Perfect Grump: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Snow, Nicole

  “You’ll be out soon, Abby,” I say, eyeballing Sutton for moral support. “You don’t have to worry. He can’t hurt you or Millie. We have proof connecting him to the drug running, and the medical report proves someone hit you that night. If we move fast, we can make this right.”

  “My apologies. I know you’re upset,” Sutton says, looking up from the tablet he’s been typing on furiously. “I just need to make sure I’ve got this down right...”

  I glance over at him. He’s been so quiet I half forgot he was even here.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt or make her nervous,” he says, looking at Abby. “I’m going to read this back to you to make sure I’ve captured every detail, and if you’re happy with it, I’ll put the oath at the bottom, and you can sign it. That should serve as your statement.”

  “That’s...that’s it?” Abby asks.

  “That’s it. Hardly painless, but this is as bad as it gets. I’m sorry to do this while you’re upset, but your sister is right. The sooner we get William Frisk locked up, the better, and the faster I can get the district attorney to drop the charges against you.”

  She nods vigorously.

  My heart does a somersault, seeing the evil spell this man had over her dissipating alongside her fear.

  I listen as they go over everything he’s written, with Abby correcting the occasional detail.

  Once he’s read the whole revised statement, he says, “Let me see if they’ll let me print this here, and we can get it signed right now.”

  He goes and knocks on the window in the metal door for a guard.

  A burly woman swings the door open. “What do you need?”

  After some hemming and hawing, Sutton wins her over, and a few minutes later, she’s back with the printed copy.

  The attorney sets it down in front of Abby. He turns to the second page and points at the bottom. “This is it. The document says that everything we’ve written is accurate and that if anything isn’t true and you sign it, you’re committing perjury, which is punishable by jail time.”

  “It’s all true,” Abby says, her voice raw.

  “So, you’ll sign on the line under the oath and date it. I’ll send this with a copy of the anonymous report with Will’s GPS location right over—”

  “You got his GPS?” Abby blinks in surprise.

  I bite my lip to keep from smiling.

  “Nick,” I mouth to her.

  Her smile highlights the rings around her eyes. “Are y’all a thing now? Finally?”

  “Sorta.” Then I remember how weird he’s been for the last day or so and my happiness wilts. “At least, we were.”

  I’m not sure what’s happening anymore.

  This is hardly the time or place to be pining over a man who’s always strapped my heart to a rocket.

  “Give him a break if he’s done something stupid. He does too much not to care about you,” Abby whispers.

  “He’s been wonderful with all this.” I focus on the table. “It’s not that. I just think he may have changed his mind.”

  “Really?”

  I don’t know what to say, so I keep it to myself.

  Before she can question me again, the guard opens the door. “Time’s up for today, but if you still need to talk to your attorney, he can come back tomorrow.”

  Abby looks at her, exasperated, and stands like it takes great effort. Relief shines in her eyes as she looks back over her shoulder. I wave goodbye, hoping it’s the last time we’ll have to do this here.

  Sutton puts his tablet back in his briefcase. “I’m delighted we got this squared away, Miss Halle. This is the most productive visit I’ve had with your sister.”

  I nod.

  “Our car should be here.”

  On the ride back, I send Nick three messages before the cab makes it to Sutton’s office. He never responds.

  I’m alone in his Maserati and getting more anxious by the minute. It’s later, darker than before.

  Should I call since he can’t answer my messages? Would that make me look pathetic?

  Sigh.

  I don’t know what to do, but I’ll go berserk if I don’t know what’s going on.

  Fumbling with my phone, I try calling.

  No answer.

  Goosebumps pepper my skin.

  Abby’s words about how Will swore he was a changed man echo through my mind. What if Nick’s doing the same thing?

  Sure, he’s not a fraction as horrible as Abby’s ex, but he’s had his demons. What if one of them finally got the best of him again?

  What if he’s back to being the same guy who took me to a gala to make his ex jealous? But he said that’s not why he took me. He wanted it to be a date.

  He says a lot of things, though.

  I’m beginning to think lying might be hardwired into the Y chromosome.

  Thankfully, Abby should be out of jail soon, and I couldn’t have done it without him. At least there’s that.

  Doesn’t he deserve the benefit of the doubt? He said he’d explain everything tonight...

  Only, I keep wondering what needs explaining. And the more I wonder, the wider the pit in my stomach opens, becoming an abyss.

  Keep on going. It’s all you can do.

  I’ll do what I planned earlier, I decide—grab Millie and head to Nick’s penthouse. He’ll either be there to tell me what emergency made him run out of the office like a rooster on fire...

  ...or he won’t. And then I guess I’ll cry myself to sleep on the plush bed in Millie’s room while she wonders what made her aunt such a hot mess.

  When I get to Brandt Ideas, Paige waits in the lobby of the executive suite.

  “Reese! I haven’t seen you in forever.” She runs up and hugs me.

  I’m so not in the mood for this kind of energy today, but Paige has always been a sweetheart so I hug her.

  She steps back. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “...you look tired.”

  I shake my head. “Oh, whoops. I didn’t realize I looked that rough. It’s been a long week. Is Ward here? I need to tell him I’m heading out a little early today.”

  “Nah, not rough by any means, but you’re flushed,” she says, wearing a concerned smile.

  Bah. Putting up with Nicholas Brandt will make you see, breathe, and eat red in every shade.

  “I’ll talk to Ward once he’s out of his meeting. Grab the kidlet and relax.”

  “Do you think he’ll be upset if I don’t talk to him myself?”

  She waves a hand and scrunches her nose. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle Ward. Reese, if you need a break for a couple hours, Millie can stay with Tiffany and I’ll drop her off later.”

  Her response shocks me. I’m not used to anyone but Abby—and very recently, Nick—offering to help.

  “Umm—” I’m about to say Nick and I were going to spend the evening with her and close my mouth when I realize they still don’t know about us. Will has to be dealt with before that cat comes out of the bag. “You’re sweet, but I’ve got her.”

  “Are you sure?” Paige asks.

  “Totally!” I insist.

  Without another word, I walk over and open the door to the playroom. I walk in to say a few words to Tiffany, gasping as something slams into me from behind. Millie giggles as she wraps her arms around my leg. I peel her arms off of me and pick her up.

  “Time to see Quick Nick?” she chirps.

  “Don’t you know it, bumblebee,” I say, forcing a smile.

  Inwardly, I’ve never been more afraid to see Nicholas Brandt than I am right now.

  I want to tell her that her mom should be back soon, but I don’t want to jump the gun in case there are any last-minute holdups.

  The thing about growing up on the bad side of foster care is, you never fully trust any system, no matter how clear-cut it appears to be.

  I put Millie in her car seat and get behind the wheel.

  “I wanna hammyburger,” she says.
<
br />   “We’ll get dinner soon,” I promise.

  “Hangry, Auntie Reese.”

  Her cuteness could make me break down in tears right now.

  Because I’m ten seconds from losing my mind and don’t want to deal with a drive-thru run and prolong the agony, wondering what I’ll find with Nick. But I’m not explaining that to a four-year-old.

  So I turn on the kids’ satellite radio station instead and listen to Millie slaughter “A Whole New World.”

  The song annoys me.

  Why do princesses always get whole new worlds and happily ever afters?

  When do orphans?

  If Nick slaughters my heart, will there ever be a happy ending again?

  “Millie, if we needed to go back to Aunt Reese’s place for a few days, would you mind?” I ask, my worries taking over.

  “I like it at Nick’s!”

  “You knew we’d have to go home sooner or later. When your mommy comes home, you’ll go back to your apartment.”

  “She coming soon? I miss Mommy,” she says sadly.

  “I know you do, baby. I’m not sure when, but I know she’ll be with you, probably sooner than we think,” I assure her.

  “Can we go see her?” Millie asks, waving her little hands.

  “...I don’t think we can today. It’s a little too late.”

  “Why’s the jail phone different, Auntie Reese?” she asks, shifting effortlessly into question time.

  I purse my lips, remembering her drawing with the oversized phone.

  “It’s not the same as a real phone, baby. It can only make calls on the other side of the wall,” I tell her.

  “What mistake did Mommy make? I don’t wanna make mistakes. Don’t wanna get locked up with no friends.”

  Heart, meet hammer. It’s a struggle to fight back the panic, the tears, the sadness as I look at her in the rearview mirror.

  “Your mom still has friends who love her very much no matter where she is or what happens,” I say.

  “Who?” Her little nose scrunches up.

  “Me and you...and Quick Nick,” I add. “She’ll be out soon. We’ve been working on it the whole day.”

  “Why you wait so long, Auntie Reese? It’s been a year!” Millie says, scolding me with a look.

  I smile and shake my head. “Definitely hasn’t been a year. Try again.”

  “Has. Do you know how many times Miss Tiffany put me down for naps?”

  “A year is twelve whole months,” I remind her. “This is closer to two.”

  “Oh. Well, it’s still a lotta months...”

  I grin, grateful to have her kid logic for comic relief. It actually makes me feel a little better about whatever’s up ahead.

  In a way, she isn’t wrong.

  For a preschooler separated from her mama, it’s been a lot.

  And for me, a certain man who drops me on my head with every breath will always be too much.

  26

  Just Call Me Atlas (Nick)

  Carmen keeps trailing me like a lost puppy, even as I hang up the phone.

  All I can do is hope like hell the police show up before Reese and Millie.

  I head back to my room with Carmen following miserably behind me, where she suddenly gives up and drops into a leather chair by the window, across from my bed.

  “What was in the email you sent Osprey?” she asks.

  No point in fighting it. What’s done is done.

  I open the message in my sent folder and hand her my phone.

  Her eyes flick over it angrily. “You...you called me an intruder and a spurned psychopath?”

  She throws my phone against the wall. I knew that was coming.

  “What would you call it?” I snap.

  “I’m not an intruder! I have a key. I unlocked the door and walked in. And psycho. Jesus. I’m trying to protect you. It’s all I’ve ever tried to do, saving you from yourself and that little gold-digging bitch of a 'driver.'”

  My eyes heat, fixing on her like a hunting hawk. “I said watch your mouth. She’s none of your concern.”

  And soon, Reese Halle won’t be my concern, either, I think, anger twisting through me.

  Carmen shrugs. “She roped you in good. Ask yourself this. Do you actually have anything in common? If she didn’t work for you, would you have ever met her?”

  My jaw tightens.

  I don’t answer. I’m exhausted with her mind games.

  “And you don’t find it odd that she doesn’t mind shacking up with her boss?” Carmen flings out.

  “It took some convincing,” I say quietly.

  It did, and no matter how much my life is about to go to complete shit in a matter of minutes, I’ll always have the memories.

  She narrows her eyes and gives me a knowing smile. “Right. I’m sure you had to persuade her oh so hard.” Sarcasm drips from her mouth.

  “Do you ever shut up? It’s spoiling your surprise,” I grumble.

  “Surprise?” She holds her head up and leans forward in the chair.

  “You weren’t listening? I called the Chicago PD after I threw Osprey his chicken feed. They’ll be here any minute.”

  Her mouth drops. “What the fuck? You did not, Nick Brandt.”

  I hold her gaze.

  “Oh my God!” She stands. “Are you insane?” She throws her arms over her head and lets them drop, horror curdling her face. “I’ll be arrested for your shit! And...and those stupid marks I left on your arm—”

  She’s silent as her eyes stick to the long scratches she left down my wrist, slowly caking over with dark clotted blood.

  “But you won’t be arrested for breaking and entering,” I growl bitterly. “I won’t bother pressing charges for that.”

  She glares at me, pacing the room like a cornered cougar.

  “You’re going to jail with me and you know it. Why would you do this? You’ve just completely trashed your reputation. Again. Only, this time there’s no coming back. It’s not like your parents’ scandals and the crap you pulled when you were younger. If the whole city thinks you’re a drug fiend...I hope you know how bad you’ve fucked yourself.”

  I smile, accepting my fate.

  If it protects Reese from my mess of a life—if it nails Frisk’s case shut and helps free her sister—nothing else matters.

  Carmen stops wearing a path through my floor and lets out an animalistic groan.

  “Are you stupid?” she snarls at me again.

  “Probably. Does it matter, though? I’ve spent my entire life running from bad press. This time, I’m facing my mistakes head-on. Even if we fight our way out of it legally, we’re fucked reputation-wise, just as you said. Neutralized. If you ever run across that sex video after that and share it, so be it. The whole world can see us fucking on top of the drug charges I’m sure will be all over the press. It won’t matter, Carmen. I won’t have a reputation to ruin, and I can’t drag down anybody else. Don’t you see it? I’m free.”

  “Your secretary—”

  “Driver,” I growl back.

  “Whatever. You don’t think the help will be furious?”

  “She’ll be upset, but in time, I know she’ll understand.” I shrug. “She’ll never have to doubt how much I love her.”

  “You fucking love her?” Carmen’s face contorts. “You know I’m going to nail you with everything, right? I’ll hire an army of attorneys to bleed you dry. So many damage claims they’ll make your head spin for what you’ve done to me.”

  I listen for a knock at my door, wishing the cops would hurry up. I’m officially sick of sharing hell’s waiting room with this narcissist freak.

  “Have at it. I don’t see what that’ll accomplish. Your career goes kaboom the instant The Chicago Tea publishes the pictures I sent. Ward and Grandma won’t kick me out of the company. The board might ask me to resign, but they can’t do much about the third of the company I own, or my new startup.”

  Her eyes grow wide. Something new flashes in her eyes as
she realizes I’m not intimidated—fear.

  “Fuck this!” she spits. “I’m not waiting around to go down with you.”

  My intercom buzzes as she jumps up and lurches forward.

  I go numb.

  This is it.

  My whole life is about to change the second that door opens. I’ll get a nice mugshot. Ward will probably invent new ways to say “dumbass” when he comes to post bail. Who knows how many months I’ll burn fighting this.

  Whatever happens, I’ll pay a fine and stand by the truth.

  I’ll probably lose Reese.

  Then I’ll resign from Brandt Ideas to keep from embarrassing Ward and so he won’t have to defend my actions. Maybe I can rename Brandt Dreams to shake my reputation, but if it’s too much, I’ll step aside there too. I’ll start all over again.

  But it’s done.

  Carmen isn’t blackmailing me anymore. With everything hanging out in the open, I won’t have to hide.

  My stomach sinks and my mouth feels like cotton, but it’s liberating to be finished with this fuckery.

  I go to the door, half expecting to see Osprey himself show up with an entourage ahead of the police. Carmen doesn’t follow this time. Does she think she can hide?

  I yank the door open and stop. A sad blue-eyed mess of chestnut hair and lovely woman greets me.

  “Reese?” Her name rattles out of me.

  Before I can move, Millie scurries past and runs inside. “Nick, I wanna play!”

  “Millie, come back!” I rumble, spinning and heading toward her.

  “No. Play!”

  Reese steps through the door, batting her eyes as she gets a good look at me. “What’s that all over you? Are you—holy shit. Your arm. Are you hurt? What happened?”

  I shut the door and nudge the kiddo back toward her aunt. “Reese, you’ve got to take Millie and get out of here. Now.”