Unless it was that she was sick? Maybe she had something bad and couldn’t eat anything without being sick. Oh, fuck, that might explain why she’d thrown up.
Before he could question her, the intercom buzzed, and she was letting in the cops. So, he saved his questions for later.
* * *
She couldn’t believe someone had trashed her apartment.
The cops hadn’t been all that hopeful about catching who it was. There were no cameras in the hallways or entrance, which pissed Beau off.
He’d been in a strange mood since he’d gone through her kitchen. She could only wonder what he was thinking about. But he’d been by her side while she talked to the police. Wrapping his arm around her waist to lend her his strength when her legs started to weaken. She was so exhausted. She didn’t even know how to deal with this. Her bag being stolen, her apartment broken into. It was all too much.
The cops thought it likely that it was her mugger who had trashed her place, but why would anyone rob her?
And how had Beau come to be in the right place at the right time?
She couldn’t believe he hadn’t gotten her texts, that he’d broken his foot. She wished he’d found some way to get here earlier. But then, she hadn’t done anything to find him, and she had something rather big to tell him.
She still had no idea how to do that. Or how he’d react considering she didn’t know if it was his baby or his brother’s.
And now, she stood in the middle of a complete mess and felt like crying. How many times would that make it today?
Well, she figured she was entitled to a few tears considering the turn her life had taken lately. And damn it, she was going to blame it on hormones.
“I don’t even know where to start,” she muttered, looking around in despair. They’d really done a good job. There was hardly anything left intact. How am I going to afford to replace any of this stuff?
She was so exhausted, she was swaying on her feet. She had barely eaten, then she’d vomited up everything she had eaten on poor Beau’s boots. Thankfully, he’d had another pair in his truck.
She had to clean those for him.
“Can you go get your boots from your truck?”
“What?” He gave her a strange look.
Right, because she was doing it again. Going into her own head and not explaining what she was thinking.
“The boots I puked on. I need to clean them for you. Would you go get them for me? I don’t think I have the energy right now.”
“You look like you’re dead on your feet. You’re pale and you have dark circles under your eyes.”
“Thanks,” she said dryly. “Why don’t you just tell me I look like shit?”
He pointed at her sternly. “Don’t start talking badly about yourself, you know what that will get you.”
She glared at him. “You’re the one that said it first.”
“I did not. I’d never say such a thing.”
“You’re crazy.” She’d already known that, but he was crazier than she thought. And he had a far more serious side than she’d realized.
“First of all, Snow, there is no way in hell you’re cleaning my boots, so get that out of your head right now.”
She opened her mouth, but he shot her a look.
“Second, you’re not cleaning this up.” He came over and took the sofa cushion out of her hand that she’d picked up. “No.”
She scowled. He couldn’t tell her what to do like she was a naughty toddler. “I have to clean this up. I have to see what can be salvaged and what I’ll need to replace.”
“I can tell you right now there’s little here that can be salvaged. And you’re not cleaning up any of it. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m not letting you do it.”
“Oh, I’m not going to do it. I’m going to hire someone. I’ll get someone to change the locks too.”
“Do you think that’s necessary?” she asked in a small voice. Her arm crossed her tummy. This apartment had always been her safe place and now she felt violated. It was an awful feeling.
She just wanted to go to bed, pull the blankets over her head and pretend none of this had happened.
“I’m not taking any chances. This guy has your keys, and he could come back.”
“Oh, God.” She put her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t even thought of that. What if he came back? What would she do? She didn’t even have a bat to protect herself.
“Why don’t I have a bat?”
“Snow, you’re gonna need to clue me into the thoughts in your head, okay?” He grabbed her shoulders gently. “Although I’m guessing you’re thinking about protection, right?”
She nodded.
“Well, you don’t need to be worrying about that. Because I’m gonna protect you.”
She shook her head.
“Yes.” He squeezed her shoulders lightly. “And I don’t want any arguments, understand me? We need to lay down a few rules right now. I know I’m not the most dominant guy, but when it comes to health and safety, I’m in charge. What I say goes. And right now, you’re dead on your feet, you’ve been mugged and had your place trashed, as well as throwing up. You aren’t thinking straight.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not, Snow,” he said gently. “And that’s okay. It’s all right to let me make the decisions for a while.”
“You didn’t . . . I mean before, you didn’t seem like you would want to, uh, take that role.”
He nodded. “I don’t usually. I like being the fun twin.” He winked at her. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of stepping up to the plate. And I’d do anything to look after you. So, this is what’s going to happen, you tell me if there’s anything else you need, we’ll pack it up then we’re going to a hotel. I’ll have people here to tidy up and change the locks. Although you won’t be staying here anymore.”
“I won’t?”
“No. But we don’t need to talk about that right now.” He eyed her carefully. Like he thought she might break if he pushed her too far. It wasn’t without foundation.
She felt very, very breakable right then.
“I . . . I . . .”
“No arguments. Not tonight. Tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep and some food then you give me your reasons, but not tonight, okay?”
That actually sounded perfect to her.
“I’m going to see what I can find that’s not trashed.” She started stepping toward the bedroom then froze. “Oh shit.”
“What is it?”
“Um, nothing.”
The flash drive!
Her laptop was one of the few items that had been taken, along with some cheap jewelry. But thankfully, after downloading the evidence, she’d cleared it off the laptop and her email. She moved into her bathroom.
Please let the flash drive be here.
She drew out the pack of sanitary pads. She’d slid the pen drive into one of them then repacked them.
Thank God. It was still in there. She slipped it into her pocket with a sigh of relief. Something else she needed to tell Beau about. She couldn’t believe he was here. That he’d saved her.
She rubbed at her temples. The cops had asked her if she’d known anyone who might have done this. They thought whoever mugged her had likely used her keys to rob her place. Which meant they’d known where she lived. They’d guessed that maybe the mugger had followed her from her place.
Moving into the bedroom, she just stood there, looking around. She realized she didn’t want anything in here. It had all been touched by whomever and done this. Tainted. It made her feel sick.
But she couldn’t afford to throw it all away and start again. She was going to have to get over it. Moving to gather up some clothes, she held up a pair of her panties. He’d touched her underwear.
“Leave it all, Snow.”
“What?” She turned to Beau, who stood in the doorway.
He held out a hand to her. “Drop that. Come here.”
She dropped her panties eagerly and moved toward him. He drew her close, hugging her tightly then kissed the top of her head. “You don’t need any of this stuff. Leave it. I’ll have whoever tidies the place up bag anything that isn’t ruined, then you can decide whether to keep it.”
“But I don’t have any clothes.”
“I’ll get you some.”
“I can’t let you do that. I don’t know when I’ll be able to get a new credit card. My credit cards! I need to cancel them. I don’t . . . I don’t . . .”
“Sh. Calm down. Sh. You’ll make yourself sick again. You can use my phone. Don’t worry about paying for shit. I have it covered.”
“I can’t let you do that. I’ll pay you back. I will. I just—”
He put his finger over her lips. “Stop.”
She gave him a surprised look. Then he bent down and replaced his finger with his lips. “You’re Beau’s girl now. Beau’s girl doesn’t pay for shit. Beau’s girl lets him take care of her. And Beau’s girl doesn’t argue.”
“Does Beau’s girl also kick him in the nuts when he’s being an arrogant ass?”
“Beau’s girl would never,” he said with an exaggerated gasp, placing his hand on his chest and giving her an affronted look. “Beau’s girl is a lady.”
“Beau’s girl sounds like a figment of Beau’s imagination,” she replied dryly.
“If she was a figment of Beau’s imagination, would Beau be able to kiss her?” He leaned down and kissed her again.
Oh, Lord, the man could kiss.
How had she ever thought kissing was just meh? Well, obviously, it was because she’d never been kissed by Beau Malone. Or his brother.
No, don’t think about that.
“There, Beau’s girl. What do you think about that?”
“I think you’re crazy. Also, why are you talking about yourself in the third person?”
“No fucking idea,” he replied, making her giggle. Something she hadn’t done in ages. She leaned her forehead against his chest.
He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “It’s okay, Snow. You’re not alone anymore. I’m here.”
“There’s stuff I have to tell you. So much stuff. I’m scared.”
His hand paused then he shifted her back and raised her face up. “You’re scared to tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll be mad at me.” Her lower lip wobbled. “You’ll leave me and this time you won’t come back.”
He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “I’m here because I want to be. You think I stalk just anyone?”
Her eyes widened at his words. “You were stalking me? Watching me? You rat!”
“Well, Maddox wouldn’t let me enact Operation Steal-Snow. So, I had to improvise. Figured I’d find a way to approach you. Then you were mugged by that asshole, and I knew I couldn’t stand by anymore.”
“Maddox knows you’re here.” Sadness flooded her. Maddox knew Beau was here, but he didn’t want to be here himself.
Because he didn’t want her.
“He’s a hardheaded idiot, Snow. But he’ll come around.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. I don’t need him.”
“Ah, Snow, if only you said that with conviction, I might believe you. But let’s shelve discussions of my pig-headed, far uglier brother.”
She smiled at that.
“You need to know that I’m here for good. Whatever you have to tell me, we’ll work it out. All right?”
“What if it’s something really awful?”
His eyes narrowed. “Did you do what Maddox accused you of?”
“I didn’t. I swear.”
“Did you sleep with someone these past nine weeks, after sleeping with my brother and me?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Of course not! What do you take me for? I’ve slept with three men in my life. My asshole ex, your brother, and you.”
Beau smiled. “That means your number is going to stay at three. Because once you’re Beau’s girl, Beau never lets you go.”
She groaned. “Can you stop talking about yourself in the third person?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s really weird.”
14
Beau picked a shirt out of his suitcase and then opened the bathroom door. “Snow, I’ve got a spare shirt for you to wear. I sent your clothes to be laundered.” He walked in then snuck a look over at her.
Bubbles. Damn it. A man’s worst enemy. Well, maybe not his worst enemy, but they were on his shit list for sure. First, they were hiding his girl’s naked body from him. Second, they got to touch his girl’s naked body.
Was he seriously jealous of bath bubbles? What had happened to him? He didn’t even know who he was anymore.
She had her hair up in a bun, and he itched to let it down but figured he’d be in trouble. Women didn’t like when you got their hair wet when they didn’t want their hair wet.
See? He could learn things.
“Beau, that will cost a fortune.”
He shrugged. “It was that or pay someone to go out and get you some new clothes. Actually, maybe I should do that instead of taking you shopping tomorrow.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Hmm, maybe you’re right. Going clothes shopping with you could be fun. Especially when I can go into the changing room to help you.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “All sorts of things happen in changing rooms.”
She gaped at him. “Beau Malone, we will not be having sex in the changing rooms.”
“Why not?”
“Why not? Because anyone could walk in on us! And most of them only have curtains.”
“So, we’ll only have sex in the ones with doors.”
She pointed a finger at him. “No. Now out.”
“Sure you don’t need help washing yourself?” This wasn’t the first time he’d offered, but he was ever hopeful.
“Been doing it all my life. Pretty sure I’ve got it under control. Now, out.”
“Fine, I’m going to order some room service, I’ll let you know when it’s here.”
“Oh, thanks. Don’t order me much. I’m not hungry.”
He frowned at that but didn’t argue. After everything she’d been through today, he could understand why she wouldn’t feel like eating, but he was worried about the weight she’d lost.
One thing at a time. He wouldn’t push for too much too fast. He had plenty of time. After ordering room service, he picked up his phone.
First, he made arrangements with the landlord to have her place cleaned up and the locks changed. Then he made the phone call he’d been putting off because he knew the asshole wasn’t going to take what he had to tell him well.
“What’s going on? Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?”
“Maddy, how many times have we had this conversation. The correct way to answer the phone is to say hello. Hel-lo. Try it, it’s not that hard.”
“Beau, I’m seriously not in the mood. What’s happened?”
“What’s happened is that I’m in a really nice hotel with room service and a king-sized bed. Oh, and my girl is currently naked, taking a bath. And tonight, she’s going to be sleeping where she belongs, in my arms.”
Maybe it was a bit mean of him . . . nah, his brother needed a shake-up. He had to realize what he was missing out on. The most gorgeous woman in the world.
“What the fuck did you do? Did you kidnap her? Damn it, Beau.”
“Actually, I didn’t have to kidnap her. She came with me willingly.”
There was silence on the other end. He waited him out. See? He could be patient. Sure, it didn’t come easily. But he’d waited days to enact Operation Steal-Snow. And then he hadn’t even needed to steal her.
“You’ve decided just to forgive her for what she did? What if this is another play—”
“Stop,” Beau said in a low voice.
He could practically feel his brother’s surprise coming thr
ough the phone. Knew he’d be pacing, that vein in his forehead would be throbbing. Okay, maybe there wasn’t a vein. But it was fun to tease him that there was.
“I’m not going to stand by while you say bad things about Scarlett.” Okay, he even surprised himself with how commanding he sounded. “I’m not going to have you take your issues out on Scar. She’s not the villain, Maddox. She had no idea who you were. It was all some fucking coincidence. And before you say it, no she didn’t know how Richard was forcing Darren and his friends to sell.”
“Of course, she’d say she didn’t have anything to do with it, Beau. But what proof do you have that she’s not lying?”
“What proof do you have to say she is?”
He was silent.
“You see the worst in people, Maddox.”
“And you see the best,” he snapped back.
“Two halves of a whole, huh?” His voice was slightly bitter. “And yet, who is the one sitting at home alone tonight, and who has the most beautiful girl in the world in his bathroom?”
Maddox sighed. “I’m just trying to protect you.”
“In case it escaped your notice, I’m a big boy, Maddy. You can’t protect me all the time. I get to make my own decisions and my own mistakes.”
“And if she’s a mistake?”
“Then I’ll own it. But I know she isn’t. I just need you to have some faith. If not in her, then in me. She’s the one, Maddox.”
“It’s ridiculous to feel like that when you don’t know her.”
“You’re telling me you don’t feel it? That the reason you’re so mad at her isn’t because you want her? I know you feel betrayed because you felt something for her. But what if we’re the ones that betrayed her? By not believing in her?”
“I just can’t blindly trust.”
“This is because of Megan, isn’t it?” That bitch had never cared for Beau. Called him immature and stupid. Never in front of Maddox, of course. And well, Beau was a big boy, sticks and stones and all that shit.
“I thought she was real, turns out she was still getting it on with her ex-boyfriend. I was a means to an end, that end being a rich husband who would pay for everything while she kept fucking her ex-boyfriend on the side.”
Twice the Malone Page 13
