"Who do you think hurt you in the first place? It was his people, Hannah. Just ask Earl Greyson. He all but admitted he had something to do with it."
"I don't know any Earl Greyson."
"That's because he hasn't told you, Hannah. You can't trust that bastard. You stay the hell away from him!"
"Earl isn’t William, they’re two totally different people, and I trust William. He'd never hurt me."
William kissed the hand he’d been holding, and I felt tears drip down on it, confusing me.
"You can't trust that man, or his family. They're a bunch of snotty self-important criminals, and I won't have them hurting you. It doesn't matter what William says, that Earl is out to get you."
"Well, Earl can go to hell! I'm not leaving William again."
"Hannah, please, think about what you're getting yourself into. His family won't let you be together. He's royalty."
"We're not royalty, nor will my family interfere," William made his presence known for the first time.
"That bastard's there with you? You stay the hell away from my daughter!"
"That's not going to happen, and you're wrong about the royalty," William frowned.
"Bullshit, you and your father were strutting around, preening like a pair of damn peacocks, Lord Greyson."
"There was no strutting, just panic. I was looking for Hannah, and you wouldn't help me, you wouldn't talk to me. You drove me out of the damn country!" William shouted at him. "I was scared out of my mind that I’d lost her, and all you could think about was coming after me! You knew I’d gone mental looking for her, and you didn't so much as send a postcard to tell me she was found alive! I've been mourning my love for seven years, thinking it was my fault for leaving her by herself. Seven years that I could've spent raising my daughter! Seven years I could've had with my family!" William sounded furious and broken at the same time. His cheeks glistened with tears.
"You couldn't claim her as your daughter. Not with your title."
"My title meant nothing to me then, and it means nothing to me now! I'm William Greyson, and that's it." William was on the verge of completely losing it.
"We'll see what your father has to say about that, Viscount Greyson. He was behind her attack. I just know it. I don't doubt he'll come after her again. If you care at all for my daughter, you'll leave her alone!"
I was done listening. William was a wreck and didn't need to hear my father's crazy accusations. "Enough, it's my choice, Dad, and I say William stays and you go. You've…God, Daddy, can't you see what you've done? I don't want to talk to you anymore, not now, not ever."
I hit the end button, and William pulled me over to the couch, holding me in his arms. I cried hard, losing myself in my tears. I felt that familiar pain of losing my father, like I had before, seven years ago. He didn't understand that William was mine. I couldn't give him up, even if I wanted to.
To hear William had been mourning me for seven years, thinking it was his fault, tore me apart. Carter's first complaint about Mr. William Greyson being an uptight hard-ass who didn't date or take an interest in any women made sense. He’d lost me and wanted no one else, just like with me. I had no interest in anyone else, because they weren't William, and I’d finally gotten him back. William, and our love, was worth fighting for. I brushed his tears away and kissed him, letting him know everything would be alright with us together again.
WILLIAM
Detective Madison brought up things I hadn’t thought about in years. The pain of losing Hannah had been unmanageable, and my dad had had to drag me away from Hannah's father and the officers, because I’d refused to leave. My dad had pointed out that Detective Madison was an officer of the law and would have more resources to search for her than I. He’d been sure her father wouldn't give up on his daughter. I would've had no way to get to her when she was found, if I’d been locked up in prison. The fact that Detective Madison thought my father had been involved in Hannah's attack had me worried. I had to be sure my girls had their passports. If her father tried to chase me out of the country again, I was taking them with me. I’d never leave them behind again.
My phone started to ring. Hannah picked it up from the coffee table and handed it to me, before she snuggled back down into my side. It was Duncan, and I knew exactly why he was calling. We had a meeting at Jackson enterprises in one hour, and I was missing.
"Greyson," I answered, while trying to think of a way to get out of the meeting. My chest was tightening in panic at the thought of leaving her alone again.
"Where are you? I met with Camille at the breakfast bar this morning, and she said you weren't in your room."
"No, I'm not." He waited for me to explain myself, but I had no intention of doing so.
"We need to go over our meeting notes, before we arrive at Jackson's. Where shall I send the car to fetch you?"
"I can't go to the meeting." My arm squeezed Hannah, needing her closer. I couldn't let her out of my sight. I couldn't risk losing her again. I had to find a way to work from her bookshop from now on.
"What do you mean you can't go?" Duncan wasn't pleased. Hannah pulled away from me, looking at me worried.
"Just what I said, Duncan, I won't be able to make the meeting."
"This was your idea! You're the one who pitched playing a larger part, and now you're backing down on it?" he shouted through the phone. My chest was squeezing with anxiety. I knew what Duncan was saying was true, but I couldn't leave Hannah.
"I can't leave, I can't," I begged, fighting tears, wishing he’d understand, but I knew he wouldn't.
"Are you alright? Is someone holding you hostage?"
I pulled Hannah back to me and kissed the top of her head. "No, I just need to not be away from someone."
Hannah's expression changed, and she sat up stiffly. "William, you have to go to work. I have to open the shop in an hour as well."
I shook my head no at her. "I can't risk it. I won't lose you again."
Her eyes watered. "Tell them you'll be there. We'll figure it out."
I refused to, so she grabbed the phone from my hand and read Duncan’s name on the caller ID. "Mr. Conner, this is Hannah Madison. I believe we've met before. I was introduced as Carter's sister, Mary Harper."
"Yes, I recall you."
"William is with me. I live above my bookshop. Do you have Camille with you?"
"No, but I can get her."
"Good. Have her bring you here to pick him up. He'll need a change of clothes as well."
She hung up the phone, and I yanked her into my lap. "No, I'm not going anywhere without you. If he's coming, you need to get ready to leave as well. We have to go together. I can’t lose you again." My eyes were blurry from fighting off tears. "Please, Hannah, don't make me lose you again. I can't do it. I can't."
HANNAH
William was near hysterical. His eyes were wide and panicked, and his grip on me had tightened. I hadn’t realized he’d thought I was dead for seven years, or that he’d blamed himself for it. I shouldn't have been surprised with his need to latch on to me once he had me back. Camille and Duncan came in, filling my little apartment. Camille had a change of clothes for William, and I offered him my shower. He asked me to sit on my bed and wait for him. It wasn't lost on me that he kept the door open a crack and would lean out of the shower to make sure I was still there. He dressed quickly and asked me if I was ready to go.
"William, I have to work. I have a shop I need to run."
"But you have to come with me. What if something happens again? I don't want you to get hurt. How am I supposed to keep you safe if you're here and I'm there?"
"I'll be fine, William. I've been fine for the past seven years. Nothing is going to happen to me."
"I'm sure you thought that the first time around. You need to come with me, Carter won't mind."
Camille poked her head in the door. "Hey, William, can she stay with me?"
"You?"
"Yes, I planned on hanging out wi
th her, anyways."
He took a few deep breaths. "You have to stay with her. You can't go anywhere. You can't go out. You need to stay inside, where it's safe."
"William, she'll be with me, she'll be fine."
"No, she won't!" he yelled at her and started to hyperventilate. I pulled him over to the bed and told him to put his head between his legs. "What if something happens? I don't want anything to happen to you."
He finally sat up, when Ophelia came in with a worried expression. "What's going on?" she looked between the three of us.
"Stay with her, you all have to stay here, don't leave her alone. She has to stay safe."
"My brother is losing it," Camille whined.
"No, I'm not. You should just come with me to the meeting. It'd be better that way. I'm not letting you out of my sight to get hurt again. I should've protected you. I shouldn't have left before. I made that mistake once. I'm not taking any chances with you ever again."
I climbed into his lap, and he promptly hid his face in my hair, panting hard. "William, I'm going to be fine. I'll be with Ophelia and Camille. Ophelia carries pepper spray, we'll be fine. I need to open my shop and work for the first part of the day, before Shawna comes in. We can meet for lunch, and then you'll see that I'm fine."
"They can't leave you," he begged and then turned to Ophelia and his sister. "You can't leave her, please, you can't let her get hurt again."
"We won't," Camille promised. Duncan literally pulled him away from me and down the stairs. I flopped back on my bed, covering my eyes.
"Okay, I take back William not being a creeper. He's completely nuts," Ophelia complained.
"He thought I was dead." I sat up, so I could be sure she understood. "He went to London for work, and when I didn't answer my phone, he came rushing back to find me. He went to my dad to ask for help, and my insane asshole of a father wouldn't let William help look for me. He wanted to charge William with kidnapping and murder. He even brought other officers in to enforce it, and he chased him out of the country!” I was still fuming about that.
“William thought I was dead, and he blamed himself for leaving me behind. No one ever told him they’d found me. My father knew who he was this whole time, and he kept it from me. He kept me and Penelope away from William! Of course William's nuts, I'm nuts, too. I'm on the verge of killing my damn father for creating this mess!"
I hadn’t realized I was yelling, until Ophelia and Camille stepped away from me and put their hands up, like they were trying to calm a crazy person. That was about right, though. I felt pretty crazy at the moment.
"Okay, I get it. He's not a creep, just traumatized. Just settle down. It's time to go open your shop," Ophelia coddled.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you guys." I noticed Camille had tears in her eyes.
"That was it, wasn't it? Why other women never held his interest. I feel so horrible for trying to push them on him. I thought if he could just meet the right one, he wouldn't be so miserable. That was never going to happen, though. He’d already met her, and she was gone."
Now she was a sobbing mess with me, and Ophelia looked like she was about to strangle us both.
"That's it, put your big girl panties on, ladies, we have a job to do, and crying like a couple of babies isn't on the list."
It was probably best that my workday was slow. I found it hard to do anything other than text William. I was the one who texted him first, letting him know I was fine. The subsequent texts were nonstop between us from there on out. It was then I knew we both had a problem. It was difficult on the both of us to be apart from each other. We had to come up with a better way to manage it. I just didn't know what that would be yet.
Chapter 10 – Mommy Dearest
HANNAH
It was late afternoon, and I was ready to have William back in my arms. We’d moved his things over from the hotel room during lunch. I didn’t want to be away from him, and he didn’t want to be away from me, either. His luggage consisted of two suitcases and a carry on. They were stacked in the corner of my bedroom, our bedroom.
I hadn’t thought about how to tell Penelope that William would be staying with us. I didn’t want to set a bad example, but I couldn’t see William not staying with me, it just didn’t feel right. I usually didn’t go on feelings, but for some reason, everything with him was more intense and couldn’t be brushed aside, including my need for him.
Ophelia brought Penelope home, and she was wearing a huge smile. “Is my daddy here?” She searched around our tiny two-bedroom apartment looking for him. I knew exactly when she saw his suitcases, because she let out a squeal, and then I heard the springs in my bed squeak from her jumping on it excitedly.
I heard a deep chuckle. “What has our daughter so giddy?” William asked, as he came into the little apartment, kissing me hello.
“She just found out her daddy is living in sin with her mommy.”
“In sin?”
I blushed, it was such an old-fashioned term, but it was the first thing that came to mind. “I never saw myself involved with someone, let alone living with them. William, this is our daughter. What kind of example are we setting for her?”
“Do you want me to leave?” he asked worried, like I’d actually ask him to leave.
“No, never, you’re mine, you’re staying here. You’re lucky I let you out for work.”
He laughed and then leaned down, kissing me softly. “I don’t ever want to leave, either.”
“Daddy!” we heard Penelope cheer, and she slammed right into William’s leg, hugging him. He pried her off his leg and picked her up, holding her in his arms. He listened so intently, as she told him about her day.
“You guys sit on the couch and get comfortable. I’m going to finish putting away the laundry, and then we can talk about dinner.”
“So, you live with us, right? ‘Cause that’s what daddies do, they live with their little girls, ’cause they love them.”
“That’s exactly why I live here now. I knew the moment I found out about you that I had to be with you, and your mum knew how much I wanted to be with you, too.”
“I think you love her,” Penelope teased.
“You don’t need to think. I can tell you right now that I know I love your mum very much.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“Thank you for letting me be here and for not being too mad at me for not knowing about you. I didn’t know where your mum was, Poppet, I swear. I would’ve been here so much sooner. I love your mum so much, so very much, and I love you just as big, too, because you’re a part of her and me together. I’m so happy to be here with you both. I hope you know that.” I heard William sniffle a little. At least I thought it was him, but it very well could’ve been me.
“I love you, too, Daddy. I told all my friends at school about you, how I have a dad who talks funny, because he’s from London. Are you going to go back?” She sounded worried.
“When I go back, it’ll be with you and your mum both. I’m not leaving anyone behind, ever again. I do have to go back to get the rest of my things, but I’m going to wait until we get your traveling papers in order first.”
“Papers?”
“Yes, you’ll need a passport. I was looking up how to get one of those for you. Your mummy and I both have ours, but we aren’t going anywhere without you.”
I heard the smack of a thank-you kiss, and my heart swelled. I finished folding and was putting away the laundry, as I listened to William read our daughter a book. It was amazing how rapidly my feelings for him were growing. I already knew I loved him, but with each interaction, with each encounter I had with him, it grew so much stronger.
Ophelia sat at the table, taking our interactions in with a wistful smile. I knew she was getting tired of her meaningless dating, and I hoped she’d settle down soon, maybe with a certain Scottish behemoth of a man, who made her eyes sparkle every time he walked into the room.
She walked over and picked up a stack of
towels, helping me finish up. “You really do love him, don’t you?” she smiled, and I nodded, my grin widening, as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist.
“I love her, too, more than I ever imagined I could love someone. I’m so glad you didn’t come to meet me in London, Ms. Harper. No offense, but it wouldn’t have been pleasant, I assure you.”
Ophelia laughed loudly, patting William’s arm. “I’m glad, too. I wasn’t looking forward to having to put up with you, either.”
William pulled me into his arms, kissing me in a way that made me want to declare an early bedtime.
“It looks like you’re already cooking, now you just have to get some food involved,” Ophelia giggled.
William wiggled his eyebrows salaciously.
I smacked his chest and shooed them both out of the kitchen. “I’ve got dinner to make, and I believe you have a date yourself this evening, don’t you?” I teased Ophelia.
She giggled like a schoolgirl, before she skipped out of the apartment.
At dinner, William listened to Penelope tell us about her day at school. His eyes frequently settled on me with an adoring smile, before he looked back at her. It was crazy how fast and deep our feelings ran. I’d never fully believed people, when they’d said I’d run off with him after only knowing him a day, but it made perfect sense now. I didn’t want to move to England, but if he insisted, if he swore there was no way he could move to the U.S., I would go with him. I’d sell my little store and leave my adopted family behind to be with him. It’d be terrifying, but I knew it would be worth it.
“Can daddy wash my hair?” Penelope asked, begging us both.
William looked confused. “How could I wash your hair?”
“In the tub, when I take a bath.”
“You put up such a fight when I try and wash your hair, and you’re actually asking for your dad to do it?” She nodded her head yes. I looked over at William, who looked downright scared. “What’s wrong?”
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