He’d been summoned to the police station to answer some additional questions the detectives had about his father’s death, Trent’s inheritance, and how that had all gone down. Ford, Brady, and Josh were working some important cases back east, but at least one of them would be joining via video chat as Trent’s official legal counsel.
It was serious shit. Indirectly, he’d been attacked through her. Although she’d been the one stuffed in a trunk, he’d been the target of her kidnapping and the subsequent blackmail attempt. They weren’t in the clear yet, and maybe never would be again. Trent was right: money brought along a ton of pitfalls she’d never considered. The more money, the more issues.
Things had been hard before. Now they were complicated.
“Do that.” She smiled up at him with a measure of false bravado, afraid to make him think she didn’t want him nearby but also needing to be sure he understood that she wasn’t the sort of woman who was too clingy either. “Until then, I’ll be okay.”
“You’re sure?” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek in the process.
“I promise.” She smiled up at him, then reached out to her sides without looking. As she expected, Lorenzo and Owen were there to grasp her hands. Their steadying holds made her feel stronger, like she didn’t have to lie to Trent just to make him feel better, although she probably would have if necessary. “Besides, I’ve got your roommates to keep me company until then.”
Trent exchanged glances with his best friends. She didn’t hold it against him that he was so blatantly tasking them with keeping her safe. Not given the circumstances anyway. Ordinarily, she was plenty capable of doing that for herself.
She’d be lying if she said she didn’t appreciate their presence and the extra layer of protection given that her captors were still on the loose.
“Okay.” Trent leaned in and stole one last, lingering kiss before he sighed and headed for the door. “I’ll text you if I can. When she wakes up, tell your mom I hope she’s feeling better and that…I’m sorry.”
Holly’s heart cramped at that. Both that Trent felt guilty for what had happened, and also that her poor mom had spent the day after her surgery sedated and alone because Holly had been too stubborn to let someone walk her home after her argument with Trent.
No more of that dumb shit. They were going to have to face their issues head on if they had any chance of figuring out how to build a relationship that would last. After the past two nights, the endless reflecting she’d done while stuffed in that godforsaken trunk, and the coming together they’d shared before and after, she was certain that’s what she wanted.
“I’ll tell her, but I already know she’s going to say there’s nothing to forgive. Now me, well…she’ll probably ground me until I’m forty-two.” All three guys laughed. “Go on.”
Holly shooed him out the door, then peeked through the sidelight to watch him get in a car with one of the security team—she thought she’d heard someone call him JRad—and pull away from the curb.
“Come on. Let me make you some breakfast.” Lorenzo led her into the kitchen. While he busied himself getting eggs from the fridge, she toasted bread, and Owen doled out Moose’s kibble. It felt nice to fit in, to be part of a team instead of the sole person responsible for everything. Holly hated to admit it, but she’d been exhausted, and hadn’t even realized how badly.
Things were easy here, with the guys, even if they were complex.
They didn’t talk too much as they refueled, each lost in their own thoughts. But when she rose to put her plate in the dishwasher even as Owen scrubbed the pan and Lorenzo put the condiments back in the fridge, Owen asked, “You want to go see your mom?”
“Can I?” Holly had assumed the hospital was off limits while she was on lockdown. Hearing her mother’s voice would be so much better if it wasn’t on the phone call she’d been planning to make a moment after the transplant ward opened and in person instead.
“If you’ll agree to take us with you, I’ll check with the super cop outside.” Lorenzo jerked his thumb over his shoulder to where “not-agent” Lucas had taken up his post and refused to come inside. He was intense.
“Deal.” Holly grinned.
A few minutes later, Lorenzo came back inside and pointed to himself while he shook his hips in a way that made it kind of difficult to concentrate on what he was saying. “Who’s your favorite boyfriend?”
“Seriously? We can go?” She jogged over and flung her arms around him, laying a kiss on his lush lips. She had to rise onto her tiptoes to do it and his wide shoulders made sure her arms didn’t overlap much across his back. With him and Owen, she’d feel secure enough. “Thank you.”
“Damn, if I’d known it would get me a hug like that, I’d have braved the super-cop myself.” Owen’s wry smile still held a hint of uncertainty.
So she pried herself from Lorenzo’s grip, which had encircled her waist, and turned to Owen. “You don’t have to do anything to earn my affection. You already have it, you know?”
He didn’t respond, but she didn’t wait for an answer either. Holly smothered him with a tight embrace, then laid a loud, smacking kiss on his lips.
“Now, I’m going to get dressed. I need some concealer and a long-sleeved shirt. Maybe that will be enough to fool my mom into thinking everything is fine.”
“Don’t count on it.” Lorenzo grumbled.
“Yeah, not likely, but…gotta try.” Holly winced as she headed for her room and pulled on fresh clothes, then spiffed herself up as well as she could. Not too much, because that would be obvious. But at least she braided her hair and slapped on some lip gloss.
When she emerged, the guys had also changed and milled around near the door. Owen looked up, his gaze hanging on her.
“What?” She glanced down at herself.
“Just wishing Lorenzo hadn’t been so persuasive when he talked to our babysitters.” Owen turned away from her as if ashamed to let her see how much he wanted her.