A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

“He’s pissed at you for divorcing Erica because he thinks she’s perfect,” Billy says, and I drop my head back.

“He made a snide remark about Allie in Aspen. I almost decked him. If Erica just flirted with him, he’d do this for her.”

Billy nods, as though he agrees. Unbelievable. We finally agree on something.

“I’ll go track down Keith,” he says, his nose still pouring blood, and I wince. I actually feel bad about that now. I also feel very, very queasy now that my adrenaline is slowing down. Blood… so much blood.

I turn, unable to hold back, and I retch what little bit of food my stomach hasn’t digested—right on Billy’s hardwood floors.

“Damn it,” he hisses, gagging as he runs away. I can’t stand blood and he can’t stand vomit.

Weak stomachs must be hereditary.

After I get myself and the floor cleaned up, I walk back toward the door.

“Maybe I should track down Erica, and you take on Keith,” Billy says, tissues hanging out of his nose to stop the blood from coming out. He also has on clothes now.

He looks ridiculous, but at least I can’t see blood anymore.

“I’m not going to hit her. What I plan to do might take a day or two to accomplish. Hopefully not that long. But when I’m finished, she’s going to wish that I’d hit her. Find Keith. Shut him up. And don’t let him warn her.”

His eyebrows go up. “What am I supposed to do? Kidnap him?”

I weigh my options. Kidnapping would definitely be good. Especially if he was scared shitless and pissed himself… “No. Don’t do that. Don’t even let him know that he’s been figured out. Just keep an eye on him. I need to contact the paper and get that shit down.”

“Don’t kill anyone,” he says, half-laughing, but I swear there’s a hint of concern in there.

“After the slander suit I slap them with, they’ll be forced to shut down or sell out. I feel like going into the paper business.”

He smirks, and I walk away. I’ve never been known to be ruthless, but right now I feel about as cutthroat as someone can get.

Chapter 31

ALLIE

“So he didn’t say where he was going or what he was doing?” I ask Bella as we clock in at work.

She shakes her head. “No clue, but he was on the phone and he seemed pissed. What’d Angel say about him being in your bed? I didn’t know she was in there when he left.”

So much for keeping our relationship a secret from her. The cat is out of the bag now, and I had one seriously confused six-year-old this morning. I decided to break down and tell her the truth—that Wren and I are together, in a relationship, even said boyfriend and girlfriend, even though it sounds so innocent to use those terms.

I really hope this doesn’t all blow up in my face, because I’ve never seen her so excited. She’s ready to move us all into his big house because it has a swimming pool. And she’s happy that he’s going to be around all the time.

I knew she’d expect a lot if she found out. Her heart could end up in a blender if this goes wrong. I’ll hate myself and him if she gets hurt.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Let’s just say he’d better not let her down. I won’t forgive him if he does.”

She nods in understanding. “Just remember that it takes two to make it work or fall apart. Don’t be the one to ruin it because you’re too scared. Stop holding back.”

I snort, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. “I’m not holding back.”

“Pretty sure you are. You always do. You give him more than I’ve ever seen you give someone else, but you keep your guards up at all time, as though you’re waiting on a bomb to go off and this to suddenly end. Stop worrying.”

She doesn’t get it. “You’re one to talk. You’re currently dating guys that you have zero interest in just to try and change yourself. Who’s fighting themselves here?”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m breaking bad habits. Wren isn’t a bad habit for you. You have no idea how much I envy you right now. It’s a damn good thing I love you so much, because I’d be all over him and trying to steal him away otherwise.”

I laugh, and she nudges me with her shoulder, grinning. She can tease all she wants, but she’d never touch Wren even if he was single. He’s Angel’s father. That marks him off-limits, and no one is more loyal than she is.

“Allie!” Jillian calls, running toward me. She’s a scrub tech like me, but we never really talk.

“Yeah?” I ask, confused as to why she’s literally running and out of breath.