Page 86 of All My Broken Pieces

He shakes his head, his forehead creased as he looks between the elevator, Fallon, and me. “No.” He murmurs. “I think we should get you both out of sight.” I can see the worry emanating from him, my own escalating with each thud sounding on the other side of the large metal doors.

Shifting my gaze to Fallon, my heart cracks open at the sight of her. So helpless, so broken.

Oh baby.

“What’s going on?” Cooper demands, drawing my attention away from my sleeping nymph.

I exchange a look with Andrew before turning to my brothers. “There’s a…situation.”

“What kind of situation?” Spencer cuts in, his anxious gaze bouncing around the room. Before I can explain, he blurts out,“Fuck, it can’t be good. I mean, look at what’s happening.” He indicates Fallon with his head, setting my teeth on edge. Noticing my reaction, he throws his hands in the air. “Look, I just mean, I can’t afford this kind of publicity. I’ve got a big movie deal lined up and they’ll pull the plug if they think I had anything to do with this.” He gestures to Fallon once more, gulping and running his hand through his hair.

“Yeah, cause it’s all about you, like always.” I grumble.

Spencer shoots me a sharp look, opening his mouth, but his reply is cut off. “Enough.” Killian barks, drawing all of our attention. Sighing irritably, he jerks his head at Andrew. “Go, hide the girl and take Arriana with you.” I bristle at being told what to do, but Killian levels me with a scathing look. “This is most likely due to yourmistake.” He admonishes.

I gulp, looking at Fallon and nodding my head. “Okay.” Before I can make a move, Andrew scoops her up in his arms, inclining his head toward the hall as he makes his way out of the room.

I scramble behind him, my heart thundering in my ears. The effects of the alcohol marring my ability to think clearly.

What are we going to do if they found out? I thought we’d have more time.

My eyes zero in on Fallon’s legs as they bounce with each of Andrew’s hurried steps. Her head is cradled against his chest so I can only see the blonde locks trailing down her back and along his side.

The nearly overwhelming need to protect her hits me. Because, even though I’m furious. Even though my chest feels like it’s been ripped apart and my heart shredded. Despite all of that, I still love her. I love her and I need her. More than life, more than the violence, more thananything.

So I’ll protect her. By any means necessary.

We slip into the spare bedroom. Quickly crossing the room, Andrew tucks Fallon into the bed, pulling the covers up to cover her body. Turning toward me, he tries to hide the worry behind a small smile. “It could be nothing. Totally unrelated.” He offers, even though we both know how unlikely that is.

Lifting the corner of my lips in a half smile, I agree, “Sure, probably nothing.”

Andrew opens and closes his mouth with a slight shake of his head. Glancing over his shoulder, he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “I better…” He trails off, jerking his thumb toward the doorway.

Shooing him off, I turn my attention to Fallon’s sleeping form. The door clicks shut behind Andrew, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Ones too loud. Too familiar.

Please don’t leave me.

“Oh,mi vida.” I whisper, trailing the back of my fingers down her cheek. “Come back to me, baby.” And just like all those years before, in a situation so similar and yet worlds apart, I get no response but the labored breathing of the center of my world.

Choking back the panicked emotions, I continue my gentle strokes. “Come back to me.”

“Arriana?” Andrew’s voice rings out, startling me awake.

Sitting upright, I jerk my head to the side, making sure Fallon didn’t slip away in my sleep.

Fuck, I must be exhausted to have dozed off…

Yawning, I try to blink away the remaining tendrils of sleep, glancing toward the door as it creaks open. Andrew peeks his head inside before slipping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

I search his face, the earlier tension returning in full force at the worry I can see in his expression. “What happened?” I demand, scooting to the edge of the bed.

Andrew runs a hand over his head, cupping the back of his neck. “It was Billie.” Releasing a heavy sigh, he drops his arm, moving to sit beside me. “They found the body and had no choice but to report it.”

Blowing out an exasperated breath, I try to remain still, my mind racing as I try to think of a way out of this situation.

My original plan to take Fallon and run a little more complicated with her current state.

“She said if you had come to her she might have been able to do something, but the girls that found her…Well, they’re demanding blood.” Andrew continues, reaching forward to place his hand on my leg.

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