by Elle Wright
“Stop being so stubborn, Brooklyn. I’m not going to let you go to another hotel. I thought it was a bad idea in the first place. But you wouldn’t listen.”
“That’s not the point. I shouldn’t have to live with you or Nic. I have a job, my own money, and a plan to buy my own house. I don’t want to depend on you or anybody else for support. You were able to move out, get your own place, and still have access to the trust. Why can’t I be afforded that same right? Oh wait, I know why. Because I’m a woman and a means to an end for Senior.”
Parker sighed. “I’ll take care of it, Brooklyn. Don’t worry.”
“I don’t need you to take care of it. I told you I don’t want you to get in the middle of this. It’s between me and Senior. He’ll only come for you, and you have too much to lose right now.”
Parker had plans. Their father would eventually have to retire, and Parker planned to take full advantage when he did. Wellspring Water needed to get out from under the Senior’s influence, and Parker was in the perfect position to make lasting changes that would be good for the town and its people.
However, Brooklyn had seen the toll that stress had taken on her older brother. She worried that her father would corrupt Parker the longer he stayed under his father’s thumb.
“Look, this conversation is done. I have a solution that doesn’t involve you staying at my house. I have a place,” her brother admitted, his voice quiet in his corner office. It had taken years for him to work his way up to the executive suite, because their father had always made things hard for him. “I purchased several units in one of the new subdivisions on the west side of town.”
Surprised, she asked, “When did you do this? Does Senior know about it?”
He shook his head. “I bought it with cash, and registered it under an LLC. I thought it would be a good opportunity to expand my reach in this town and neighboring towns. I’ve also used it for contractors that are working with Wellspring on different projects, kind of like company housing.”
“And you’re sure Senior has no idea?”
“You know as well as I do that he doesn’t care about shit like that.”
Parker was right. Her father wouldn’t care where the contractors stayed, he’d just be concerned with whether the work was getting done.
“My plan is to purchase other real estate in Wellspring and Grand Rapids,” her brother continued. “It never hurts to have an additional stream of income.”
“Parker, you’re brilliant.”
Her brother smiled. “This, I know. But you can stay there, rent-free. It will take a while for Senior to find you, and if he does, he can’t do anything about it because I own it. Plain and simple. And don’t worry about my relationship with Senior. You’re more important to me than he is, and I’ve got your back.”
But he will find me eventually. Brooklyn would be stupid to think this was the end of her problems with her father. His reach was long and his wrath was the stuff of legend. They weren’t a crime family or anything, but she knew her father could be excessively ruthless to get what he wanted. What he was doing to her now was nothing compared to the way he’d abused her mother. Senior had treated her mother horribly in her last few months of life. Her mom had done a good job of hiding it, though. But shortly after she died, Brooklyn had stumbled upon her mother’s journals. Within the pages, her mother had revealed her truth, had written about the threats from Senior if she left him, the abuse. It had made her sick to her stomach to think about it even now.
“I think I’m going to look into mom’s death,” Brooklyn announced. Her father’s behavior toward her lately, had made her think of her mom even more.
Parker sighed. “Brooklyn, we’ve talked about this before. It was an accident. There was no foul play involved.”
“But what if there was?”
“You’re angry at Senior, and you have every right to be. But don’t go drudging up mom’s death. The police did their investigation then. It was a horrible accident, but that’s all it was.”
Brooklyn didn’t want to go into all the reasons she’d suspected her father had something to do with her mother’s death. Part of her wanted to agree with Parker, because if her suspicions were true, it would mean that her father had done the unthinkable. But she’d never been able to shake the thought that her mother’s death was more than a tragic accident.
She pulled Parker into a hug, inhaling his clean scent. “Thank you, Parker. I love you.”
He gripped the back of her head, tickling her scalp like he’d done when she was a little girl. “I love you, too. Listen, get yourself together. Meet me after work at the Bee’s Knees, and I’ll hand over the keys.”
Nodding, she let her brother help her to her feet. “Thank you, again.” She brushed off her pants and ran her fingers through her hair. “I better get to work.”
“You need to take that damn wig off.”
Brooklyn laughed. “Shut up.”
“Seriously, Brooklyn. I understand why you wore it to the gala to please our father, but you moved out, baby sis. It doesn’t matter what Senior thinks anymore.”
Her father had made it clear that women with short hair were not attractive. When she’d done the big chop a few years ago, he’d lectured her for hours about being a lady and attracting the right kind of men. So, she’d bought a wig. Several, in fact.
“Okay, Parker. I’ll take it off—as soon as I can get an appointment with Stacyee.”
Stacyee was her stylist and had been since she was in high school. It was hard to get an appointment on the fly because Stacyee had amassed a clientele that kept her very comfortable. It helped that she was excellent at what she did and was worth the prices she charged.
Brooklyn and Parker shared another quick hug before she walked out of the office.
Chapter 9
A scream was about all Brooklyn had in her, and she let it out with gusto. Moving into her brother’s condo had been a breeze, no hiccups. It was fully furnished and stocked with food, courtesy of Parker. Of course, she’d spent hours cleaning and washing clothes because she was obsessive about cleaning and loved the smell of detergent, bleach, and Pine Sol. But she was having the damnedest time hooking up the internet. And she needed to be able to connect. She had case files to access and reports to write.
She briefly considered kicking the damn laptop off the balcony and watching it crash to the ground. It was old, ancient really. And the fact that she’d put off purchasing another one while she had access to the family discount niggled at her.
Oh well, it’ll be my first purchase with my own money. She wasn’t spoiled, but she’d realized a hard truth when she was inconveniently tossed from her hotel room earlier . . . she was sheltered. No one had ever been mean to her, except for her father and her stepmothers. But because of her last name, no one in town had dared to treat her badly.
Well, today she’d been treated to one of the most humiliating incidents of her life, courtesy of Senior. If Parker hadn’t come to her rescue, she would probably still be at the hotel living the same moment over and over again—or in jail for trespassing. Once she returned to the hotel to get her things, Justine was gone and her room was occupied by someone else.
Brooklyn knew the hotel manager Tom was only doing his job, but it infuriated her no less. They’d been told by Senior to toss her stuff in the trash, but Tom had taken pity on her and stored it in the basement.
Parker had found her in the hotel basement, tears in her eyes as she picked up a broken trinket her mother had given her. The hotel employee that transferred her items to the basement had inadvertently dropped a box and many of her personal things had tumbled out. The young guy had tried to glue it back together, but there was no use. The ceramic angel was destroyed.
Parker had taken one look at her, scooped her into his arms, and carried her to his car. Half an hour later, he’d gathered all of her things and stuffed them into his trunk and back seat. He’d offered to spend the night, help her get settled,
but she’d rushed him off, intent on crying alone and trying to get some work done. This damn internet. She screamed again, not even caring if there were any neighbors.
Needing a break, she stepped out onto the balcony. Considering there had been a freakin’ blizzard a week earlier, the night breeze was soft against her skin. It was a mild day in Wellspring, so she took full advantage of it. She tilted her head up and inhaled the fresh scent of river water and wood. The tears came then, just like she knew they would. The helpless feeling in her gut wouldn’t let her rest. She was out of luck and there was nothing she could do about it tonight. The knowledge that her father had found her private account irritated her to no end. She thought she had access to money, and hated that she was essentially broke. And she hated that Parker had to once again come to her rescue, this time providing a place to live.
Parker had given up so much of his life for his family, had always taken care of her, even when it caused him personal hardship. When Brooklyn had declared that she wasn’t going to law school, as her father intended, she’d been subjected to the lecture of all lectures from her father. He’d threatened her, pulled strings to prevent her finding a job. Parker risked his own livelihood to stand up for her. And he’d suffered greatly for it, being shunned and shut out from the company as a result. He didn’t say, but Brooklyn suspected Parker had also endured physical abuse from their father in the past, because of her and Bryson. The thought made her sick. But Parker had never complained. And she loved him for it. That’s why she hadn’t asked for help when she’d first left the house. He’d done more than enough for her.
“Lord, please don’t let him be caught in the middle of this,” she prayed to the night air. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if her brother had to suffer because of her. She buried her face in her hands, a deep sob ripping from her throat. “Please look out for him.”
Parker didn’t live in the family home, so there was no chance of being kicked out. Her brother was also over the age of thirty and had control of his own trust now, so Senior couldn’t threaten him with that. But Parker had worked his way back into the company after being shut out for a time. He’d invested time and energy into Wellspring Water, biding his time, putting in long hours to help move the company forward. While his financial livelihood was not tied to his father, his career aspirations and dreams were tied to Wellspring Water. And as long as his father was alive and controlled the company, Brooklyn would worry about Parker. I should have just stayed. Marrying Sterling would have been like a slow, eventual death. But it would have at least kept the peace. Now, she wasn’t sure when the next blow was coming.
When Brooklyn was a little girl, she’d announced to her mother that her sole purpose in life was to marry Lil Bow Wow. She’d really fooled herself into believing that she would be Mrs. Lil Bow Wow before she turned twenty years old. Her mother had even driven her to Auburn Hills, Michigan, to see him in concert, even bought backstage passes so she could meet her true love.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn realized that she was only one of many little girls who had visions of marrying the rapper. And he’d barely noticed her. She’d been a devastated fan that day, and had sunk into a depression so deep, she wouldn’t come out of her room for days. It was then that her mother had sat her down and told her Life isn’t fair, but the good stuff will outweigh the bad stuff.
From the outside looking in, it might seem like Brooklyn lived a charmed life. In many ways she had. Aside from the rough patch she’d had after her mother died, she’d breezed through school, had never struggled to pay bills, never experimented with drugs, and was never physically abused by anyone. Her clients . . . they had serious situations, life-and-death problems. Brooklyn couldn’t relate to eating dog food, sleeping with a knife for protection, feigning for a hit of something. But the one thing she could give her clients was her undying devotion to seeing them live better lives. She wondered what advice they’d give her if they saw her.
Living in a luxury condo, food in the fridge, nice clothes on her back . . . she really had nothing to complain about. Nothing at all. So why do I feel so alone?
Because now she was by herself, forced to figure things out on her own. It was uncomfortable for her, outside of her plan for her life, to know she had to start over with her savings and postpone getting her house. Thinking about her clients, though, provided the punch to the gut she needed to snap out of the pity party she’d been stuck in for the last few hours. When her problems seemed insurmountable, like they did at that very moment, she’d often take stock in what she did have and pray for those less fortunate, because her life could be so much worse than it was. It gave her a much needed perspective that often served to give her peace about any situation she found herself in. Sucking all her emotion in, she sent up a silent prayer for forgiveness, for forgetting that she really was blessed.
Picking up her phone, she dialed her brother. When he answered, she told him, “I’m all settled. Thanks for everything.”
“Any time,” his said, his voice raspy.
“Did I wake you?”
“I was almost sleep. Do you need anything?”
Brooklyn nibbled on her thumbnail. “Actually, I do need something.”
“What is it?”
“Can you come here and stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
* * *
Carter gripped the arms of the wicker chair he sat in. He couldn’t sleep, so he’d ventured out onto the balcony. But as much as he’d wanted to chalk up the reason for still being outside on his dark balcony—over an hour later—to the new town and the strange bed, he knew that wasn’t the reason. The truth was he’d spent the last twenty-five minutes debating whether he should reveal himself to his new neighbor. Brooklyn.
Instead he’d watched her stare out into night like she had the world on her shoulders, listened to her crying. For some reason he couldn’t say anything, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her petite form either. The light from her condo illuminated her like an angel under a halo.
Now she was on the phone, talking all low and sexy. Is that her normal phone voice or is she talking like that because of the person on the other end of the line? He wondered who she was talking to, who she was asking to spend the night with her. Earlier, she hadn’t seemed like she was with someone. Carter could have sworn she was eyeing him in the way that someone did when they were interested. After all, she’d invited him out for dinner or coffee.
He heard her laugh, saw her dash a tear from her cheek. Who made her cry? The thought of some man bringing her to tears made him want to fight. Although he couldn’t figure out why. He’d seen her cry twice. And both times, she’d brought out every protective instinct he had.
Maybe it was because she was small? Brooklyn was tiny, couldn’t be much more than five feet tall. Carter was a giant compared to her. Honestly, he’d be worried he’d hurt her. Wait. What the hell is wrong with me?
“I know it’s late,” he heard her say. “But it’s been a long day and I can’t get my internet up and running.” She paused. “I know, I know. It’s not that, I just . . . I can’t be here by myself tonight.”
Carter practically ripped the arm of his chair off, he was gripping it so tight. He’d been reduced to eavesdropping. What business was it of his, if she did have a man that she called over to . . . ? Damn. And why was she begging that person to come over? Brooklyn was beautiful. If she had to beg a man to come keep her company, that man was a fool.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. See you when you get here.”
She hung up the phone and he opened his mouth to finally announce his presence. Nope. He was still a piece of shit, but now he was a Peeping Tom, creepy piece of shit. He watched her step out farther onto the balcony. What the hell is she wearing?
Not only was her skin glowing like the sun, she was wearing a short little see-through nightgown that showed off her legs and her flat stomach. In March. In Michigan. And he was rock hard. The feeling surprised h
im so much that he almost toppled over in the chair. Unfortunately, the beer he’d been sipping on did fall onto the balcony.
“Shit,” he hissed.
Her gaze flashed over to his balcony. “Who’s there?”
Carter cursed himself to hell and back before he stepped forward, into the light. “Me.”
Brooklyn’s mouth fell open. With wide eyes, she stuttered, “Wha-whe-why . . .” She swallowed. “You? You’re my neighbor?”
Carter approached her hesitantly, trying not to look at her breasts, all perky and firm under her nightgown. He sucked in a deep breath, focusing on her eyes. “I moved in Friday.”
“Wow, I moved in today, a few hours ago.”
She averted her gaze, and his dropped to her painted toes. “This really is a small town.” He stepped closer. “I heard you. I didn’t mean to, but I heard you crying.” He tilted his head to meet her beautiful eyes. “Are you okay?”
With a tentative smile on her face, she said, “I’m fine.” She licked her lips, and he followed the movement like a hawk would its prey. Her voice sounded like a song. It was like balm to dry skin. “I had a rough day.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve had a few of those myself.” That was the understatement of his life. “Sometimes it helps to go to bed and start fresh in the morning.”
“I thought you were going to say that it’s good to talk about these things.”
“I’m not a big talker.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed that.” She was teasing him. He could tell by the smirk on her face and the gleam in her eyes.
“Nice night.”
She looked up at the sky, hugged herself. “Yes. Hard to believe it was snowing a little over a week ago.”
Spring was a few weeks away, but snow could be right around the corner. It was best to enjoy the warmth while it lasted. “That’s Michigan for you,” he murmured.
Brooklyn looked at him then, tilting her head to the side. “Where are you from?”
