Page 37 of Dirty Little Vow
At the sound of Dash’s voice now, too, we rotate toward Dash as he literally halts in front of me and drags me to him, hugging me hard and fast. “You scared the shit out of us, little sis.” He catches my arms, inspecting me. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” I say, and it feels good to be with the two men who mean the most to me in life, withmy family. I poke at his chest playfully. “The man who kidnapped me was a fan of your books. I think that worked in my favor.”
He laughs. “Yeah, well, I’d hate to kill a fan, but I think I might have to.”
A gasp sounds near the door, and we all turn our attention to the woman who’s entered the bathroom, and who’s gone from shocked to indignant with supersonic speed. “What is going on in here?” she demands.
Tyler ignores her, and folds my chest to his, his entire focus on me. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Yes,” I say. “Please.”
We share a look with Dash, and then the three of us walk past the woman without saying a word. The travel through the lobby is intense, at least for me, as I expect someone to confront us, and some wild explosion of conflict to unfold. But nothing happens. We exit to the front of the hotel, and Dash’s car is front and center, waiting on us. That’s when Dash motions to the now familiar bellman, who eyes me with a keen stare but says nothing. He simply grabs the key for Dash and walks in our direction. I’m bubbling over with the need for confrontation and when Dash would tip the man, I catch his arm and say, “Don’t. The Allen family tipped him plenty.”
The bellman’s eyes go wide. “That wasn’t what it seemed.”
“It was exactly how it seemed,” I snap back. “And I will never, ever forget your face.”
“Now we know who you are,” Tyler adds, his voice as icy as a winter storm. “There’s a lot I can do with that information.” He glances at the man’s badge. “Tony. But don’t worry. I’ll keep it between us. It’s better that way. At least for me. Let’s go home, Bella.” With that, he turns me toward the car. And for the first time since this started, I think beyond the moment, to the war that has been started and that will surely burn us all alive.
I can almost feel Hawk Senior looking up from hell with a smile on his face.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Bella
Tyler and I slide into the backseat of Dash’s car and in the moments it takes for Dash to join us, Tyler is kissing me again. “You scared the shit out of me, woman,” he says, stroking my hair. “I was not okay without you.” The confession is downright guttural, spoken from some deep, tormented part of this man’s soul he once guarded with stone.
Now it’s exposure, cut open and raw, and I pray that’s not a problem for us. I pray that all I know about him and how he shuts down, how he shuts me out, will not prove a reality. We are in this together. We are in love. We can get through this. Or I can. Maybe I’m not sure with Tyler, not after last night.
“Wait for the bedroom, you two,” Dash grumbles, yanking his door shut. “She’s still my damn sister, asshole,” he adds, eyeing Tyler in his mirror. “I don’t want to see that shit. The ride is short. Hold it together.” He pulls us away from the hotel and not a moment too soon as far as I’m concerned, but I stay in the moment, living and loving my freedom.
And as for Dash’s reprimand, I laugh at the brotherly love he’s throwing at Tyler, and therefore me. “Now you know what it’s like every time I’m with you and Allie,” I tease, but quickly turn somber with her mention. “Does she know what happened?”
“No,” he says, eyeing me in the mirror. “She would have gotten in the middle of this and gotten hurt.”
“She’ll be pissed you left her in the dark.”
“Better to ask for an apology later, than allow her to get hurt,” he replies. “But I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do, and you can expect she’ll be at your doorstep tomorrow.”
“Good,” I say, my eyes meeting Tyler’s. “She can help me plan the perfect wedding.” I curl my fingers on the light stubble on his jaw. “For us, Tyler. Not because of the will or your father.”
“Agreed,” he says. “It’s time to put the will behind us.” He strokes my hair behind my ear, his touch tender, and my throat is thick with emotion. I didn’t know if I’d see him again. And there is so much I want to know about this man that I’ve yet to even begin to understand. He is layers of darkness and pain, complicated in ways his father has only amplified, and it kills me to know a father could want this for his son.
The ride is indeed short, and in a matter of minutes Dash is pulling into the driveway, leaving the car idling, a sign he isn’t staying. Tyler helps me out of the vehicle, and when I sway a bit, he catches me to him. “What was that?” he demands, his voice etched with concern. “Are you okay? Did they drug you?”
“No. No drugs, and I’m okay. I just had an overload of adrenaline and no food.” Eager to calm Tyler’s worries, I brush off the incident and turn my attention to my brother as he steps out of the car. “You’re leaving.” It’s not a question.
“You need time together,” he says. “I get that, but I’ll come by in the morning with Allie and we can talk about what happened and what needs to happen.” He pulls me into a bear hug and murmurs, “I love you, sis.”
“I love you, too.”
Dash releases me, offers Tyler a nod and then climbs back inside his car.
Tyler wraps his arm back around me and rotates us toward the house as we start walking. “I sent Molly’s nanny home,” he informs me.
“Good,” I say, glancing up at him and he leans down and kisses me.
Molly hears us at the door and starts barking. I’m officially bubbling over with excitement to see her. It’s just amazing how that little girl has made my life so much better. Tyler opens the door, and I’m inside in an instant, squatting down and loving on her. Molly is happy to bless me with puppy kisses and a big smile and we end up in the kitchen, offering her treats. Tyler kneels with me and he’s giving Molly all kinds of love too. I watch him, my intense man made of stone, for everyone but me and Molly, and I wish the world knew this side of him but even if they do not, I do. And he is everything I saw beneath his surface all those years we walked around our attraction.