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  He turned back.

  “Bran, I’ve got another guard coming to her right now. You go the other way.”

  He wasn’t listening to his brother. All he could hear was the fear in Carly’s voice.

  “I’m serious, Bran. I need you to keep your shit together.”

  But he couldn’t. Not when he saw what was happening. Bran’s world went red and he did the only thing he could do.

  He attacked.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Carly watched Bran slip inside the office and sighed with momentary relief.

  It was rather nice to be alone with her thoughts. Drew would be guiding Bran through his portion of the job and she had a few moments to herself.

  What the hell was she going to do? She wanted Bran but she wasn’t sure how long they could last. Was she willing to move across the country for a relationship that seemed doomed to failure?

  Perhaps it was time to think about her real future. If they took down Patricia tonight, she would have a decision to make.

  If she took the job with Drew, she would be tied to Bran, and if the relationship didn’t work, she would still have to be in his orbit. How would she handle watching him go back to his previous life? Would he find his way back to the strip clubs and easy sex of his old world?

  Would he fight so often that one day she would have to wake up to a call telling her he’d taken one blow too many?

  Maybe she should think about starting over somewhere completely new. Chicago or New York perhaps. Or maybe she should think about moving closer to Meri. Her sister had a few years left in school and then perhaps Carly could think about going back to college.

  The idea of life without Bran seemed so dull. Like the world had been in black and white until he’d walked into her life, and it would be so hard to live without the color.

  She glanced down the hallway. It was quiet up here. She could hear the low hum of the party going on downstairs. Would any one of those powerful people give her the time of day once she’d walked away from Patricia? Likely not. She would have to leave this industry and she wouldn’t get a reference from her only employer for the last five years. She would be stuck with asking her old manager at the fabric store she worked at in Alabama. Yeah, that would go a long way.

  If she didn’t stay with Bran, would Drew help her? Or would he give her the choice of doing what he wanted or being left adrift?

  She glanced down at her watch. Dinner would be served soon. She’d set everything up perfectly, but Patricia would expect her to be there to watch over the initial seating. Then she would fade into the background with Bran and they could talk about what he’d found.

  A few more hours and she would be free.

  Why didn’t that seem more exciting?

  “I thought I saw you walking up here.”

  Carly froze and turned. Kenny Jr. was walking down the hall from the left. He must have come up the back stairs. The upper level was supposed to be off-limits, but Kenny was “family” and knew all the ways in and out.

  If he caught Bran coming out of that office, they would all be in trouble. They would have lost their shot and Patricia would destroy any evidence she had.

  She had to get Kenny out of here and fast.

  She plastered a smile on her face and prayed he couldn’t hear how hard her heart was pounding. “Hey. I thought I’d have a quiet moment before the storm. You know how these dinners go.”

  He was dressed in a stylish tux, his hair swept back. He was an attractive man, if one liked his type. Lanky with a well-coiffed beard, he was the epitome of money and power. He joined her close to the railing and put a hand on hers.

  His hands were soft. She’d never thought about it before, but his hand was warm and soft on hers. He didn’t have Bran’s calluses or masculine strength.

  “I do know how these things go. Every one of those fuckers down there will have a complaint or a request. They’ll want vegan this or Paleo that. They don’t do it because they want the item they’re requesting.”

  He did understand the crowd. She knew exactly what he was talking about. “They do it because it makes them feel special and powerful. It makes me feel crazy, but I think I’ve anticipated almost all the requests this time. I’ve become good at not only anticipating but also with timing.”

  “Of course. If you do it too quickly they’ll think you’re not specifically accommodating them.”

  It didn’t work if they thought no one had gone to the trouble of making the item for them. So she had the five-minute rule. “While everything is already prepped and waiting, we wait five minutes before returning. I’ve got it built in to the dinner schedule. Speaking of the dinner schedule, it looks like my break is done. I should get back down there.”

  She turned and started toward the stairs that led back to the ballroom, praying he would follow after her.

  “What is he doing here?” Drew asked in her ear.

  Did he think she could stop and answer him? She turned back and sure enough there was Kenny. She gave him a smile. “Care to escort me down? I would take off these shoes but your stepmother would have a fit if she caught me.”

  Kenny gave her a warm smile and offered his arm. “Of course. And my stepmother should get on her knees and thank God you’re here. She would be a mess.”

  “Very good, Carly,” Drew said. “I’ll have Bran take the back stairs down. We’ve run into a minor complication, but nothing we can’t handle. Keep this asshole away from Bran. And be careful. He’s flirting with you and I would say he’s the type to get pissy when you turn him down.”

  That was ridiculous, but again, she couldn’t explain their relationship to Drew right now. She moved toward the stairs. Her heels weren’t that tall, but she could play the helpless damsel if it meant saving Bran from being caught.

  “Somehow I think Patricia would say this is simply my job,” Carly replied as they began down the stairs. They would take a left and be back in the ballroom in a few moments. She could already hear the quartet as they moved into a Brahms piece.

  Kenny stopped suddenly, tugging on her hand. “I was actually looking for you. I wanted to talk to you away from all this mess. I think the time has come for us to discuss you leaving Patricia’s Paradise.”

  She glanced up the stairs. They were far enough down that he wouldn’t be able to see when Bran slipped out of the office. Drew would make sure Bran knew which way to go. Still, she would feel better if they went down to the ballroom. “You know your father won’t allow you to do a show that competes with hers.”

  “My father is in kidney failure. He won’t last another month.” He said it with all the emotion of a man talking about an insect on his windshield.

  “And then you get to fight your stepmother for years over his will,” Carly stated practically. “According to Patricia, she gets the network.”

  “I’m going to fight her on that. In her prenup, she wasn’t supposed to cheat on my father, and we both know she’s done it. I’m going to win this, Carly, and I’m going to build the whole new home network around you. Without you she’s going to have nothing. She won’t be able to find anyone who can do what you do.”

  She liked that he had such confidence in her, but she wasn’t sure she had the same. “She’ll be able to find someone else who can inspire her, as she would say.”

  “I think you should sit down and talk to me about this. We can go and get a drink and talk real numbers. Taking you away from my stepmother would be the shot on her bow, the opening salvo of our war, and I bet I’ve got more ammunition than she does. I’m willing to take this a long way, Carly, and I want you to be my partner.”

  She sighed and gave him what she hoped would buy her some time. If all went well, she wouldn’t see him again. She wanted out of Patricia’s orbit forever. She certainly wasn’t going to set herself up as a challenger to the woman’s c
rown. “I would love to talk to you. Maybe after the party. Like I said, dinner is going to be served soon.”

  He put a hand on the railing behind her, caging her in. “I think dinner is delayed a bit. From what I understand your boy got called away. She won’t start dinner without him.”

  Anxiety started like a low thrum in the back of her spine. Something was off, but she couldn’t exactly scream out at this point. And she couldn’t have a fight with him now. “Why would she wait for Bran? I assure you she’s got another bodyguard on her. She’s got one around the clock right now.”

  He shook his head and didn’t move an inch. “No, I happen to know she’s changed your seating chart to include your boyfriend. She’s got him sitting beside her all evening long. Have you thought about what that means?”

  It meant that Patricia was trying once again to get her nasty hands on Carly’s man. It wouldn’t work and she wasn’t jealous. She knew damn well Bran didn’t want that woman. What bugged her about it was the fact that it would make Bran uncomfortable.

  “I’ll talk to her. It wouldn’t look right to have a bodyguard sitting beside her.” If they were sure they’d gotten what they needed, she would walk straight up to Patricia and give her a piece of her mind that had been a long time coming. Until Drew looked through the contents of that computer and whatever else Bran found, they needed to keep their jobs.

  Kenny was uncomfortably close, invading her space. “I don’t think that will work. Look, it’s time for you to open your eyes and see what’s going on. Everyone else knows she’s going to take him from you. He won’t stay with you. He’ll go where the money is. He’s nothing but a boy toy anyway. He can’t give you what you need, but I’ve finally figured out where I went wrong with you.”

  “You are going wrong with me right now,” she whispered. She could see people moving down the hall.

  “No. I’m finally going to do this right. I didn’t realize how physical a woman you are. You’ve always seemed so chilly, but I see it now. You need a man. Not that boy you’ve been playing with. You need someone who can take you where you need to go.” He moved in, his head swooping down, and he covered her mouth with his.

  “Carly, I’ve got Case on his way. He’s going to deal with this. Do you understand? Stay calm and I’ll get you out of this, and I swear to God that fucker isn’t going to have a pair of balls when I get done with him.” Drew’s voice was a welcome presence.

  She tried to pull away, but Kenny’s hands held her tight. Too tight. She struggled in his arms, but he pressed her against the railing.

  “Stop it,” she said when he came up for air. She was oddly calm. Knowing Drew had seen what was happening and taken steps to deal with the situation gave her some peace of mind. “I need you to get your hands off me right now.”

  “I know you think because he’s younger that he’s a good thing, but I’m not going to let him fuck up everything I’ve planned,” Kenny said harshly. “I’ve been planning this since the day I realized what you really do for that bitch. I’m going to ruin her and you’re going to help me. We can do this the easy way, baby. You can join me and we’ll even talk about making a relationship between us formal at some point. But I’m not allowing you to walk away.”

  She pushed against him because Case seemed to be taking his sweet time. “You don’t have a choice.”

  That was when she noticed the photographer at the bottom of the steps.

  Kenny dragged her against his body. “That’s right. Those pictures will hit the scandal pages tomorrow morning and my stepmother will fire you. She’ll rip you to shreds for being a gold digger and you won’t have anywhere else to go. It’s me or back to the trailer park.”

  She was so sick of this family. She pushed against him. All she needed was a couple of inches of space between them and she could get her knee up. She’d been taking self-defense lessons from Bran and Case. She was fairly certain with the right amount of force applied, she could kick the asshole’s balls back into his body cavity.

  One minute she was struggling to get out of his arms and the next he was falling away, tumbling down the final few stairs with two hundred pounds of pure rage on him.

  “Damn it,” Drew cursed. “Carly, are you all right? We have to get Bran off him. He could kill him.”

  She watched in horror as Bran started to pummel Kenny and the photographer got a good story.

  She stumbled down the stairs. “Bran. Bran, please. Please, baby. I need you to stop.”

  It was too late. A crowd was gathering around the men, gossip already flowing.

  Bran wasn’t listening. His face had gone a florid red.

  Case pushed his way through the crowd. “Everyone back!”

  Case moved in behind Bran, careful not to slip in the blood that already marked the white marble. He wrapped a bulky arm around Bran’s throat and dragged him off. Bran continued to fight, trying to put an elbow in Case’s gut.

  “I don’t want to have to choke you out, Bran. Give it up,” Case implored.

  Bran was fighting imaginary demons, his eyes blank, and he struggled against Case’s hold.

  Carly stepped up to him, needing to bring him back.

  “Get away from him, Carly. He’s going to hurt you,” Drew ordered.

  She couldn’t leave him like that. “Bran, please come back. Bran, I need you.”

  He stopped, his arms dropping and that blank look in his eyes fading. His jaw was tight with tension as Case backed away and he stood on his own.

  Someone had helped Kenny up. He was bloody, but he looked up at Bran, his eyes lit with anger. “I will sue you. I’m going to make sure you do time for this.”

  Bran’s eyes flared and Carly put a hand on his chest.

  “What is going on here?” Patricia stepped through the crowd, a frown on her face. She looked up at Case. “Unless you want him in jail, you’ll have him out of here in five minutes. Kenny, I want you gone as well. Carly, see to the dinner arrangements.”

  Bran’s hand found her own. “She’s coming with me.”

  But she couldn’t. If what they needed wasn’t on that computer, they had to have someone on the inside or everything they’d been through would be for nothing.

  “Carly, if you want to leave, go with him,” Drew said quietly. “If we don’t have what we need, I’ll find another way.”

  Somehow that made it even harder.

  “Or I could call the police and have all of you arrested,” Patricia said. “I would prefer to leave them out of this. You’ve already caused enough scandal for one night. And, Kenny, I’ll let them take you, too. It’s up to Carly.”

  That was clear. If Carly stayed Patricia wouldn’t call the police. If she left, Bran could be brought up on assault charges. Yes, he’d been defending her, but that likely wouldn’t matter since the photographer was obviously bought by Kenny.

  Bran’s hand tightened around hers. “Let’s go.”

  She stepped back. “I’m staying.”

  Bran’s eyes laser-focused on her. “Come with me. Right now.”

  Case stepped in between them. “Do I need to haul you out myself, Bran? She’s made her decision and we need to let these nice people get back to their party. I’ll take over for you and you should understand I’ll have to write this whole incident up for the boss.”

  Tears pierced her eyes. Why couldn’t Bran see that she needed to stay?

  “And get out of my guesthouse as well,” Patricia said. “You’re obviously not going to continue on with my assistant. Not if she wants to remain here.”

  Bran shook his head. “I’ll be out in a few minutes. I know when I’m not wanted. Good-bye, Carly. Have fun with this crowd. You obviously belong here.”

  He turned and walked out.

  “Carly, dinner service in five minutes or you’re fired.”

  Carly took a deep breath an
d with as much dignity as she could muster, turned and walked toward the kitchens.

  “Carly, he didn’t mean that,” Drew said.

  She calmly pulled the earpiece out.

  She had a job to do and she intended to do it. There was no question now about the future with Bran. She had none.

  But there was one last thing she could give to his family.

  —

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Drew growled as Bran walked in the door.

  It had already been a shitty day and he still had more things he didn’t want to do. The last thing he needed was his brother on his back. He tossed the thumb drive Drew’s way. “There’s your information. We’re out of this. Do what you want, but don’t ask me to be any part of it again, and if you ever put Carly in danger I will take you down myself. Do you understand me?”

  Drew stopped, his expression shuttering. “I didn’t put her in danger.”

  “You tried to keep me from her when she was being assaulted. She belongs to me. She’s not a pawn in your game and you don’t get to make decisions for us. We’re out.”

  Hatch walked in from the kitchen. He took the drive from Drew’s hands with a shake of his head. “Damn it, Bran. He sent Case to take care of her. He wasn’t leaving her alone to fend for herself.”

  Bran was through with all of them. And he was also through playing games with himself.

  He couldn’t go on like this. Not and be the man Carly deserved. He’d hidden his secrets for so long that they’d been a part of his foundation. When he’d looked at her, when she’d put her hand on his heart and asked him to come back . . . she hadn’t been asking about a single moment. She’d asked him to leave the past behind and find a future with her. At least that was what he’d heard. In that moment he’d finally heard what she’d been saying all along.

  He loved her. He had to choose her. He had to be honest with her even if she rejected him in the end.

  But he suddenly understood that she wouldn’t. She would open her arms wide and welcome him home. All he had to do was choose her.

  “Bran, you need to go to her,” Drew said as Hatch plugged the thumb drive in. “She wasn’t choosing Patricia over you.”