Page 34 of The Bossy Billionaire

“She’s okay, though, right?” Eddie asks again.

“No, she isn’t fucking okay!” I raise my voice, slight panic in my tone. All of the Rothschild men look at me sharply, but I don’t care. I feel murderous and out of control in equal measures. “Her leg was hurting so I just tried to relax her and let her sleep.” I blow out a breath, trying to stay calm.

“Katie and I can stay with her tonight,” Eddie suggests.

“No.” I shake my head vehemently. I am not having it.

“I will take her home with me,” Harrison confirms. The brothers are already fighting for her.

“Absolutely not,” I tell him straightaway. “She is not leaving my sight.” I don’t give a fuck if he doesn’t like it. “I nearly lost her tonight. I nearly fucking lost her, and I am not letting anyone else near her,” I seethe. I feel almost out of control—anger, fear, and desperation all swirling in my body as my mind scrambles to try to put things together. “I’ll stay here with her.”

“Huxley…” Harrison growls. He knows. The look on his face tells me he is aware that something is brewing.

“I’m fucking staying. She will want to be here. She won’t want to go to anyone’s place. This is her home, and she won’t want to be driven from it.” We remain quiet for a beat, staring at each other before I tell them my plan.

“I’m going to Whispers tomorrow for a week. I want to take her with me,” I suggest to them and they all look at me like I am crazy.

“She will need to answer police questions,” Ben says.

“We can do that in the morning before we go,” I answer him.

“It is a long trip. It will be too exhausting for her,” Eddie pushes back.

“My jet is ready. It will be a quick flight.”

“She needs her own space. She doesn’t need to be crowded,” Ben suggests.

“You all crowd her more than anything. She needs space from this.” I sweep my hands across them and the shop.

“I don’t trust you with her.” Tennyson lays it out, and I sigh. I guess if I had a sister, I probably wouldn’t trust her with me either. But things are different now.

“I understand that. But sometimes a woman changes a man.” I look him dead in the eye. He knows what I am talking about. I can tell none of them like the fact that they can’t look after her and they hate the fact that I seem to be the one who can.

“My ranch has a lot of space. It is quiet. It is secure. No media will see her; no one can come into the property unannounced. The country air will do her good. She needs to rest. She is exhausted.” They all nod, slowly admitting defeat. I am not telling them anything they don’t know themselves.

“I will deal with the police and see what we can find out,” Ben offers, and I nod.

“I will arrange for the shop to be repaired. I’ll close it for a few days. Get it all sorted,” Tennyson says.

“I will free up my schedule for later in the week, and when it opens, Katie and I can work out of here for a few days, managing Dwayne and ensuring patrons can still come and go,” Eddie offers.

“Beth and I will handle the media and any other business ramifications. I want daily updates,” he tells me, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes at him. Instead, I nod, knowing how protective they all are. I know if I don’t report back, they will fly to my ranch themselves.

“We all sorted, then? Because I want to go back up so she doesn’t wake up alone,” I state, hating being away from her. They all eye me, looking like they are trying to figure me out.

“Look after her,” Harrison says, his tone sharp. His eyes burn through me, his jaw tight. I feel the weight of his words now. The look he has given me is one I have seen before, but it has never been directed at me. This is the Rothschild expectation. The fall in line or I will end you where you stand kind of look. The one Harrison reserves for a select few people who piss him off. It appears I am now on that list. I grit my teeth and nod to him, putting myself on the line.

“I will. I promise,” I assure him, before I turn around and run back up the stairs to the sofa. Where I remain all night, watching her as she sleeps.

CHAPTER TWENTY - LUCY

I start to stir, and I feel like I have been hit by a truck. My head aches, my body aches, and I push the blankets lower. I feel hotter than normal before I roll over and get a sharp pain in my temple.

“Owww,” I moan, my hand coming to my face, but I feel the bandage and still.

“Be careful.” Huxley’s voice is low as he murmurs to me, and I open my eyes and see him sitting on the armchair in my living room, wearing the same clothes he was in yesterday.

My eyes flick around as I try to wake up, seeing I am on my sofa. It is then the memories of last night flood back, and I try to sit up.

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