by A. K. Evans
“He texted me this morning.”
Nikki bolted up in the bed and her eyes were nearly popping out of her head.
“What?” she practically shouted. “What did he say?”
“He wanted to wish me luck tonight at the grand opening. He said he hopes it goes well for me.”
“What did you say back?”
I shook my head and answered, “Nothing. I can’t. It hurts too much and it’s going to make me hopeful. I can’t do this again, so I’m not setting myself up for it.”
“Okay, whatever you want. Can I make you breakfast this morning?”
“No thanks. I feel sick thinking about food.”
“Babe, you’ve got to eat something. When was the last time you ate?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “The toast you made.”
“That was yesterday morning!”
“I know, but I have literally no appetite.”
Her eyes were pleading with mine when she begged, “Please, Monroe. You’ve got to have something.”
“Not now. I can’t. Maybe later. Tonight, at the opening.”
“Promise?”
“I promise to try.”
She nodded and asked, “Want to ride over together this afternoon?”
“Yeah. I probably shouldn’t be driving in my condition today. I’ll be ready on time, too. I just have to scrape myself out of this bed.”
“Alright. I’m going to go get myself ready. Love you, babe.”
“I love you, too, Nikki.”
With that, Nikki got up and walked out of the room. I did as I said I would and forced myself out of bed. I did my best to try to make myself look half decent by fixing my hair, putting on a smidge of make-up, and wearing clothing that didn’t consist of dance shorts or sweats.
Before I knew it, it was time to go. Nikki drove the two of us to the salon and studio. I unlocked and went in while she made her way to the salon to get things ready there. Twenty minutes after I had arrived, Jenna showed up. Another thirty minutes later, Lexi walked through the door. We did all our last-minute preparations and then walked next door to see if Nikki needed any help with the last bit of her stuff.
Fifteen minutes before the start of the opening, I was back in my studio and my people showed up. Well, most of them anyway. Charley, Wes, Emme, and Zane all walked in. They informed me that Luke had arrived, but that he was next door with Nikki. I didn’t have much time to chat with them because minutes before the grand opening was set to begin, people were already showing up. Apparently, I had made such a name for myself with my studio back in Ventura that when the word got out that I moved here and opened a studio, people wanted in.
Lexi was a rock star getting people signed up for classes. Jenna talked with a lot of the girls who had come in and were waiting in line to sign up. She was so friendly, she knew her stuff, and she was making the girls comfortable while they waited. I made my rounds trying to connect with as many people as possible and told them all that they needed to head next door to Nikki’s salon to check her out. I knew that with one look at her they’d have no doubts about her talent.
There was a large rush when it first started, but two hours later the crowd had died down. Only a few girls remained waiting to sign up for classes. My people were also still around. I was just about to take a seat when I heard the new alarm system indicate that someone had walked in. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to bring more dancers in, I stood and looked to the entrance.
I nearly collapsed right there on the spot, but something else had taken over me. I don’t know what it was. All I knew in that moment was that I needed to not be standing where I was anymore. I ran toward the door and threw myself into safe, protective arms. Then, I cried my eyes out.
I was held in silence for several minutes while I attempted to pull myself together. I wasn’t quite fully there mentally when I heard, “Feels so good to see you and hold you, kid, but hearing you cry like this is not making me happy. It’s not making any of us happy.”
Deacon.
Deacon, Remi, and Vaughn were all standing here with me at the entrance to my studio on the day of my grand opening. They came out here for this, for me.
I still had tears running down my face when I cried, “You’re here.”
“We wouldn’t miss this for the world, Monroe,” Remi responded, as he pulled me out of Deacon’s arms and into his. “Of course, we’re going to come out and support you.”
As I wrapped my arms around his waist I shared, “Oh my God, I’ve missed you so much. How long are you staying?”
“Leaving Sunday afternoon,” he answered.
I let out a sigh.
Time.
I was going to get time with them. This was exactly what I needed right when I needed it the most.
“Come here, kid,” Vaughn said, as he wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
The tears spilled down my cheeks.
“I’m such a mess, Vaughn,” I whispered.
He rubbed my back and comforted me, “We’ll take care of you. I’ll make sure you’re okay before we leave. If I need to send Remi and Deacon back without me so I can stay here to do that, I will. Okay?”
I nodded into his chest.
When I pulled away, I looked to my big brothers and said, “I want you to meet everyone.”
I introduced Remi and Deacon to Wes and Zane. Vaughn met both of them the last time he was out to visit. Of course, Charley and Emme were given lots of love from my brothers, too. My brothers treated Charley, Emme, and Nikki just the same as they did me. They were very protective of us. I had filled them in on what Wes did for Charley and how Zane made it his mission to protect Emme from her abusive ex, so Remi, Vaughn, and Deacon approved of them very quickly.
We had just finished introductions and greetings when the door opened again. I looked over to see Nikki and Luke walking in.
“Oh my God,” she yelled out as she ran over to my brothers.
Luke stood there slightly confused and had a look on his face that told me he was not okay with seeing Nikki being held by another man.
Uh oh.
Time for damage control.
I walked over to Luke and grabbed him by the hand.
“Come and meet my brothers, Luke.”
Realization dawned in his features and he visibly relaxed. I introduced Luke to my brothers, who had no issues telling him that he better take good care of Nikki. He didn’t seem bothered by their request and I think that sat well with them.
We all stood around chatting a while and I introduced my brothers to Jenna and Lexi. A little while later, the last of the crowd had left. Nikki told me that everything went really well for her at the salon and that she appreciated all of the people I sent over to check her space out. Nearly all of them got on her books. Overall, the night had been a huge success.
“I’m going to head over to the salon and get my things together. You riding with me or are you going to go with these guys?” she asked pointing toward Remi, Vaughn, and Deacon.
“I’m going to show them the rest of the studio and catch a ride with them. Thanks for driving me today, Nikki, and for all of your help to make this day successful.”
“No problem, babe. I have some appointments scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, but my morning is free so I think I’m going to crash at Luke’s tonight. This way, you’ll have our place to yourself and can catch up with your brothers.”
“Thanks, Nik. Have a good night.”
I gave her a hug and said good-bye to Luke. He gave me a soft smile before he pulled me into a hug, knowing my heart was hurting. Charley, Wes, Emme, and Zane followed next. They all congratulated me on the turnout and wished me the best of luck with the studio moving forward. After a round of hugs from the girls and top-of-the-head kisses from the guys, the foursome took off.
Jenna and Lexi left minutes later. I told them both to take the day off tomorrow and to enjoy the long weekend because we officially started cla
sses next week. They were both incredibly excited.
Finally, I was there in my studio with three of my biggest supporters and the men I knew I could always count on to never let me down. Even though Vaughn had already gotten the grand tour when he came out to visit a few weeks ago, he tagged along while I showed Remi and Deacon the rest of the studio.
“So proud of you, kid,” Deacon shared. “You’ve worked really hard and you deserve all of the praise you’ve received tonight.”
“Thanks, Deac. That means a lot.”
“When did these get put in?” Vaughn asked, as he walked over to one of the mini-screens set up in the dance room we were in. “I don’t remember seeing them here when I was out for a visit a few weeks ago.”
My mood shifted and I instantly grew somber.
“Monroe,” Remi started. “What’s wrong?”
A single tear trickled down my face as I answered, “He had them put in.”
“What?” Deacon asked.
“Stone. He had a brand-new security system put in here a little over a week ago because every time he would stop in I never knew he was here since I was playing my music so loud. Even though I’m not in a bad area here, he said he didn’t like that anyone could just walk in without me knowing it.”
My brothers all looked to each other and gave looks that I couldn’t read. When they looked back to me, Remi disclosed, “I know what this is and it had to have cost you a pretty penny. Who did the work?”
“Zane’s brother, Levi, has a security firm. Cunningham Security. Levi came over and checked out the place after Stone called him. The next day, Levi sent his brother, Cruz, and two of his other guys over to install everything.”
“I know the firm. Solid guys. They are the ones who found Emme, right?” Vaughn confirmed.
I nodded my head.
“They aren’t cheap,” he added.
“I wouldn’t know. Stone told Levi to give me the best there was for what I needed here and that I was not to get a bill for it. He paid for everything. I tried to fight him on it, but he said that because he suggested it and because he wanted me to have the best available, he was going to cover the costs. I don’t know what he paid for it?”
My brothers looked to each other again.
They gave each other that same look I couldn’t read.
“Monroe, this cost thousands,” Deacon began. “I’m not talking one or two, either. We’re talking about ten to twelve grand.”
My eyes rounded at the news Deacon had just shared with me.
“Are you kidding me?” I retorted.
“Not at all.”
Ten to twelve thousand dollars.
Stone spent that much money on a security system for me. For someone he never planned to even attempt to get a forever with.
Suddenly, I felt dizzy.
I was hot.
Sweating.
My legs wouldn’t move and I knew I was going to fall over.
I put my arm out trying to steady myself.
“Monroe?” Remi called.
I couldn’t speak.
I began blinking my eyes trying to focus, but I couldn’t.
The last thing I remembered, everything went black.
Chapter 19
Monroe
“Jesus Christ. What the hell is happening to her?” Vaughn’s voice yelled in the darkness.
“Monroe,” I heard Remi say. “She’s burning up.”
I was on my back on the floor and I could feel them trying to wake me up. My eyes wouldn’t open, though.
“Nikki,” Deacon bit out, panic evident in the tone of his voice. “Something is wrong with Monroe. She just collapsed here at the studio. Where’s the closest hospital?”
Hospital?
I collapsed?
It started coming back to me. I felt dizzy and sweaty.
Stone.
The security system that he spent ten to twelve grand on.
“Are you fucking serious?” Deacon roared. “What did that motherfucker do to my baby sister?”
Oh no. Deacon was pissed. A pissed-off Deacon was not a good thing. He’d just incite Remi and Vaughn and then I’d really have trouble on my hands.
“Monroe.”
The next thing I knew I felt something wet and cool on my head. It was refreshing and a welcome relief.
“What’s she saying Deacon?” Vaughn asked.
Somehow, I started to move. My eyes fluttered open.
“Hey, Monroe. You with me?”
Remi was looking down at me with such concern in his face.
I gave him small nods of my head.
“She’s awake, Deac.”
Vaughn looked away from him and back to me.
“You scared us, kid. Can you talk to me?”
“She’s awake, Nikki. Need to go.”
Silence.
“No, it’s alright. We’ve got her covered. At least now I know what we’re dealing with. I’ll reach out later and update you.”
“Monroe?”
I looked back to Vaughn and begged, “Don’t let Deacon go bonkers.”
A blindingly white smile spread across Vaughn’s face. “I’ll try to keep him in check.”
I moved to sit up. Remi and Vaughn were on either side of me keeping me steady. As soon as I was sitting upright, I moved to stand.
“Stay sitting, Monroe,” Deacon demanded, as he knelt in front of me.
“Deacon, I’m alright.”
“No, you aren’t fucking alright. You just scared the shit out of the three of us by passing out here on the floor and I had to find out from Nikki just now that you’ve not been eating since Sunday. She told me that the last she knows you ate something was yesterday morning. You ate a fuckin’ piece of toast over the last two days, Monroe. What the fuck?” he thundered.
My bottom lip began to quiver as tears filled my eyes.
I was so upset and emotional that I screamed back, “Stop yelling at me, Deacon! My fucking heart is broken. Shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.”
Vaughn immediately scooped me up in his arms and insisted, “Deacon, relax. She’s been through enough already.”
“She’s not fucking eating over some asshole.”
Remi chimed in, “I’m not fucking happy about it either, man. Don’t make this worse than it already is for her. Let’s lock up, get her home, and feed her.”
With that, Vaughn ushered me to the front door while Remi and Deacon followed behind us turning off the lights. I gave Remi my keys to the studio, told him the code, and he locked up while Vaughn took me out to their rental SUV.
I was helped into the SUV and Vaughn joined me in the backseat. He had worry written all over his face, but he remained quiet. Remi and Deacon filed in not two minutes later. I told Remi where to go to get to the condo and we took off.
The entire ride back to the condo was silent. I was trying to figure out how I was going to break the news of everything going on with Stone to them, so talking now was not my top priority. Besides, I figured I deserved a free pass considering I had just passed out minutes ago. I think they remained silent because they knew that I was dealing with something that they couldn’t protect me from and they didn’t like how that felt.
We finally arrived at the condo and after Remi parked, he hopped out and made sure I got out without falling to the ground. He stayed close to my side as we walked to the front door. I dug the key out of my bag, unlocked the door, and went inside.
“I’m going to go change,” I said, before I walked down the hall to my bedroom.
“Five minutes, Monroe, or I’m coming in there,” Deacon warned.
Shit.
He was still in a really bad mood.
I hustled down the hall to my bedroom and quickly found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I changed out of my clothes, into my sweats, and washed my face. When I finished, I took a deep breath and decided to face the music. I wasn’t going to get out of this conversation.
I made my way down the hall
back to the family room. I barely took two steps into the room when Deacon walked over to me, a plate in his hand, and ordered, “Sit and eat.”
I looked to the plate and saw that one of them had made up a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato. There was also a bunch of grapes and a side of baked potato chips. This was way too much food and I wanted to hurl just looking at it.
“Deacon…” I trailed off.
He didn’t allow me to say anything further when he cut me off and expressed, “You can stop right there. This is not optional. You haven’t eaten any food for at least two fucking days. A piece of toast does not count. Sit and eat.”
My voice was small and quiet when I answered, “My heart is broken, Deacon. I have no appetite.”
His voice went soft when he responded, “We are going to deal with your broken heart in a minute, kid, but I need you to eat something first. Not really looking forward to spending the next few days sitting beside you in a hospital because you aren’t taking care of yourself.”
Realizing I wasn’t going to win this battle, I sighed, took the plate out of his hand, and sat on the couch. Deacon sat on the couch next to me. Remi and Vaughn sat in the chairs opposite the couch. They all sat silently, watching me.
I pulled a grape off the stem and put it up to my mouth. I chewed, swallowed, and popped another one in my mouth. When I finished chewing that, I picked up the sandwich, held it to my mouth, and before taking I bite I begged, “Please don’t tell mom and dad about this.”
“Not looking forward to mom having a canary and dad ranting about his baby girl being zillions of miles away with a broken heart, Monroe. We’ll keep it between the four of us as long as you promise to take better care of yourself,” Vaughn assured me.
I let out a sigh of relief and continued to eat. I managed to finish the bunch of grapes, three quarters of the sandwich, and half of the chips. I set the plate on the coffee table.
“That’s not enough,” Deacon said.
“Please, Deacon. I’m going to be sick,” I pleaded.
The muscle in his jaw was working for a bit before he nodded and insisted, “Tomorrow morning, I’m making you breakfast. You’ll be eating with us.”
