Landen (The Murphy Boys, Book 1)

by Holly C. Webb

  She stood there for a moment, taking slow, steady breaths, trying her hardest to slow her heart rate down.

  She closed her eyes, forcing the tears that were burning her eyes back down inside. She was not going to cry, not because of Pete Reynolds, not again.

  This is not happening! She scolded herself in her mind. That wasn’t him; it’s just your stupid mind playing tricks.

  She didn’t know how long she was even standing there, when her phone began to ring in her hand, making her jump with fright.

  Amelia looked down at the phone and saw Landen’s name flashing on the screen. She took a deep breath, before she hit answer, then brought the phone to her ear.

  “Hello,” she said, closing her eyes once more as hot tears stung her eyes.

  “Amelia,” Landen said, and Amelia could hear the concern in his voice. “What’s happened?”

  “Nothing,” she replied, trying to sound happier than she was actually feeling. “Why would you think that?”

  “Mom called,” Landen said. Amelia cringed knowing that they were all probably talking about her now. “She said you’re upset.”

  “I’m okay,” Amelia lied, trying her hardest to keep her voice even and calm. “I think I’ve had a little too much to drink, I’m ready to come home.”

  “Are you sure?” Landen said, sounding far from convinced. “I could come and get you.”

  “It’s okay,” Amelia said as she wiped the tears from her cheek. “I’ll be home soon.”

  “Okay,” Landen replied, but Amelia knew he was worried. She could hear it in his voice. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  “I’ll see you soon,” she replied, swallowing back a lump that was almost choking her. “I love you.”

  “Love you, too,” Landen whispered.

  Amelia hung up the phone, wiping the tears from her face. She needed to pull herself together just long enough to get her through the end of the evening.

  Blowing out a deep breath, Amelia reached for the latch on the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Nikki standing there.

  “Are you okay?” She asked her friend, giving her a knowing look.

  “I will be,” Amelia smiled. She knew she was being stupid. She was seeing things that weren’t even there now. She needed to relax. In one week’s time, she would become Mrs. Landen Murphy. She just needed to stop being afraid of what could go wrong, but start thinking about everything that is right. “I think I’m just partied out.”

  “How about one more drink for the road?” Nikki asked as she gave her friend a grin.

  “One more for the road,” Amelia agreed as Nikki wrapped her arm around her, as they headed back out to the rest of the ladies.

  Chapter 19

  Landen knew by the tone of her voice something was wrong. He knew she hadn’t wanted to admit it to him, but something had spooked her. He had no clue why Amelia had been so anxious for the last week, but he was worried about her. He didn’t know what to do to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

  Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Landen walked back into the living room, where he had the poker table set up for his night with his dad and brothers.

  “Is everything okay?” Sean asked as he looked up at his son from his cards.

  “I’m not sure,” Landen sighed as he took his seat at the table.

  “Who was on the phone?” Callum asked as he set his cards down on the table too, and Landen knew he could sense he was upset over something.

  “It was Mom,” Landen explained. “Amelia got upset and hurried to the toilet. She said Nikki had gone after her, but Mom was worried. I called Amelia, and she assured me that she was okay, but there was something in her voice… I don’t know; I just think she is unravelling. I don’t know what to do to help her. Since that article in the paper, she has just been so unsure of herself.”

  “Can you blame her?” Liam asked, as he too set his cards down. “I’ve read the files from D.C., New York, and Chicago. Pete Reynolds is a special kind of asshole. He was relentless. She is right to be worried.”

  “You think so?” Landen asked as a feeling of dread spread through his entire being.

  He stared at his brother for a moment, then released a sigh before he stood up.

  “I’m going to go get her!” Landen announced as he pulled his phone from his pocket to call Mike.

  “I’ll take you,” Dylan said as he stood up too. “I haven’t had a drink because I’m on call, so I can drive.”

  “Thanks, Dylan,” Landen said as he gave his brother a grateful smile.

  “Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” Finn asked, giving Landen a worried look. “I mean, I know you’re worried, but if you go hurrying down there, you’re going to let her know that you’re worried too. Amelia is already freaked out enough, but right now she thinks her fears are just irrational thoughts. If you go down there, you will be confirming that there is something for her to be worried about.”

  “I know you’re right,” Landen sighed, as he turned to look back at his brother. “And the last thing I want to do is fuel her fears. But what if she’s right. What if there is something for her to be scared of, and I don’t do anything?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” Finn sighed. “Only you can make this decision.”

  “I need to do this,” Landen continued. “I would rather be overprotective, than do nothing.”

  “Then go, Son,” Sean said, giving him a smile. “You have to do what’s in your heart to do. We will wait here till you get home.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Landen replied. “I will have Mike drop the others home. Mom can come back here with Amelia, Dylan and me.”

  “Okay,” Sean confirmed with a nod, before Landen turned, hurrying towards the door, followed closely by Dylan.

  When Landen arrived at the club Nikki said they were going to; they found Mike already parked outside. Landen had called him from the car. Mike assured him he would head straight there.

  As Landen and Dylan walked towards the Club, Landen hesitated before heading inside.

  “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” He asked Dylan, as he turned to look at him.

  “I don’t know,” Dylan replied honestly. “On one hand, I agree with Finn, what if there is nothing wrong, are you just going to make her more nervous because now she will think you’re worried too.”

  “Okay,” Landen said watching his brother closely.

  “But on the other hand,” Dylan continued. “And I can’t believe I’m actually going to say these words; what if Liam is right? What if you should be worried? I mean, I don’t really know that much about this Reynold asshole, but if what Liam said is true, is it wrong to want to protect her from him?”

  “You’re right,” Landen said, blowing out a deep breath before he turned back to the door. “I’d rather be too careful, than not and regretting it for the rest of my life.”

  He turned back to the entrance and walked past the security on the door, straight into the club. When they got inside, Landen was surprised by how full the place was. It took him a few minutes to find Amelia and the others. Landen felt a little irritated that Nikki would have suggested that the go to a club like this.

  From his point of view, being in such a crowded place was not safe. It would have been easy for someone to get close to Amelia, too close, if they really wanted to. She would have never seen it coming. He wasn’t surprised that Amelia freaked out in such a crowded place.

  He pushed in annoyance down inside him before he reached the group of ladies. Now was neither the time nor the place for him to be getting into an argument with anyone. Right now was about making sure Amelia was safe and getting her home.

  Landen had just reached the table when Amelia looked up and saw him. The moment her eyes met his, she smiled, but Landen could tell that she had been upset.

  “What are you doing here?” She asked with a nervous smile, as she stood up to greet him.

  “Well, I tho
ught you might like a ride home,” he replied, knowing that she knew exactly why he was there. “Also, I kind of missed my girl, and I wanted to see you.”

  “I see,” she replied as she leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Jeez, Boss Man,” Nikki said as she gave Landen a confused look. “Can’t you survive without her for one evening?”

  “I guess I can’t,” he replied, his tone of voice a little chipped. Nikki gave him a surprised look, but she didn’t say anything. “Mike is waiting for you ladies outside. Mom, Dad is still at my place, so you need to come with Amelia and me.”

  “Great,” Nell replied with a smile, but her eyes told Landen that she was worried too.

  “Let’s get you home,” Landen said softly as he returned his attention back to Amelia. She didn’t reply. Instead, she just nodded and smiled, before she turned back to the other girls, saying her goodbyes.

  “Landen,” Nikki said as she stepped closer to him, keeping her voice low enough that the others didn’t hear her. “Are you mad at me?”

  “Now is not the time, Nik,” Landen replied giving her a look that warned her not to push it.

  “I want to know…” a drunken Nikki demanded.

  “I said leave it,” Landen growled under his breath, stopping her mid-sentence before he returned his attention to Amelia once more.

  Slipping his arm around her, he led her through the crowded club, towards the exit.

  When they reached the car, Nell climbed in the front next to Dylan, while Landen got in the back next to Amelia. Soon they were heading back to Landen’s penthouse in comfortable silence; each lost in their own thoughts.

  When they got back to the penthouse, Amelia said goodnight to everyone, excusing herself before she headed to bed. Landen wished that everyone wasn’t there because he wanted so much to talk to her, to try and figure out what was going on inside her head.

  “What happened in the club?” Landen asked his mother once Amelia was out of earshot.

  “I don’t know,” Nell replied honestly. “One minute she was fine, the next, she looked like she’d seen a ghost. Then she just excused herself, hurrying to the ladies room. Then when she came back, it was clear she had been upset, but she didn’t say what had happened. In fact, she barely said another word after that.”

  “And you didn’t see anyone hanging around, or no one approached her,” Landen asked, trying to figure out what had upset her.

  “No,” Nell replied. “Like I said, one minute she was fine, next she wasn’t.”

  “Maybe we should call it a night,” Sean suggested as he walked towards Nell, slipping his arm around her shoulder. “We can talk about this more tomorrow. For tonight though, we should all try and get some rest.”

  “I think that’s a very good idea,” Nell said as she smiled up at her husband. “I called Thomas from the car and told him Mike was going to drop us home.”

  Thomas had been Nell and Sean driver for as long as Landon remembered, and like Stella, Landen had a great deal of respect for the older man.

  “And I’ll drop you three losers home,” Dylan said, smiling at his brothers before they all turned and headed toward the elevator.

  “I will stop by tomorrow,” Nell said as she stepped on to the elevator. “I need to go through some final bits and pieces with Amelia for next week, so it can be my excuse to drop by.”

  “You don’t need an excuse, Mom,” Landen laughed. “But I will see you tomorrow.”

  “Love you, Sweetheart,” Nell said, giving him a smile.

  “Love you, too,” Landen replied as the doors closed in front of him.

  He stood there for a moment, as he closed his eyes, blowing out a long, deep breathe. He suddenly felt more exhausted that he had ever felt in his life before.

  Landen slowly turned and made his way down along the hallway to his bedroom. He paused for a moment before he quietly opened the door, stepping into the darkness of his and Amelia’s bedroom. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he spotted Amelia already in bed, covered by the blankets.

  Landen sighed as he walked across the room before he carefully sat down on the bed next to her.

  The moment he did, Amelia’s eyes opened and, even in the darkness of the room, he could see the tears glistening in her eyes. She quickly sat up, wrapping her arms around Landen's neck as she sobbed softly. Landen didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her from to the bed, onto his lap.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered against the top of her head. “I’ve got you.”

  For a moment Amelia didn’t reply. Instead, she continued to cry quietly, as she held on to Landen like he was the only thing that would keep her from spinning out of control.

  “Amelia,” Landen breathed out. “Please talk to me.”

  “There’s nothing to say really,” Amelia sobbed through the tears, “I’m so embarrassed about what happened tonight. I…I know that I overreacted. I ruined everyone’s night, but I can’t help it. I see him everywhere, I feel like I’m being watched no matter where I go. I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help it. He…he did this to me, and I…I will never be able to relax once I know he is out there.”

  She sobbed harder this time as if her heart was breaking into a million pieces, and it almost broke Landen’s heart too.

  “Amelia, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Landen assured her. “Everyone understands what you’ve been through.”

  “You mean they pity me,” Amelia grumbled through her tears as she abruptly pulled away from Landen, looking at him through her puffy eyes. “I don’t want to be pitied. I just want this nightmare to end for good.”

  “Amelia, I know you have a right to be upset,” Landen said trying to pick his words carefully. “And I know you have been dealing with this on your own for a long time now, but you have people that care for you now. You don’t have to do this alone anymore.”

  “I know,” she sniffed without looking up at him. “I just…I want to be like everyone else. Is that too much to ask?”

  “No,” Landen sighed, knowing that she was right. “No, it’s not too much to ask.”

  “I’m tired,” she sighed as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then without saying a word, she returned to her spot in the bed, pulling the covers up around her shoulder.

  Landen sighed, watching her for a moment, before he pushed up from the bed, heading to the bathroom.

  As he stood at the sink, brushing his teeth a short while later, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He didn’t know how to reassure Amelia that everything was going to be okay, but he knew he needed to find a way.

  Perhaps he should check with the hospital in Chicago, maybe that was the only way of reassuring her. Landen knew it was pointless. If there had been any change in Reynolds situation in the hospital, they knew that they had to notify Landen’s office.

  Maybe he just needed to give her time and a little space. This week was a big deal for them both, it was normal for her to be a little bit nervous.

  Maybe she has changed her mind about the wedding, the thought suddenly occurred to Landen. Maybe she was having second thoughts, and that’s what’s really freaking her out.

  He pushed that thought from his head. He wasn’t going to start to second guess them now. He knew he loved her; he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Nothing else mattered to him. If she was feeling nervous, then it was okay. As long as she turned up the day of the wedding, then everything else would seem unimportant.

  A few minutes later he switched off the water, before he turned back towards the door to the bedroom. As he stepped out into the darkness of the room, he closed the door behind him, switching off the light to the bathroom.

  Making his way across the room, he carefully slipped into the bed next to Amelia, taking great care not to wake her.

  He lay there for a few momen
ts listening to her breathing, and he wondered if she was happy with him. He wanted to wake her and ask her, but he didn’t know if he would like her answer.

  He released a long, frustrated breath and rolled over onto his side.

  Landen had just closed his eyes when he felt Amelia turn behind him, as she slip her arms around his side.

  “I love you,” she whispered as she pressed her lips to his bare shoulder.

  “I love you, too,” Landen replied as he closed his hands over hers, holding them to his chest. “I just want to make you happy.”

  “I am happy,” Amelia assured him.

  Landen released her hands and rolled over on the bed to face her, and Amelia instantly gave him a smile.

  “Are you really?” He asked as he reached out, softly caressing her face.

  “Of course I am,” Amelia assured him.

  “Then talk to me,” he pleaded. “Don’t shut me out.”

  “There’s nothing to say, really,” she whispered as her eyes held Landen’s gaze. “I don’t know why I’m so uneasy, but it’s like I see him everywhere. Tonight, in that club, I was sure I saw him, just for the briefest of moments, but then he was gone. I know it wasn’t him, but it felt so real. I just feel like I’m losing my mind.”

  “What can I do to make this better,” Landen asked, wishing more than anything he could take her pain away.

  “You can’t make it right,” Amelia whispered as she lifted her hand, softly pressing it to his face. “I don’t need you to fix this. I just need you to be patient with me. Don’t give up on me.”

  “That, I can promise you will never happen,” Landen replied as he turned his head and pressed his lips against her hand. “I will never stop loving you, and I will give you all the time you need. Always.”

  Landen leaned forward, pressing his lips against Amelia’s once more, as he slowly rolled her onto her back. Landen moved quickly, settling above Amelia. He looked down into her eyes, giving her a warm smile before he calmed her lips once more.