"Why don't you go let your husband in, Amelia?"
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Max
My parents let me go once I promised to fill them in on what was going on with me. I hoped to hell that I’d be telling them about Amelia and the baby.
I'd flown out to Las Vegas many times over the last couple of months, but this trip was the longest flight of all. I’d chartered a flight so I didn't have to wait for the next commercial flight west, and even still, the minutes ticked away like hours. All I could do was sit on the flight and worry. Worry that I wouldn’t arrive in time before Amelia had to confront her father. Worried that her father was a dangerous man and wonder what he might do if he found out she was setting him up. Worried I wouldn't have a chance to beg for her forgiveness and tell her that I loved her and our baby. I already knew that I would never be able to forgive myself for how I treated Amelia. But if something happened to her or the baby because I hadn’t listened to her, because I wasn't there to protect her, I didn’t know how I would live with that.
When the plane landed, I got into the car I’d ordered from a service so that it would be waiting when I arrived. Just like the flight, the car ride to Amelia's townhome took forever. Finally, the driver pulled in front of a row of townhomes. I rushed from the car, making my way toward her home, when all of a sudden, I was grabbed and shoved up against a van.
"Let go." I flailed my arms to get away.
"What are you doing here?"
It took me a moment to realize that the man who grabbed me was Dax Shepard.
"I've come to see Amelia."
Dax released me, but he stood close as if he was prepared to prevent me from getting away. "When I called you and gave you an update, I didn't tell you to come here."
"I don't need your permission to see Amelia." It occurred to me that if Dax was here, Amelia’s father was here. "Is it happening now? Is her father here?"
Dax gave a curt nod. "I can't have you going in and ruining it. Her father hasn't revealed enough to incriminate himself."
Just then, a head popped out of the van and gave Dax a thumbs-up.
"What's going on?" I pushed him away so I could get to Amelia's apartment. I didn’t care whether her father incriminated himself or not. I needed to see her. I needed to protect her.
Dax grabbed me again. "Hold on. You can go. But don't give away that her place is wired up. My team says we have what we need, so you don't need to agitate him. Just get him out of the apartment."
I nodded and turned back toward Amelia's townhome. As I reached the door, I listened but didn't hear anything.
I knocked. "Amelia." I listened again and thought I heard talking.
"It's Max. Open up."
The door opened, and Amelia stood there, her red hair knotted into a messy bun. Her eyes were tired and at the same time fearful. But Jesus Christ, she was so beautiful.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
I looked past her to the man standing in her living room. He looked to be in his mid-fifties, even though he clearly spent a lot of time and money on antiaging skincare and hair dye. He looked both smarmy and dangerous.
I brought my gaze back to her. "I'm here to see you." My words felt lame. I should be telling her that I was sorry and how much I loved her.
"Amelia, why don't you let your husband in? I think it's about time we were properly introduced."
She closed her eyes in quiet exasperation. "You should go."
She said it to me, confusing me. Shouldn’t her father be the one leaving?
Her phone beeped in her hand. She looked at the text, and then her gaze lifted to me. I saw relief in her eyes. It had to be Dax telling her they had what they needed.
I gave her a smile. "Come with me."
Her father stepped up into the doorway, giving me a fake smile as he extended his hand to me. "Jamison Dunsmore. It's nice to finally meet my daughter's husband."
I looked at his hand and then at him. I wanted to kick his ass, but instead, I turned my attention to Amelia. "Come with me."