Page 41 of Boss with Benefits

"She has a right to love whoever she damn well pleases," I said. "Everyone in this family is clear on that except Mom."

"Do you think Dad cares?" Tina asked.

"He's never expressed an opinion either way, but he fiercely loves Valeria." Dad would never choose a favorite, but if he did, it would be her. "I think if push came to shove, Dad would support her."

"I think so too." Tina chugged the last half of her beer. "I'll go see how Valeria and Frankie are doing."

"I'll check on Rachel." I trudged up the stairs, hoping she'd calmed down enough to have a rational conversation and not blow up at me.

I tapped my knuckle on the door to her room. "Rach?"

No answer.

I pounded harder, but she didn't open the door.

"I'm coming in," I said and turned the handle. I swept my gaze across the room. The bedsheets were rumpled, and there was an empty water cup on the nightstand. Other than that, the room was empty.

Rachel and all her belongings were gone.

20

RACHEL

My duffle bag hung heavy on my shoulder, and I stopped to rest. I shouldn't have come up here with Derrick's family this weekend.

It was late, nearly eleven. I hadn't thought this through when I rushed out of the cabin into the night. Now I was on a country road, surrounded by forest on either side.

There were no lights. Nowhere to even tell an Uber to come and pick me up. Not that there were any Ubers. I checked.

My frustration wasn't about Derrick's mom. I mean, yeah, she needed to get a clue and stop being a homophobic jerk, but Derrick was right. It was his family's business, not mine.

What was crawling under my skin was what I heard Derrick say ten minutes before that on the dock. I hadn't meant to eavesdrop on Tina and him. I was walking down to the water to look at the stars when I heard my name.

All that stuff he said about me playing games and being manipulative wasn't true. I'm not that forward-thinking. I react in the moment. And I'd been wound up because of my grandfather stalking me.

Stalking probably wasn't the right word.

Curiously watching?

I didn't know.

And that shit about how I pushed Eva into an "ill-advised" relationship. Her ex had cheated on her, and I regretted nothing. Joe got what he deserved and was still living with his parents licking his wounds the last I heard, while Eva was blissfully in love.

So fuck you, Derrick Jacques.

Behind me, lights came around the bend. I hopped into the tree line and waited for the car to pass. I thought about waving it down, but I'd seen enough true crime docs not to be that stupid.

It passed and I stepped back out onto the road, hiking my bag onto my other shoulder. I walked a half mile when another car drove down the road. It approached slowly, like the driver was searching for something. I tucked into the trees again and watched it approach. The window was rolled down, and as the Mustang got closer, I spotted Derrick behind the wheel.

I could have stayed hidden in the trees and continued walking all night to the train station, but that was stupid. In my haste, I had forgotten I was in the country, not the city, and I couldn't jump in a cab or on the subway.

I stepped into his headlights and let him see me. The brakes screeched as the car came to a halt, and he flung the door open and rushed toward me. I braced myself for a reprimand but instead, he wrapped his large arms around me.

I didn't have time to react. Not that I could do much but accept it. My arms were pinned at my side, my nose smooshed against his chest. He smelled like pine and soap and an earthy scent that was exclusively him.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice muffled against his solid pecs.

He released me and walked to the car. Without a word, he held the passenger door open and waited for me to slide in.

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