Authors: Christy Reece
She took a breath, the mixture of expensive perfume and cologne another bracing reminder of where she was. These people were the elite of the city. Perhaps if they changed their perception of Brennan Sinclair, the rest of the world would follow suit.
“Let’s go wish Eleanor a happy birthday, and then I’ll introduce you around.”
They made their greetings to the guest of honor and then began to mingle with the rest of the crowd. Things were going so smoothly, so incredibly well, it only made sense that it all would crumble at her feet without any warning whatsoever.
“Kacie, you look lovely.”
Turning at the sound of Edy’s voice, Kacie’s smile froze when she saw the man standing beside her agent.
“You know Carlton Lorrance, don’t you?” Edy asked.
“Yes, I do.” Hoping to maintain a polite demeanor, she worked to sound only mildly curious. “I thought the press was barred from the party.”
To refer to Carlton Lorrance as
the press
was laughable. The man was one of the most infamous celebrity and fashion bloggers in the country. He had a huge following, and though he had never posted anything horribly negative about Kacie, she had seen him tear down and destroy more than one well-known celebrity with only a few words. Why on earth had Edy brought him here tonight?
“Never hurts to have a little preliminary speculation before the official announcement. With Carlton as my date, no one blinked an eye.” Edy winked. “You wearing the only Montague at the party will be the most-talked-about fashion news for days until the official announcement.”
“Great.” Maintaining her smile with effort, she nodded at Carlton. “It’s good to see you, Carlton. Let me introduce you to—”
“I’ll be damned. Brennan Sinclair.”
Kacie could see this going downhill extremely fast. Brennan had been an excellent, attentive companion so far, making polite conversation and the occasional amusing comment. How was he going to react to this, though?
“Yes, I’m Brennan Sinclair.”
A giant grin split Lorrance’s face as a speculative gleam sparkled in his eyes. He glanced at Kacie, then back at Brennan. “You two are together?”
“Oh, that’s something I forgot to tell you, Carlton,” Edy said. “Kacie and Brennan just recently started dating. It’s all very mysterious and romantic.”
“I think I watched every Jets game you played in.”
His jaw set to granite, Brennan nodded but didn’t speak.
“When you just walked out that day, I was pissed.”
Brennan’s silence seemed to egg Lorrance on. “Bet you’ve regretted that every second of every day since.”
“No, can’t say that I have.” Brennan looked down at Kacie. “I’ll get us another drink.”
Like a wild animal sensing an easy meal, Carlton went in for the kill. “You know, some people still speculate that you had your son kidnapped and killed for the sympathy so you could get your job back. Bet that rankles.”
Kacie could only gasp and stare at the vile accusation. What kind of person would say something like that? Even for a jerk like Lorrance, it was over the top.
Brennan turned slowly, the ice in his eyes both scary and sad. She saw the hollowness and pain beneath the coldness.
“I think we need to leave, Brennan.” She glared at Lorrance, then at Edy, who, though she looked horrified, had been clueless enough to bring him. “Your rudeness, Mr. Lorrance, is not only out of line but in very poor taste.”
As if he hadn’t just said the vilest thing possible to a complete stranger who could easily knock him into another orbit, Lorrance ignored her and gave Brennan an easy, oily smile. “It’d be a pleasure to interview you so you can set the record straight.”
“Carlton, stop,” Edy said. “That’s not why I brought you here.”
“Yeah, I know, but this is so much juicier.”
Kacie took Brennan’s arm and tried to tug. He was an immovable boulder. No way was she going to get him to budge until he was ready. She could feel the bunched muscles and knew he was holding himself back with extreme difficulty. They needed to get out of here fast, before he threw the slimy blogger through the ice sculpture a few feet away.
“Brennan, please. He’s just trying to make a name for himself.”
“I know exactly what he’s doing, Kacie.” His eyes, cold, hard, and unforgiving, stared down at her. “This makes for some good publicity. Right?”
“What do you mean?” Did he think she had something to do with this?
Instead of answering, Brennan returned his gaze to a smirking Lorrance. “Here’s what you can say in your sleazy rag tomorrow, Lorrance. The day I give a fuck about what your useless readers think is the day I’ll slit my own throat.”
With that, he turned and walked away. She would have liked to tell the guy off, too, but didn’t want Brennan to be alone. Yes, he’d hurt her with his accusation, but she knew what it was like to have the rug pulled out from under you like that. In the heat of the moment, you said things you didn’t mean.
He paused at the door, waiting. The moment she drew near, he whipped it open for her, then followed her out.
A few photographers jumped to attention, and though she wanted to tell them to get away from her and Brennan, she knew better. Brennan might not act as if he cared what others thought about him, but she wasn’t about to give them more fodder that they could distort. She smiled, waved, and all the while hung on to Brennan’s arm as if everything was just as lovely as when they’d entered the building only an hour earlier.
The man at her side acted as if the photographers didn’t exist, as if she didn’t exist. He stalked down the wide, carpeted steps toward the street. Miraculously, the limo she’d rented for the evening eased up in front of them, and without missing a step, as if this had all been planned, Brennan opened the door, and she slid inside. Brennan came in behind her. The car door slammed, shutting out prying eyes and flashing cameras and closing her up with one very pissed-off bodyguard.
Chapter Fourteen
“Brennan, I’m sorry. I—”
Brennan held up a hand to stop another apology. If he said anything right now, it’d be the wrong thing. The plan was to get her home, safe and sound. Then and only then would he allow himself to implode.
Kacie huffed out a frustrated breath. “Fine. You can be as angry as you want, but that’s not going to stop me from apologizing for what happened. I don’t know exactly what Lorrance was talking about, but—”
“Will you just be quiet for a moment?”
She blinked in surprise, and then a glimmer of hurt showed in her eyes before they turned cool and blank.
He figured that at some point he’d regret the words, but not yet, not now. All he felt now was this gut-aching need to slam his fist through the glass partition in front of him.
Silence filled the interior of the limo. Traffic was a stop-and-start, curse-inducing, horn-blowing, mangled mess. He wanted to get out and run until he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He couldn’t. His first priority was taking care of his client. He would not leave her alone, no matter how gutted he felt.
Horns blared. A symphony of various kinds of music blasted around them as New Yorkers enjoyed the warm night by lowering their car windows and sharing their playlists with the rest of the city. He heard the noise as a distant hum. Inside his mind was a voice—sweet, childish, innocent.
Daddy, can you come play ball with me?
Daddy, read me a story.
Daddy, can I come with you?
Daddy, please do what the bad man says. Please come get me.
Brennan closed his eyes against the memories, the regret. But they never went away, never left him. Until the day he closed his eyes for the last time, he would hear his little boy’s voice asking, begging…pleading.
His hands clenched into fists, and he held them stiff and still, willing the violence within him to subside. He didn’t often get this way anymore. Stupid not to have anticipated this. He should’ve been ready. Being blindsided and unprepared had exposed the one vulnerability that would never go away.
Something soft, gentle, touched him. Brennan opened his eyes to see a slender, delicate hand covering his clenched fist. Kacie’s hand. Gently but firmly, he removed her hand from his. He didn’t want her comfort. Didn’t need it. Definitely didn’t deserve it.
“Brennan, I had no idea he—”
“I know you didn’t. That doesn’t mean your agent didn’t. She saw an opportunity, and she took it.”
Anger and shock glinted in her eyes. “That’s not true. There’s no reason for Edy to do something like that. She—”
“Don’t be naïve. There’s every reason. The more you’re in the news, the better for your career. To hell with anyone else’s life.”
“That’s extraordinarily unfair, on top of being untrue. Yes, Edy can be ruthless when it comes to negotiating contracts, but for her to arrange something like this would be ludicrous.”
“Then tell me how one of the most vicious and spiteful celebrity stalkers happened to be her date?”
“He doesn’t do that anymore. He’s a blogger, for fashion and trends.”
“Tigers don’t change their stripes, Kacie. Take off your rose-colored glasses.”
“I don’t wear rose-colored glasses, Brennan. I know better than anyone that there are bad people in this world. I’m just saying people can change.”
Part of him admired her spirit and goodness, another part pitied her incredible naïveté.
“You keep your idealistic dreams, sweetheart. I live in the real world, where shit happens and then you die.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
Turning his gaze to the mass of humanity outside his window, Brennan blanked his mind to everything but his job. He was here to protect Kacie Dane, physically if need be. Trying to change her attitude about life wasn’t in his job description. Besides, if she was happier living in a fantasy, who was he to deprive her?
The rest of the trip passed in a tense, grim silence. Her cellphone rang twice. He didn’t look at her, but assumed she rejected each call and perhaps then put it on silent. He was sure Edy would call and apologize, all the while gleeful at the outcome of her setup.
At last the limo pulled up to the front of Kacie’s building. Brennan opened the door to get out. Kacie pulled on his hand, stopping him.
He looked down at her hand, then into her compassionate eyes. His heart did a weird leap and then thudded inside his chest. No…just no.
He pulled away from her, got out of the limo, checked for anything or anyone suspicious, then helped her from the vehicle.
In silence, they walked toward the building. A young doorman opened the door for them and wished them a pleasant night. Brennan could only manage a nod, but he heard Kacie’s friendly greeting.
Once inside, Brennan nodded at the big man at the security desk. Kacie threw out a, “Hey, Frankie, have a good night,” as she walked to the elevator with Brennan at her side.
Once the elevator doors closed, Kacie turned to face him. “Okay, we’re alone and trapped for a few seconds. Now you have to listen to me. I had nothing to do with that man being there. And I know Edy. She only meant to drum up publicity for this deal we’ve made with Julian Montague. Media speculation is gold in our business. That’s all she intended.”
She looked so sincere, so worried about him, that he wanted to say something reassuring…even kind. Maybe later. For right now, he just needed to be alone.
When he didn’t answer, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she nodded. “Fine. I’ll leave you alone.”
The elevator doors slid open. Brennan went out first, checked the hallway to make sure it was clear, then motioned for her to come out. They walked together to her apartment.
He took five minutes to search the apartment, all the while aware that she stood in the middle of her living room, watching him. Assured that there were no intruders and she was safe, he said, “Good night,” and went to his bedroom.
The instant the door closed, Brennan ripped off the ridiculous bow tie at his neck and opened the collar of his shirt. Now he could breathe…now he could let go.
He went to the window and looked out into the darkened night. The only thing he saw was his reflection—harsh, unforgiving, bitter. He closed his eyes against the familiar sight, but the instant he did, he saw Kacie’s face…her hurt and her compassion.
Hell, he could’ve said something to make her feel better. Probably should’ve. After he’d been an ass to her, she’d tried to comfort him. He almost laughed at that thought. Comfort? There was no such thing. Not when it came to this kind of gut-ripping, soul-destroying pain.
Yeah, he knew what the experts would say. Move on, come to terms with what happened and live your life. And he had for the most part. Rescuing kidnapped victims fed his soul unlike anything else he’d ever experienced. None of them was his son, but he’d seen the relief and happiness in a parent’s face when a child came home. Each rescue had healed a little bit of his soul. But the pain would never be gone, completely healed. How could it?