I pin Frederick with a dark gaze. “Point me to the back entrance, otherwise the entire room is going to see me carrying Birdie out over my shoulder, and that might not be good for business.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Birdie cries, backing up.
I snatch up her laptop and hand it to her. “Best hold this.” She barely catches it before I scoop her into my arms. She wriggles like a worm on a hook, but she’s no match for my strength. I arch my eyebrows in Frederick’s direction. “Back door. Now.”
Wordlessly he points to a rear exit covered by two mannequins and several bolts of fabric. I stride over and kick everything out of the way.
“That fabric is three hundred a yard.” Birdie slaps my chest.
“Put it on my tab.”
“I want down.” She wriggles again.
“No, ma’am. You’ve got a Justice in your belly.” Exhilaration fills me. I’ve got a reason to keep her tethered to me now. Birdie wouldn’t leave her child. I’ll explain the curse to her, but it won’t matter. She’ll choose the baby over any curse just as I choose her over any curse.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Birdie
At least he brought a vehicle this time. There is no way I would have made it in a helicopter back to the ranch. The thought of it makes my stomach turn. So does the idea of going back to the ranch and being told to leave once again. Calder may have apologized, but that doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind and send me away again. I don’t think my heart could take it.
“Calder. Please. I can’t do this,” I say when the driver closes the back door of the town car, giving us privacy. Not that it matters. I have a feeling someone got a picture of Calder and me. People have already been gossiping about me being back in Dallas and the fact that Calder was nowhere to be seen.
There was no missing the fact that we were an item when people came to the show. None of the Justice men are known to be touchy-feely. People can’t even get pictures of any of them with dates, but it was different with Calder and me. He had been all over me, unable to keep his hands off me. It hadn’t gone unnoticed. I enjoyed reading about how I was different. Yet, that hadn’t saved me from getting dumped.
“I can’t do this either.” He pulls me across his lap. I wiggle when his hard-on presses into my ass. “Don’t. I’m already trying my damndest not to rip your clothes off and fuck you in the back of this car.” His grip tightens on me.
“As if I’d let you,” I huff.
“Liar,” he growls against my ear. It sends a delicious thrill through my body.
“Okay, so what if I’d let you? You turn me on. Doesn’t mean that I want anything from you besides sex.” I peek up at him through my eyelashes to see his face grow stormy. That look would send anyone else running, but all it does is turn me on more.
“I’m not scared of you. There’s nothing else you can do to hurt me.” I shrug my shoulders. “You already broke my heart.”
“Baby.” His hands come to my face, tilting my head back to look directly into his eyes. The anger is gone. All I see is sadness, which I don’t understand. “I didn’t want to break your heart. God knows you already have mine.”
“What?” I breathe.
“Birdie. You’ve had me from the moment I laid eyes on you. Hell, I’m pretty sure Earl knew you’d be the only girl for me. The only woman I could ever love.”
Tears fill my eyes at his sweet words. “I don’t understand.”
“Don’t cry.” He presses gentle kisses on my cheeks, stopping any tears in their tracks.
“Why did you tell me to leave the ranch?” None of this adds up. I must be missing something.
“I got scared. And not for the reasons you’re thinking. It had nothing to do with the way I feel about you. I thought I was protecting you and doing what was best.” I’m trying to be patient, but he’s not giving me much here.
“Protect me! You broke me.” I try to wiggle back off his lap, but he doesn’t let me. “You never even said I love you back!” I hiss when I can’t break free of him.
“Love you? I more than fucking love you, Birdie. That’s the problem. I’m trying to save you, but I’m weak. I can’t stay away from you. It’s killing me. My weakness is going to get you killed!” he shouts the last part. He is truly scared.
“Calder. What are you talking about? Is this the same crap my mother was going on about?” She wanted me off the ranch too.
“Any woman a Justice man falls in love with dies.” A few things start sliding in place. All of the things my mother was spewing. Every time she’d go off, Calder would all but agree and say that she must love me. “My family is cursed. It’s been going on for many years. It was getting so close to taking you. The night of the show when the curtain fell, the horse, and then the hornets. I knew I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me.”