Locked Hearts (Chained Hearts Duet 2)

“I’m leaving.” Keir hands Wren back, and the instant rush of relief I get does not go unmissed by him. “A driver will take you back to your house tomorrow.” Then he finally leaves, without another word.

And I’m left to wonder what the hell just happened.

The driver Keir sends is Joey, who has a black eye and a broken wrist.

“Hi,” I say as he steps into my room. His eyes lift then they fall to Wren in my arms before they find mine. “Not to sound rude, but why are you here?” I ask.

“I’m your driver.”

“I realize that! Is this your punishment?” I ask.

He ambles in, grabs a bag, and lifts it with his good arm. “Is this all?” He ignores my question, then stares at me expectantly when I don’t answer.

“That bag over there too.” I nod to the bag behind me, and he hefts that one up too.

“Is this your punishment? I’m guessing you told him since he turned up and stalked me,” I push again while standing. I asked him not to tell Keir I was pregnant, at the time though, I had believed I could not carry. And that was the case, until Wren.

“Yes,” he finally answers. “Can we go now?” Joey makes a move to the door, and I follow closely behind him.

“Did he do that to you?” I ask when we reach the elevator.

He harrumphs in reply but doesn’t say anything more as he enters the elevator and pushes the lobby button.

“When did you tell him?” I keep pushing because I want to know.

As soon as the doors open, he marches straight out the exit to a waiting car. Opening the back door, there’s a car seat already installed as he heads to the trunk to put our bags inside.

“Do you need help securing her?”

“Have you ever put a baby in a car seat before?” I ask.

“Once, but she wasn’t that small.” Joey nods to Wren.

“Her name is Wren.” I smile at him. “It’s okay, I took lessons so I should be fine.” I place her in the seat, and it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Thankfully. When she’s safely buckled in tight, I shut the door.

Joey has the car started, so the air is already running to cool the car to a nice temperature.

“Did he do that to you?” I ask Joey again.

“Yes,” he answers. “Though, I deserved it. And don’t you dare go back to him saying I told you.”

“Why did you tell him?”

I didn’t think he would.

I had hoped he wouldn’t.

“I didn’t. He found out somehow, he has his ways. Then he put two and two together and knew I knew.”

“He couldn’t have found out,” I say, confused. “I left right away.”

“When Keir has an obsession, it doesn’t take long for him to find it if it goes missing.” Joey ends the conversation by walking to the driver’s side and getting in.

I climb into the back seat and watch Wren the whole way home. “Is he coming back?” I ask when we stop at my place. I look up at the old house which is nothing like what Keir is used to. His house is a five-star palace, while mine is an old, run-down, needs a new coat of paint and possibly everything else you can think of, but it works. It works for me.

“Do you need help getting out?” He avoids the question. Of course, he does.

“Joey, is he coming back?”

“It’s you. And as I stated, he always finds his way back to things he is obsessed with.”

That shit doesn’t sit right with me, so I climb out of the car and grab Wren. Joey walks into the house with our bags and for some reason I let him. He turns his nose up when he enters which is an insult, but I guess he’s used to living in luxury, and this is far from luxurious.

“You can just put the things down and go. No need to stay longer than you have to. Thank you.” I spin around to face him and watch his eyes scouting the place.

Benny walks out with a bottle of beer in one hand. “You’re back. And that’s nice of the hospital to send you with a driver.” Benny walks over to Wren and smiles. “She looks so much like you, apart from that hair. You had none as a little one.” Benny nods to Joey before he walks off again.

“You live with a man?” Joey closes his eyes and takes a breath so deep I can hear it. “That isn’t your father. Shit! I’m asking for a second black eye.”

“Benny is old,” I say, shaking my head. “I care for him, and in return I live here in my childhood home. He is my uncle.”

“You grew up here?” He turns his nose up again, eyes squinting in disbelief, and if I didn’t have a baby in my arms, I would literally kick him out.