She’s in protective sister mode.
“Meg.” I begin but she holds her hand up to me to stop talking and my eyebrows rise
in surprise. Matt grins at her. Isaac, Nate and the others have come out of the game
room to see what all the commotion is about.
“He’s put my sister in a position he doesn’t even understand.” He points his finger
at me again, his voice rising as Mark moves up beside him.
“How in the bloody hell can you say he doesn’t understand it?” Meg roars. “He lives
in that world every goddamned day! You’re no more of a celebrity than he is, you know.
If anything, he’s even more submerged in it.”
“This is not about who is more famous,” Luke interrupts.
“Leo would never hurt Sam.”
“He’s not good enough for my sister!” Luke exclaims and a cold sweat breaks out on
my face.
He’s right. I’m not.
But I’ll be goddamned if I’ll let her go.
“Luke,” Sam softly interjects but he shakes his head.
“No, you told him you didn’t want this kind of publicity, and what happens? That bullshit,”
he points to Stacy’s phone. “This is bullshit.” He turns to me. “You’re supposed to
fucking protect her, not feed her to the fucking wolves! You promised!”
“Are you kidding me?” I grip Meg by the shoulders and move her to the side toward
Will, knowing he’ll keep her out of the way. “You think I don’t know what fame,
your fame
has done to your sister?”
“Leo.” Sam’s voice is full of warning, but I ignore her. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.
“Your fame, all of your fame,” I point to Will and then turn back to Luke, my heart
hammering in my chest, “lost Sam her motherfucking job. She’s been unemployed for
over a month because she wouldn’t sell her family out.”
Luke’s jaw drops and his eyes fly to Sam’s, who now has tears in her eyes. “Is this
true?”
“Fuck this,” she whispers and shakes her head. “I’m out of here.” She pushes through
the bodies that have gathered around us and slams through the front door, Natalie
close behind.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Mark asks, his hands on his hips.
“Her boss wanted her to do a story on Luke and Nat last year after they got married.
She refused.”
“But you just said she’s only been unemployed for a month. We’ve been married for
over a year.”
“I wasn’t finished.” I push my hand through my hair. “About a month ago, the bastard
bitched her out for not telling him sooner that she was connected to the Montgomerys.
More specifically, Will Montgomery.”
“Sonofabitch,” Will whispers. “I would have done an interview for her.”
“She wouldn’t have asked you to, man. She loves you. All of you.” I look around the
room, at Sam’s family. Jules has tears in her eyes, the men’s mouths are clenched,
fists balled. “She would never put her family in any magazine, especially knowing
how fiercely private you all are.”
If she had just confided in them sooner, they would have fought for her.
“So, they fired her because they said she wasn’t a team player for not being willing
to sell out her family. She went to L.A. for a job interview.”
“She’s not moving to L.A.” Sam’s dad insists from his stance on the stairway. The
parents have come out to listen.
“No, she’s not.” I confirm and shake my head. “She’s had interviews here in town this
week.”
“Why didn’t she say anything?” Luke asks.
“This is Sam we’re talking about.” I remind him with a rueful laugh. “She’s stubborn
as hell. She also didn’t want anyone to worry.” I turn back to Luke and get in his
face. “So if you think I’d let a rag get their hands on something like that.” I point
at the phone clenched tightly in Stacy’s fingers. “You’re sorely mistaken. The bitch
will be fired. I know about Scott.” The last sentence is whispered, for Luke and Mark’s
ears only.
His surprised gaze finds mine and then he sighs deeply. “Fuck.”
***
~Samantha~
What the fuck just happened? I run out the front door toward Leo’s car and realize
that not only didn’t I drive, but I don’t have any keys.
I can’t leave.
Damn it!
“Sam.” Natalie’s soft voice comes from behind me and I turn to find her standing on
the porch, her green eyes worried and wet.
“Go back inside, Nat,” I just want to be alone. God, my heart hurts. He fucking told
them.
He told them
after I told him not to. And what in the name of all that’s holy is up with that photo?
“Sam, talk to me.” Nat insists, and walks to me, her arms wrapped tightly around her
middle.
“Nothing to say.” I plant my hands on my hips and stare off down the driveway.
“Spill it, Williams.” Nat’s voice is hard. I glance over at my gorgeous sister-in-law,
so thankful for her.
“I told Leo not to tell the family about my job.” I finally admit.
“Why?” She asks with a frown. “We would have helped you.”
“That’s why.” I kick at a rock on the pavement. “Luke would have tried to fix it,
or pay off my mortgage, or something stupid like that.”
“I’m pretty sure your mortgage will be paid for by tomorrow afternoon,” Nat agrees
with a grin.
“He better not.” I warn her and then feel tears start to fall from my eyes, which
pisses me off more. “Damn it.”
“You know, we all love you.” Nat smirks when I start to cry harder. The bitch. “You
distance yourself from us, from everyone really, but we love you so much. Your brothers
would do anything for you.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“I have a feeling Leo feels the same way.” I shake my head but she just laughs at
me. “Sam, did you take a second to see his face when he saw that picture?”
No. I shake my head.
“It devastated him. He’ll make it right,” she states confidently and smiles gently.
“Why are you so nice to me?” I ask her. “I was horrible to you.”
“Because I know why you were, and because I love you for wanting to protect my husband.”
I shake my head and wipe the tears off my cheeks.
“Are you crying because of that photo?” She asks softly.
“No.” I shake my head and wipe my nose on the back of my hand. “I feel betrayed by
that tattooed asshole in there, and embarrassed that everyone heard that I’d lost
my job.”
Nat nods and then frowns. “You’ll get another job you know.”
I shrug. “They’re not knocking down my door.”
“You will. What does Leo say?”
“He’s moving up here to be near Meg more and the band is going to record the next
album here.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She narrows her eyes at me, making me laugh.
“God, you’re such a gold digger.” I fling at her with a laugh. She chuckles and nods
her head.
“Yeah, don’t tell Luke. He thinks I love him for his good looks.”
I wipe the rest of the tears from my cheeks and sigh. “Leo says he’ll take care of
me.”
“I bet that pissed you off, too,” she correctly observes.
“Hell yes, it did. I don’t need him to take care of me.”
“Nope,” she agrees with a grin.
“What is it with men thinking they can just take care of everything? I’m not a damsel
in distress. I got this shit.”
“I hear you.” She shrugs. “But it is kind of nice to know you don’t have to do it
all on your own. I like it that Luke has my back.”
“I think he prefers your front.” I smirk.
“No, he loves my ass.” She laughs.
“You have a good ass.” I confirm with a nod and then frown. “I’m still really, really
pissed at him. He shouldn’t have told the family.”
“No, that was yours to tell.” Natalie puts her arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry
you’re hurt.”
The front door opens and I expect to see Luke, or my parents, come outside, but instead
it’s Leo, moving quickly, a scowl on his face.
“Get in the fucking car.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll see you later,” Nat whispers and kisses my cheek before letting herself back
inside.
“You heard me.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I stand my ground; my arms crossed and glare defiantly
at him.
“The fuck you’re not. Get in.”
“No.”
He stops and turns to me, his gray eyes angrier than I’ve ever seen them. He gets
in my face, his voice low and deceptively calm. “Get in the motherfucking car before
I put you there myself.”
“Leo…”
“Get in the fucking car!”
Jesus, Mary and Joseph he’s pissed.
Chapter Twenty-One
~Leo~
“Damn, you piss me off,” I mutter and grip the steering wheel tightly, enjoying the
rumble of the engine as I stomp on the gas and tear out of Will’s drive way.
“You’re going to kill us both,” she mutters and glares at me.
“No, if I decide to kill you, I’ll choke the shit out of you.” She has the audacity
to laugh.
“Do you think that’s the first time I’ve been threatened with a choking?”
“No, sweetheart, I’m sure that happens on a regular basis. You’re so fucking stubborn.”
She glares again and looks out the passenger window.
I’m so angry with her, I dare not touch her. I’m pissed on so many levels; I don’t
even know where it starts and how to dig through to the root of it.
I just know that I haven’t been this angry since I was sixteen years old.
“Leo,” she begins, but I cut her off.
“Stop talking.”
Her startled gaze whips to mine, and I glare at her, seething.
“You’re really upset,” she whispers and sits quietly while I navigate through downtown
Seattle to her building. I park, and take the car out of gear so her door unlocks
and she can get out.
“I’ll talk to you later.”
“You’re not coming in?” She asks, surprised.
“No.”
“Leo, come inside and talk to me.” I glance over at her, and her eyes are scared,
and a piece of me softens. She’s worried I won’t be back.
“Fine.” I turn off the ignition, round the hood of the car and pull her out of her
seat, walk briskly into her building and press the elevator button. When the doors
close, she tries to speak, but I cut her off.
“No, you want me to talk, fine, I’ll talk. When we get into your place.”
She frowns up at me, about to argue, but she shuts her lips and looks straight ahead.
At her floor, I stomp ahead to her door and wait for her to unlock it and walk inside.
“Sit.”
“No, I’m not a fucking dog, Leo. If you’re pissed, talk. If you’re just going to be
an asshole, go home. I’m sick of you bullying me.”
“Bullying you?” I round on her, the rage rising anew. “Bullying you. I fucking stuck
up for you, Samantha.”
“No, my brothers did that.” She responds, her eyes on fire. “You betrayed me.”
I stumble backward, as if she’d physically struck me.
“You know, for a smart woman, you can be unbelievably stupid.” Her eyes flash but
I glare at her, shutting her up. “You want to talk this out? Fine, I’ll talk, and
you’re going to listen to every motherfucking word I say.”
~Samantha~
If he swears at me like that one more time, I swear to God I’m going to throw him
out on his ass.
“Who the hell do you think you are to treat your family like that?” He plants his
hands on his hips and pins me in a glare. “You have a family who adores you. Your
brothers would do anything for you. Jesus, Sam, even the Montgomerys would kill for
you.” He stomps away and begins pacing about my living room, his face tight with anger.
“Do you know what I would have given for just a moment of that when I was growing
up?” He turns to face me and I feel all the blood drain from my head. “I would have
crawled through fire to have such a big family that loved me. To have siblings to
fight with and defend when someone else tried to fuck with them. But do you know what
I got instead?”
Oh, God, I don’t know if I want to know this.
He begins to pace again, his eyes distant, and I realize that it’s not really me
that he’s angry with.
He’s just angry.
“My folks died when I was twelve, and they didn’t have siblings, so there was no one
to take me. Instead I was thrown into foster care. The first place wasn’t too bad,
but they couldn’t keep me for long, so I kept getting shuffled about, from home to
home, until I was about sixteen. Most of the homes were okay. Some of the dads liked
to hit, which I learned to deal with.” He shrugs and goes to look out my window to
the busy street below.