Page 95 of Into the Fire

“Hey, you look lost,” Anson commented as I stared down at the piano keys. He slid in beside me on the bench. Because Anson had a meeting he had to be at for his degree, I walked to the music room alone for the time I had booked. The guys were in classes yet or doing whatever it was they did when they were here, so it had given me a rare moment of quiet. I knew he’drushed over because his meeting should have lasted longer than twenty minutes, but I wasn’t going to push the matter. I was safe with the piano.

“Just thinking,” I murmured, brushing my fingers against the ivory keys.

“What about?”

I played the soft intro to a song I’d been working on and hadn’t shown him yet. He shifted beside me, clearly absorbing the sweet sound of the notes hanging in the air.

“Life. Death. Me.” I continued to play.

He joined in, not missing a beat. He astonished me at how quickly he could pick up music and learn it. I smiled as his fingers met mine on the keys. He twined his fingers with mine and pulled them away from the music.

“Talk to me,” he encouraged gently. He was there when Fox got home. I’d fallen asleep on the couch, but I’d woken to Anson and Fox’s voices as they spoke in the kitchen about everything. Fox seemed heartbroken and scared. Anson had been firm and promised my safety. The next morning had been awful with the news that Bianca hadn’t made it. Ethan hugged me tightly and told me he loved me with everything he was, then promptly went to his room, Fox doing similarly. Enzo had kissed me deeply before Cole took me completely away and held me while he slept.

I sighed as I pulled my hand away from Anson and got to my feet. His blue eyes remained focused on me while I paced.

“The guys are worried. I am too. I-I don’t want to end up like Bianca. I’ve been through something similar before, and I can’t. . .” my voice cracked. “I’m not strong enough to do it again, Ani. I’m not. It almost broke me. It did break Ethan. And Cole. We lost the baby.” I wiped quickly at my tears. “I just can’t do it.”

Anson stood and dragged me in for a hug. I clung to him, breathing out. I hadn’t told anyone these feelings. The guys had enough to worry about. I didn’t want them to know I worried.Instead, I’d simply fallen in line and made promises to them about how everything would be OK.

Nothing felt OK. I didn’t even know Bianca De Santis, but I felt her loss echoing around me.

“Hey, look at me,” Anson commanded softly, pulling away and tilting my chin up. I stared into his blue eyes. They looked so much like Fox’s, but I knew why. They were related. Fox needed to come clean to the guys about that. And maybe even Anson.

“You have men who love you. Worship you. Nothing is going to happen to you. I will do everything within my power to keep you safe, LeeLee. I swear that to you. I know they will also. I know it’s hard to not think about this stuff and stress over it, but please, don’t, OK?”

I licked my lips as we studied one another. “Ani?”

“LeeLee?”

I swallowed. “Should you maybe call Dominic and talk to him about everything? Let him know. . .”

“That I’m the guy who is the true heir, and I could take it all away from him?” He released me and shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“He could probably use a friend— or brother— right now.”

Anson sighed and sat back on the piano bench. I moved to sit beside him.

“He’s hurting, Rosalie. Like, he lost his wife. I can’t come in with news he might lose his empire too.”

“I thought you didn’t want to take over?” My heart jumped.

“I don’t,” he said quickly. “I really don’t. But it might not seem that way when it’s rightfully mine, you know? I don’t want to make waves for him, especially right now. Plus, when we finally do talk, I want it to be under better circumstances. Right now, my presence would only bring unneeded stress to him and his guys. I can’t do that to him.”

I nodded, getting where he was coming from. I admired it. Anson was a great guy. Truly.

He smiled at me. “How are things at home? Getting better?”

I shook my head. “Not really. You know how the guys are. Always in combat mode. It’s even worse lately because of everything going on and how worried they are for me. I just wish this was a different life for us all. Just. . . normal. You know?”

“I get it.” He sighed, and we both became quiet. “Let’s take your mind off things. What song were you playing?”

“Oh, it’s just a little ballad I wrote about falling in love at the wrong time.” I cringed at my words when he raised his brows at me.

“It doesn’t mean anything. I just thought the words flowed. I was thinking about Bianca and the kings and wondering if things would have been different for them had they met at another time.”

Anson nodded. “And you don’t wonder that for you?”

“Doesn’t matter. Fox and I have always been and will always be.” I smiled.

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