“We’ll make them go away,” he says harshly.
“How?”
“I…have no idea.”
I dig my teeth deeper into my lip. “I don’t have a solution to the Dinah thing, but I might have an idea about Brooke.”
He looks at me in suspicion. “What kind of idea?”
“Remember the day you overheard us talking in the kitchen? I asked her what her end game was, what she really wants, and her answer was money.” I lean forward on my elbows. “That’s all she’s ever wanted—money. So let’s give it to her.”
“Trust me, I tried. I offered her cash.” He makes a disgusted sound under his breath. “She wants everything, Ella. The entire Royal fortune.”
“What about the O’Halloran fortune?”
There’s a sharp intake of breath. Then he narrows his eyes at me. “Don’t even think about it, babe.”
“Why not?” I argue. “I already told you, I don’t want Steve’s money. I don’t want a fourth of Atlantic Aviation.”
“And you want Brooke to have it?” he says in disbelief. “We’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars here.”
He’s right—it’s an insane amount of money. But my inheritance from Steve has never felt real to me. All the paperwork is still being processed and there are still a bunch of legal hoops to jump through, so until someone hands me a check with all those zeros on it, I don’t consider myself rich. I don’t want to be rich. All I ever wanted is to live a normal life that didn’t involve having to take my clothes off for strangers.
“If it gets her off our backs, then I don’t care if she gets the money,” I answer.
“Well, I care. Steve left you that money, not Brooke.” His hard expression says not to argue with him. “You’re not giving her a cent, Ella. I mean it. I’m going to fix things, okay?”
“How?” I once again challenge.
And once again, he looks frustrated. “I’ll figure it out. Until then, I don’t want you doing anything without talking to me first, all right?”
“Fine,” I concede.
He reaches across the table and twines his fingers through mine. “We’re not talking about this anymore,” he says firmly. “Let’s finish our meal and pretend, at least for one night, that Brooke Davidson doesn’t exist. Sound good?”
I squeeze his hand. “Sounds awesome.”
And that’s what we do…for about ten minutes. But my earlier fear that we’re always fighting some kind of battle ends up being an omen—just as our waiter delivers the chocolate mousse cake we decided to share, a familiar figure walks past our table.
Reed has his head down because he’s shoving his fork into the cake slice, but he looks up sharply the moment I hiss, “Daniel’s here.”
We both turn toward the table that Daniel Delacorte and his date are being escorted to. I don’t recognize the girl he’s with, but she seems kind of young. A freshman, maybe?
“He’s cradle-robbing now?” Reed mutters.
“You know that girl?”
“Cassidy Winston. Little sister of one of my teammates.” His lips flatten. “She’s fifteen.”
Worry gnaws at me. She’s only fifteen…and having dinner with a scumbag who likes to drug girls.
I sneak another peek across the room. Daniel and Cassidy have sat down, and she’s gazing at him like he hung the stars and moon. Her cheeks are flushed pink, which makes her look even younger than she already is.
“Why is he going out with freshmen?” I push the dessert plate toward Reed. My appetite is totally gone. So is his, apparently, because he doesn’t take another bite.
“Because no one in our grade will touch him,” Reed says grimly. “All the older chicks at Astor know what he did to you. And after the Worthington party, Savannah made sure everyone knew he did the same thing to her cousin.”
“Do you think Cassidy knows about it?”
Reed is quick to shake his head. “She wouldn’t be out with him if she knew. And I don’t think she told her family who she was going out with tonight, because trust me, Chuck would’ve broken Delacorte’s face if he knew that creep was after his sister.”
My gaze returns to the pretty freshman. She’s giggling over something Daniel just said. Then she reaches for her glass and takes a dainty sip, and a spark of fear goes off inside me.
“What if he slipped something into her drink?” I whisper to Reed, my pulse speeding up.
“I don’t think he’s stupid enough to drug a girl in a place like this,” Reed assures me.
“No, he’s not stupid…but he’s desperate.” My heart beats even faster. “The junior and senior girls aren’t touching him, and now he’s asking out freshmen. He’s definitely getting desperate.” I abruptly pull my napkin off my lap and drop it on the table. “Someone needs to warn her. I’m going to talk to her.”
“No—”
“Reed—”
“—let me,” he finishes.
I blink in surprise. “You’re really going over there?”
He’s already pushing his chair back. “Of course. I’m not letting him hurt anyone else, babe.” He stands up. “Wait here. I’ll talk care of it.”
I quickly rise to my feet. “Ha. I’m coming with you. I know how you take care of things, and there’s no way I’m letting you cause a scene in such a fancy restaurant.”
“Who says I’ll cause a scene?” he protests.
“Do I need to remind you what happened at school on Monday?”
“Do I need to remind you who started it off by dragging Jordan by her hair?”
He’s got me there. We grin at each other, but our humor fades when we turn in unison and march across the room.
Daniel’s features darken the moment he spots us. Cassidy has her back to us, but her date’s fierce eyes trigger an alarmed murmur from her.
“Evening,” Reed drawls.
“What do you want, Royal?” Daniel mutters.
“Just wanted to have a word with your date.”
“Me?” Cassidy squeaks, her brunette head swiveling toward Reed.
“Cassidy, right?” he says easily. “I’m Reed. Your brother and I play football together.”
“How?”
“I…have no idea.”
I dig my teeth deeper into my lip. “I don’t have a solution to the Dinah thing, but I might have an idea about Brooke.”
He looks at me in suspicion. “What kind of idea?”
“Remember the day you overheard us talking in the kitchen? I asked her what her end game was, what she really wants, and her answer was money.” I lean forward on my elbows. “That’s all she’s ever wanted—money. So let’s give it to her.”
“Trust me, I tried. I offered her cash.” He makes a disgusted sound under his breath. “She wants everything, Ella. The entire Royal fortune.”
“What about the O’Halloran fortune?”
There’s a sharp intake of breath. Then he narrows his eyes at me. “Don’t even think about it, babe.”
“Why not?” I argue. “I already told you, I don’t want Steve’s money. I don’t want a fourth of Atlantic Aviation.”
“And you want Brooke to have it?” he says in disbelief. “We’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars here.”
He’s right—it’s an insane amount of money. But my inheritance from Steve has never felt real to me. All the paperwork is still being processed and there are still a bunch of legal hoops to jump through, so until someone hands me a check with all those zeros on it, I don’t consider myself rich. I don’t want to be rich. All I ever wanted is to live a normal life that didn’t involve having to take my clothes off for strangers.
“If it gets her off our backs, then I don’t care if she gets the money,” I answer.
“Well, I care. Steve left you that money, not Brooke.” His hard expression says not to argue with him. “You’re not giving her a cent, Ella. I mean it. I’m going to fix things, okay?”
“How?” I once again challenge.
And once again, he looks frustrated. “I’ll figure it out. Until then, I don’t want you doing anything without talking to me first, all right?”
“Fine,” I concede.
He reaches across the table and twines his fingers through mine. “We’re not talking about this anymore,” he says firmly. “Let’s finish our meal and pretend, at least for one night, that Brooke Davidson doesn’t exist. Sound good?”
I squeeze his hand. “Sounds awesome.”
And that’s what we do…for about ten minutes. But my earlier fear that we’re always fighting some kind of battle ends up being an omen—just as our waiter delivers the chocolate mousse cake we decided to share, a familiar figure walks past our table.
Reed has his head down because he’s shoving his fork into the cake slice, but he looks up sharply the moment I hiss, “Daniel’s here.”
We both turn toward the table that Daniel Delacorte and his date are being escorted to. I don’t recognize the girl he’s with, but she seems kind of young. A freshman, maybe?
“He’s cradle-robbing now?” Reed mutters.
“You know that girl?”
“Cassidy Winston. Little sister of one of my teammates.” His lips flatten. “She’s fifteen.”
Worry gnaws at me. She’s only fifteen…and having dinner with a scumbag who likes to drug girls.
I sneak another peek across the room. Daniel and Cassidy have sat down, and she’s gazing at him like he hung the stars and moon. Her cheeks are flushed pink, which makes her look even younger than she already is.
“Why is he going out with freshmen?” I push the dessert plate toward Reed. My appetite is totally gone. So is his, apparently, because he doesn’t take another bite.
“Because no one in our grade will touch him,” Reed says grimly. “All the older chicks at Astor know what he did to you. And after the Worthington party, Savannah made sure everyone knew he did the same thing to her cousin.”
“Do you think Cassidy knows about it?”
Reed is quick to shake his head. “She wouldn’t be out with him if she knew. And I don’t think she told her family who she was going out with tonight, because trust me, Chuck would’ve broken Delacorte’s face if he knew that creep was after his sister.”
My gaze returns to the pretty freshman. She’s giggling over something Daniel just said. Then she reaches for her glass and takes a dainty sip, and a spark of fear goes off inside me.
“What if he slipped something into her drink?” I whisper to Reed, my pulse speeding up.
“I don’t think he’s stupid enough to drug a girl in a place like this,” Reed assures me.
“No, he’s not stupid…but he’s desperate.” My heart beats even faster. “The junior and senior girls aren’t touching him, and now he’s asking out freshmen. He’s definitely getting desperate.” I abruptly pull my napkin off my lap and drop it on the table. “Someone needs to warn her. I’m going to talk to her.”
“No—”
“Reed—”
“—let me,” he finishes.
I blink in surprise. “You’re really going over there?”
He’s already pushing his chair back. “Of course. I’m not letting him hurt anyone else, babe.” He stands up. “Wait here. I’ll talk care of it.”
I quickly rise to my feet. “Ha. I’m coming with you. I know how you take care of things, and there’s no way I’m letting you cause a scene in such a fancy restaurant.”
“Who says I’ll cause a scene?” he protests.
“Do I need to remind you what happened at school on Monday?”
“Do I need to remind you who started it off by dragging Jordan by her hair?”
He’s got me there. We grin at each other, but our humor fades when we turn in unison and march across the room.
Daniel’s features darken the moment he spots us. Cassidy has her back to us, but her date’s fierce eyes trigger an alarmed murmur from her.
“Evening,” Reed drawls.
“What do you want, Royal?” Daniel mutters.
“Just wanted to have a word with your date.”
“Me?” Cassidy squeaks, her brunette head swiveling toward Reed.
“Cassidy, right?” he says easily. “I’m Reed. Your brother and I play football together.”
