?”

  “Yes. He won’t leave her.”

  “Get me to her.”

  He leaned forward, clapping my shoulder. “I will.”

  It was the longest five hours of my life. The entire time, I paced and fumed, becoming more enraged as the minutes ticked by. The flight attendant stayed as far away from me as possible after I snarled at her when she offered me a beverage. I knew Shelby would tell me off for being rude and I should apologize, but I honestly didn’t care about my behavior at the moment. The only thing I cared about was trying to figure out how to get this bloody plane to fly faster and get me to Shelby. Knowing she was not only emotionally hurt, but physically injured because of those fuckers and their irresponsible actions, made me livid. It was all I could do not to tear the plane apart with my bare hands.

  I read and reread the shit that passed as an article, cursing at the blatant lies within it. I knew why he’d done this: money. He must’ve seen pictures of Shelby and me when he’d slid out from whatever rock he’d been hiding under. Discovered he was being divorced didn’t sit well, and he’d figured out a way he could cash in on our relationship. And the rag he’d sold his story to was infamous for never checking facts before printing.

  I felt grim satisfaction in knowing by the time my lawyers were through with them, they wouldn’t have a press left to print anything on. I planned on destroying them, and I knew Everett would be right beside me when I did it. I was going to hit them with everything I had at my disposal.

  And Malcolm Johnson.

  He was going to answer for what he’d done. His lies had caused this whole fucking disaster. Because of him, Shelby was lying injured in a hospital bed. I stopped my pacing and plopped into my seat, dropping my head into my hands. The thought of her—Shelby—hurt was tearing me up inside. More than once I had dry heaved in the bathroom simply thinking about her lying there, unconscious and bleeding. I couldn’t stand the idea of her being in pain. I had no idea how I was going to handle it when I arrived, but I knew I had to—I had no choice.

  I had to be strong for her. And for my friend Everett. I knew how he adored his sister and how deeply he revered her for the way she’d looked after him when their parents died. He had to be suffering right now as well. Tears ran down my cheeks, and I swiped them away in anger.

  I couldn’t do this right now. I couldn’t fall apart. I inhaled a deep breath.

  It was time to grow up and be the mature person they could lean on.

  The way they had allowed me to lean on them for s
o long.

  “Liam.”

  I looked up at Mark’s quiet voice. “We land soon. There’ll be a car waiting.”

  “Any change?” I knew he’d been using the plane’s satellite phone to check in with Cassidy—I could barely think, never mind talk. Everett hadn’t left Shelby’s bedside. The only message I asked to pass along was to make sure Shelby had the best care available and a private room. Anything she needed, she was to have. He assured me Cassidy would take care of it all.

  He shook his head. “No. Ryan is out of surgery, though. He did well.”

  “Good.”

  “Almost there. Hold on.”

  I shut my eyes. “Thanks.”

  I had no idea what was waiting for me.

  We landed in a private area of the airport and taxied into a hangar. As soon as we hit the ground, I was on the phone to Samuels, who had been in contact with Cassidy. I gave him instructions on what I wanted to happen. If he was surprised at my sudden take-charge attitude, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. I called my parents, who sent their prayers and told me to keep them posted, then called Douglas from the car, knowing Caroline would be with him. He knew what had happened, was horrified, and wanted to do something to help. He told me as soon as I had news to contact him. He was keeping Caroline away from the hospital until he heard from me. We both knew it would be a mob scene there, and it was best for her to stay at home.

  Cassidy had arranged for the car to bring me to a service entrance, so I was able to get inside the hospital without incident. The paps were all hanging outside the front and sides, waiting for me to show up later. Cassidy had issued a statement saying I was on a later flight; therefore, they weren’t expecting me yet. She was waiting for me by the elevator, pale and tense. She flung her arms around me, and I held her, grateful for the sight of a friendly face. Pulling back, I scanned her anxious eyes. “Is she awake?”