Page 81 of Captivating

I don’t know if it’s the freedom of being out and alone, or the freedom I feel from knowing I’m loved and in love that’s doing it, but I can’t hold in my smile as I drive, singing at the top of my lungs to an old Journey song my mom used to love.

No one bothers me when I walk into the café across the street from my aunt’s dance studio and my other aunts’ lingerie shop. I place my order and wait at the counter, staring at Main Street. Half the street is made up of shops owned by my family or Killian’s, and it’s got me thinking about Scarlet’s offer. I never considered buying into a label. I’ve only recently started seriously considering leaving Controlled Chaos, but I never thought about creating something from the ground up. And now that I have, I can’t stop.

Noah and I used to talk about starting our own label when we were kids.

I told him I wanted to name it Blue Bell Records, after the street we grew up on.

Maybe it’s not too late . . .

“Lilah Belle, what are you doing here?” Uncle Cooper pulls out the chair next to me and smiles when the waitress fills his coffee cup and hands me my bag.

“Just thinking about what-ifs... That and picking up blueberry pancakes.” I hop off the chair and kiss his cheek. “I’m heading home now.”

Uncle Cooper looks around. “Are you alone?”

I look down and smile. “Please don’t yell at me. I just came right here, and now I’m leaving to go right home, I swear.”

“Hey, Dolly,” Uncle Coop calls out to the waitress. “I’ll be right back.” He takes the bag from my hand and walks in front of me. “Come on. Let me walk you to your car.”

Once we’re outside, he looks around the sidewalk like he’s expecting an ambush.

I guess some habits are harder to break than others. “Lilah, you can’t do this right now. You can’t sneak out. There’s a reason you have security, and by sneaking out, you’re not only putting yourself at risk, but you’re putting the people around you at risk too. Not to mention, can you even imagine what it would do to the people who love you if something happened? You can avoid it all by taking this seriously and following the rules.”

Knowing it and hearing it from your former Navy SEAL uncle are two slightly different things, and the guilt immediately churns in my stomach. “I’m sorry,” I murmur, and he presses his hand to my back and walks me to my car.

Uncle Coop opens my car door and checks inside before he lets me behind the wheel. “I love you, kid. Make smart choices.”

“Are we still talking about my security or did we veer off somewhere into an after-school special about the dangers of sex and drugs?” I can’t help the sass that flows freely. He made it too easy.

He shakes his head and holds onto my door. “Both, you little smart ass. Damn. You are so much your mother’s daughter, it scares me sometimes.” He kisses the top of my head and leans back. “I hear you’re even marrying your brother’s best friend.”

I hold back my quiet laughter. “Just like Mom did. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I’m happy for you. I’ve known Killian almost as long as I’ve known you. He’s a good man. Now get home before he can freak out when he realizes you’re not there. Drive careful.” Uncle Coop shuts my door and taps my hood, then steps back and watches while I pull away.

I hate that he’s right and that what I just did was stupid.

There goes my happy little bubble from this morning.

When I pull up to my gate, Zoe is there, talking to Xander, and I know I’m screwed.

Oh well. I’m not in the mood to be lectured by either of them.

Scarlet’s words filter in again.

Maybe it is time to replace my team.

I pull through and wave at them both.

“Lilah,” Xander starts the second I get out of my car.

“Don’t,” I stop him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone without you or Killian. I just—” I shift uncomfortably, guilt eating at me. “I just wanted to be normal for a minute. I wanted to do something for him for a change.”

“I can’t do my job, if you don’t let me, Lilah,” Xander tells me with a level of anger in his voice I’m not familiar with.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” I promise and turn to Zoe. “Did we have a meeting I forgot about?” I go through my calendar in my mind but know I’d never have agreed to meet themorning after Killian’s fight, and I wouldn’t have said let’s meet at my house.

“No. But Scottie and I were talking about all the things we still have to discuss before the tour kicks back off, and that was before you announced your engagement to the world last nightbefore you told either of us.” The chastising tone sets my nerves on edge.

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