The Wrong/Right Man

by Aurora Rose Reynolds

  “Neither of us are upset with you,” Alisha chimes in with a soft smile, and Braxton’s hand smooths up and down my thigh.

  “We know what’s happening isn’t your fault, and both of us agree that the safest place for you to be is with our son.” He smiles a smile that looks like one of his son’s. “That’s unless you say you want to come home with us when we leave.”

  I laugh, relieved they don’t hate me. “I do need a vacation. I might just take you up on that.”

  “You’re welcome anytime.” Alisha says, and Bret nods his agreement as Braxton’s cell phone begins to ring. I glare at his phone when he pulls it from his pocket and then seethe at him.

  “Seriously, I really hate that stupid thing,” I tell him as he looks at his phone, seeming confused.

  “Sorry.” He kisses my cheek. “I’ll be right back.” He stands, placing his napkin on the table before walking away. I turn to look over my shoulder and watch him disappear through the crowded restaurant, putting his phone to his ear when he reaches the door.

  “Well.” I pick my glass of wine back up as I look between Bret and Alisha. “If you don’t hear from your son, it’s because I’ve either killed him or tossed his cell into the trash.” They both laugh as I take another gulp of wine, thinking they really shouldn’t be so stingy with their servings, especially since I know this wine didn’t cost thousands of dollars.

  “You’re good for him,” Bret states softly as I set my now empty glass down and look at him. “You aren’t afraid to remind him that work isn’t the most important thing in his life.”

  “Yet he still just left the table with his phone,” I point out.

  Alisha shrugs. “We’re hoping that the more you point it out, the more he will see how much his job has taken over his life.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” I say then jump when a hand lands on my shoulder. I tip my head back and meet Braxton’s gaze, and the look in his eyes sends a chill down my spine.

  “What happened?” I ask as he takes his seat next to me and adjusts me in my chair so that I’m facing him. “You’re scaring me,” I admit as he takes my hands.

  “That call was from your brother.”

  “Jamie,” I whisper, and he nods.

  “He was arrested tonight.”

  My stomach drops, and I turn my hands over so I’m gripping his. “Arrested?”

  “Freddie got drunk and started rambling about you and me to Lozz. At first, he didn’t think much of it, but then Lozz spoke to Jamie, and your brother told him about your place being trashed and what’s been happening. Lozz put two and two together, since he knew Freddie didn’t go home with them Friday. Jamie went over to talk to him, and Freddie was still drunk and admitted what he did.”

  “What?” I whisper, sure I heard him wrong.

  “Things became violent, they fought, and Freddie is in the hospital. Jamie is at the station.”

  My stomach churns. “I think I’m going to be sick.” I pull my hand from his to cover my mouth. I haven’t known Freddie as long as I’ve known Jinx and Lozz, but he’s still someone I trust—one of the few people I really trust.

  “I called my lawyer. He’s going down to the station to bail Jamie out, but he did a number on Freddie, so we need to be prepared for what might happen.”

  I close my eyes and drop my chin to my chest. Jamie has always had a temper, and when he loses control of it, he becomes irrational and can’t restrain himself. I can only imagine what he did to Freddie when he found out he was the one behind what’s been going on, especially when he considered him a close friend.

  “I just can’t believe this.” I want to ask why, want to understand, but right now isn’t the time for me to ask questions. Right now, I need to get myself together and make sure I’m ready to help Jamie, because it seems like he’s going to need me. “How long do you think it will be before your lawyer gets him out?”

  He checks his watch. “My guess—an hour, maybe two.”

  “I want to be there,” I say, and he shakes his head. “Don’t tell me no, Braxton.”

  “I don’t want you at the police station. I’ll have my lawyer bring him to my place. He can stay with us there while we wait to find out how Freddie is.”

  Freddie. I don’t want to be worried about him, but I am, and I’m sure Jamie is too. “Exactly how bad is he?”

  “Jamie didn’t know. He just said he was bad and unconscious when the EMTs took him away. I’ll make a couple calls and find out when we get home.”

  “Okay,” I say then look at Alisha and Bret. “I’m sorry about this.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Alisha says softly.

  “I’m going to pay the bill,” Bret adds then looks at Braxton. “Why don’t you and your mom get Dakota to the car?”

  Without a word, he stands, bringing me up with him, then he leads his mom and me through the restaurant. When we get outside, he leaves Alisha and me to wait under the awning near a warming light while he goes to the valet stand. It’s not freezing, but the temperature has dropped enough to make me wish I had my jacket. I wrap my arms around my middle, and a moment later, Braxton comes over and slips off his jacket, wrapping it around my shoulders.

  “Thank you.” I lean into him as his arm circles my waist, and then we wait in silence for his car, the knot in my stomach growing by the second. If I had my cell, I could call Lozz or Jinx and ask them what they know, but now all I can do is think of every worst-case scenario.

  An hour later, I sit on the couch with a cup of tea in front of me, my leg bouncing up and down as I stare at the elevator. Braxton came out of his office a few minutes ago to let me know Jamie is on the way and that Jinx and Lozz are with him.

  Since we got home, he and his dad have been on the phone with his lawyer, another lawyer, the police, and the hospital, trying to find out how Freddie is doing. I don’t know how I would deal with this situation without them. Even Alisha has been cool and calm, trying to put me at ease.

  “Drink some tea,” Alisha urges, picking up my cup and handing it to me as the intercom buzzes.

  I take it from her and have a sip, wishing the warmth would wash away the worry as she gets up. I listen to her tell security to allow them up, and when the doors to the elevator slide open a few minutes later, Jamie steps out with Lozz, Jinx, and a man wearing a suit following them. My stomach bottoms out and my hands shake when I see the blood on Jamie’s shirt, the cut on his lip, and the black eye he’s sporting.

  He comes to me and takes a seat on the couch at my side with Lozz and Jinx doing the same, the three of them looking somber as I absently hear Alisha tell the lawyer to follow her to Braxton.

  I set my cup down, rest my head on Jamie’s chest, and stare at the two men sitting opposite us. I want to say something, but I honestly don’t have a clue what I could say that would make any of this better.

  I look up when Braxton comes into the room, and his eyes soften on me before he walks the lawyer to the elevator. Once the older man is gone, he comes into the living room and looks at my brother. “Freddie is fine,” he says, holding Jamie’s eye, and I squeeze my brother’s waist. “The doctors said he had alcohol poisoning, which is why he blacked out.”

  “So I didn’t hurt him?” Jamie asks, sounding as relieved as I feel.

  “You did, but not as bad as you thought you did. They are keeping him in the hospital overnight, and the cops are going to talk to him in the morning when he’s sober. There is a chance he could press charges against you, but he’s going to have some questions to answer himself, since the cops were able to match his prints to the ones on the box we intercepted.”

  “I still can’t believe he did this shit.” Jinx sighs.

  “I wish I could tell you it wasn’t him, but I found out a few minutes ago that he’s on video in the elevator.”

  “I don’t get why he would do it. He never flirted with me, he didn’t even really talk to me.”

  “I knew he had a thing for you,” Lozz admits,
running his hand through his long hair. “He just wasn’t sure if Jamie would be cool with him asking you out, and he wanted to make sure you were over the Troy shit before he did.”

  “You never mentioned that to me,” Jamie says.

  Lozz sighs. “I never thought it was a big deal. I sure as hell didn’t think he’d do the shit he did.”

  “I don’t want to bring this up now, but we need to call Dan. We’re down a band member, and we’re going to have to find someone to replace Freddie before we go on tour.”

  “Shit,” Jamie groans. “I want to kick his ass all over again.”

  I sit up to make room for Braxton on the couch next to me, and once he’s sitting, I curl into his side, resting my cup on his thigh. “You need to wait to see if Freddie presses charges,” Braxton says. “If he does, that might make it a little more difficult for you to leave town. If he doesn’t, you can explain what’s happening and ask if Dan knows someone who can fill in for Freddie until you can find a replacement.”

  “I didn’t really want to call him tonight anyway,” Jamie says, and my eyes soften on my brother’s tired face.

  “Do you want to stay here?” I ask, and Braxton gives my upper arm a squeeze of approval.

  “Nah, I’m going to head home.” He sits up, patting my leg, and then he eyes Braxton. “Thanks for everything you did tonight, man. I really appreciate it.”

  “Anytime,” Braxton replies quietly, and my throat gets tight with emotion. Somewhere along the way, he and Jamie have formed a bond that is all their own, and that is something I didn’t know would be so important to me.

  Jamie stands, and Jinx along with Lozz get up as I push off the couch, pulling Braxton up with me. “How are you guys going to get home?” I ask them when we reach the elevator.

  “Don’t worry about us. We’ll grab a cab when we get downstairs,” Lozz tells me, giving me a hug. I hug Jinx next then go to my brother when he opens his arms.

  “I’m really glad you’re okay.” I circle his waist and squeeze as he kisses the top of my head before he releases me.

  “Stan will call you in the morning after Freddie speaks with the police. We’ll regroup after that,” Braxton says.

  Jamie takes his hand and orders, “Take care of my sister,” patting his shoulder before letting him go.

  I watch the three of them get on the elevator then wave as the doors close. Once they’re gone, I turn and look up at Braxton, placing my hands on his chest as his settle on my hips. “I changed my mind.”

  “About what?” he prompts.

  “My willingness to do whatever you want in order to get that vacation I mentioned earlier.”

  He grins then touches his mouth to mine. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “I’m ordering Chinese,” Alisha says, coming into the room, and I turn to watch her look around. “Oh, your brother and his friends already left.” She meets my gaze. “Do you two want something to eat?”

  “Please.” I rest my hand on my stomach. Now that the drama is over, I’m starving.

  “Give me your order.” She smiles, and I tell her what I want, and Braxton gives her his order. “It will probably be a while before it gets here, and your dad is taking a nap. He’s had a day.” She laughs as she walks off, and I couldn’t agree more with Bret. It’s been a day that’s felt like a year. I’m just glad it’s over.

  ________________

  I WAKE WHEN Braxton’s phone rings, and for the first time ever, I’m not upset, because I can hear the person on the other end of the line explain that Freddie isn’t pressing charges against Jamie and that he admitted to what he did to me. When he hangs up the call, I listen to his phone hit the bedside table then cuddle closer to him as he pulls me up so my head is resting against his pec.

  “Are you awake?” he asks with his breath brushing my forehead as his fingers skim down my spine.

  “Yeah.”

  “Freddie isn’t pressing charges,” he tells me—something I already heard.

  “Jamie will be happy.”

  “He’s been arrested for what he did to you.”

  “Good,” I mumble, and silence settles between us. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but his statement from yesterday keeps replaying in my mind. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Ask away.” His hand moves to my hip to squeeze.

  I tip my head back toward him and find his eyes closed. “Do you want kids?”

  At my question, his eyes open to meet mine then he rolls me to my back and cups my cheek. “Yes, I want kids.”

  “How do you feel about adopting?” I ask, holding my breath as his eyes search mine.

  “Is that something you want?”

  “Yes,” I admit quietly. “I want kids of my own, but I also want to adopt. I’ve always wanted a big family with lots of kids running around.”

  His eyes soften and he rests his forehead to mine. “I like that idea.”

  “Can I ask you another question?”

  “Yeah.” He doesn’t move away, so I take a breath to work up the courage to ask what I need to ask.

  “Why do you think you’re falling in love with me?”

  “I don’t think I’m falling in love with you.” His eyes stay locked with mine as his thumb glides over my jaw. “I am in love with you.”

  “How do you know?”

  “How do you know you need to breathe?” he asks in return, and tears start to fill my eyes. “Loving you isn’t something I think about. It’s something that has happened without me thinking about it and is as natural to me as taking my next breath.”

  I lift my hand and rest it against his scruffy cheek as tears slide into my hair. “I love you too.” The words are harsh as I lean up and press my lips to his. He kisses me back, and I smile against his lips then let my head fall back against the pillow. “How did this happen?”

  “Determination.” He rolls to his back with me in his arms, and I straddle his waist then look down into his eyes, knowing he’s right.

  The only explanation for everything that happened between us since the moment we met is his determination to get his way.

  I’m just glad that Mr. Wrong ended up being Mr. Right.

  Epilogue

  BRAXTON

  Two months later . . .

  I WALK INTO the kitchen glancing along the counters for my cell then go to my office and look under the stack of papers there then into the living room where Dakota is sitting on the couch reading to look around. It’s been two months since we found out Freddie was responsible for everything that happened to her. Since then he sat Jamie down and explained that he hoped she would find out about the threat, tell her brother and then step in to save the day. He didn’t know about me, but knew his plan wouldn’t work when he saw her and I together. That’s when he got drunk, stole the watch she had given to Jamie and broke into her place trashing it in a rage. His hope in admitting the truth was that he would be able to go on tour with Jamie and the rest of the guys, but all that happened was Dakota got closure. The guys left him behind, the trust they had built demolished by his actions and now Jamie is on tour with a song playing at number one on every single radio station in the country and in some parts of the world. Dakota has also won over Kathy, or I should say Hanna introduced her family to her new man and Kathy let go of the hope that Hanna and I would end up together. But that doesn’t mean that myself or Chris has stopped trying to move Dakota, not that it’s worked.

  “Can I help you?” Dakota asking that question pulls me from my thoughts and I focus on her, feeling my chest warm. As fucked up as what Freddie did is, I still understand why he would go to such extreme lengths to get her attention. Why he would do something fucked up in the attempt to make her his.

  “Have you seen my cell?” I ask narrowing my eyes on her, because my phone seems to disappear a lot when we are home alone together, and then reappear in the oddest places. And I do consider this our home even if she still has her place downstairs. Since I told her I love her we
haven’t spent a night apart unless I have to be out of town and even then she still stays here.

  “Your cell?” She glances around then looks at her book muttering. “I haven’t seen it.”

  “Dakota,” I wrap my hands around my hips. “I’m expecting an important call.”

  She slowly lifts her eyes to meet mine. “Then Braxton you should really be more responsible with your stuff. Plus it’s Sunday, no one works on Sunday.” Fuck I love her. I had no idea I was capable of loving someone the way I love her. I eye her for a moment then say screw it, work can wait. I go to her and pull the book from her hand then toss it across the room. “Hey, I was reading that.”

  “To bad, if I can’t work you’re going to entertain me.” I scoop her up and with her laughter ringing through the apartment I carry her to my bed where I spend the rest of the day making love to the woman who changed everything for me.

  ________________

  Eight months later . . .

  I SHUT OFF the water and get out of the shower to dry off then tie my towel around my waist. I head into the closet to get dressed, and as I usually do, I place my suit on the chair along with my dress shirt then go to my new tie rack, finding it empty. I frown then go to the drawer my ties used to be in, but it’s full of delicate lace.

  After searching the closet and coming up empty-handed, I head into the bedroom and blink at the sight that greets me. Dakota is lounging in the middle of the bed, wearing nothing but the engagement ring I put on her finger a month ago and a hot-pink tie, the length resting between her breasts and the end covering what I know is heaven.

  “Are you looking for something, Mr. Adams?”

  I smirk and walk across the room, letting the towel drop away and watching her pupils dilate. You’d think that after almost a year with her, things between us would cool down, but so far, they haven’t. I’m just as crazy about her now as I was the first moment we met, maybe even crazier.

  I crawl up the bed and grab her ankles, pulling them apart before settling between her legs.