Take Me Down (The Knight Brothers 2)

He looked away guiltily.

“Should I call the police?” her bodyguard asked.

“Yes, please.”

Dave immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911, talking while Rex, whose eyes opened wide in horror, started to scream. “What? Emily, no. Don’t, please. I was just trying to convince you to come back to Chicago with me.”

“How? By burning down my house?” she said just as loudly.

“I thought if the inn burned, you’d have no choice but to turn back to me. I’d have helped your father rebuild. You’d be grateful to me and we could be together,” he said.

She knew he was insane. When she looked back, she’d been able to see the signs of narcissism and a Svengali complex, trying to mold her into his perfect woman. But she’d never pegged him as truly dangerous, having convinced herself the fall down the stairs was an accident. Now she wasn’t so sure. If she’d had the baby, he wouldn’t have had her all to himself.

The police finally arrived and cuffed a hysterical Rex. The noxious smell of gas gave them probable cause to search his vehicle for dangerous substances, and they found three full cans of gasoline. In the front of the car was a pile of lighters.

Thank God Parker had thought ahead to hire a bodyguard, and as soon as she thought of him, tears filled her eyes once more. Dammit. She was going to get through a day without crying. One day. Soon.

* * *

Parker stood in Ethan’s office, looking out the window at the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The sun was shining, people down below looked like tiny specks, ants rushing around to one place or another.

Ethan sat at his desk, tapping his favorite pen against a blotter.

Sebastian and his wife, Ashley, sat side-by-side on one corner of the leather sofa, cuddling like the lovebirds they were. Sierra and her husband, Ryder, did the same on the other side.

All eyes were on Parker, waiting for him to speak since he’d called this family meeting. The minute he had stepped foot on the private plane Ethan had chartered to go to Denver, Parker knew he’d made a mistake. Hell, he’d known as he kissed Emily goodbye, her salty tears mixed with her innate sweetness, that walking away was the wrong, worst thing he could do.

But the plane took off and soon he’d been in the air, alone with his thoughts for a solid five-plus hours. And during that time, he’d come to some pretty heavy conclusions.

“Is someone going to tell us why we’re here?” Sebastian asked.

“Patience, young grasshopper,” Ashley said and chuckled. Apparently they’d been watching old movies.

“I needed to talk to everyone. I have news.”

Ethan didn’t know for sure what Parker was going to say, but of everyone here, he’d seen Parker firsthand after leaving Emily behind. He had to know what was coming. But he sat behind his desk, his expression giving nothing away.

“Parker met a girl in Colorado,” Sebastian announced.

“What am I? A lovesick teenager? I met a woman there. And her father. And I got involved in their business…” He shook his head, trying to get back on track. “I fell in love,” he finally said, summing up the only thing that mattered.

“And then the dumb ass left her behind.” This from Ethan, who finally opened his mouth. He was still an asshole. His dealings with Emily hadn’t taught him anything at all.

Everyone whispered amongst themselves. Or rather the two couples whispered. Ethan sat in silence.

“I’m going back.”

“Another vacation? To see her?” Ashley asked, sounding pleased for him.

“Umm, no. I’m moving to Colorado. For good.” His words came with the force of a bomb dropping. Shocked silence followed.

At first no one said a word.

And then the questions overlapped each other. Parker whistled to shut them all up. “Here’s the deal.” He figured he was covering everyone’s questions. “The main thing holding me back all along was, what would I do there? I can’t sit around and I need to make a living. I refuse to live off of family money or money from this business if I’m not working it.”

Ethan looked at him in admiration, Sebastian in shock but a slow grin was spreading across his face. His younger brother was into romance these days, so he would support Parker one hundred percent. Ethan might not like the distance between them, but having seen Parker’s reaction to Ethan verbally hurting Emily, he knew where Parker’s heart lay. Ethan’s own heart might be broken and in shambles, but he still loved his siblings and wanted them to be happy.

“I’m happy for you,” Sebastian said.

“Me, too.” Sierra jumped up and gave him a hug. “But I’m going to miss you so much.”

Parker chuckled. “Same, sis, but you’ll come visit and we’ll come here.”

“When do we get to meet her?” Ashley asked.