Page 66 of Second Chances
A few seconds later a black Escalade pulled up outside, its windows tinted completely black. Beth felt her heart pick up speed just as Jason moved to open the door, allowing Andrew, her other bodyguard, to exit first, followed by Beth, and finally Jason. Even though they moved quickly to the car, Beth couldn’t help her eyes from darting to her sides, trying to get one last sweep of the street.
It’s not like you spotted her before, Beth.
Beth let out a sigh of resignation just as Andrew opened the rear passenger door of the Escalade for her. Her step faltered when she immediately caught Darcy’s burning gaze.
Uh oh.
Steeling herself, she climbed into the SUV and sat down next to Darcy as the door shut behind her. As the car pulled away from the curb, Beth glanced him from the corner of her eye. She’d been fully prepared for an onslaught of questions the second the door had closed, but Darcy remained staring and brooding.
“Hi,” she said, softly, hesitantly turning her head to look in his eyes.
“Hi,” he replied even though his expression and tone screamed ‘Not now.’
I guess he wants to wait to talk about that until we are home…
“I was nervous for a moment because I didn’t recognize the car. Usually, you pick me up in a town car, I didn’t realize you had an SUV,” Beth began, deciding that talking about random things was better than the silence that was going to eat away at her.
“I don’t normally need it, but it has some special features that I felt were necessary for today,” he replied cryptically.
Beth’s eyebrows raised, wondering what those features might be. She had noticed that the windows were more tinted, but that was about the extent of it.
What if they are bullet proof?
Ok, that would be overkill.
No, that would be Darcy.
She stared at the glass a little harder, wondering now if they really were. The SUV did kind of feel like a tank inside. Beth started to look around the cabin for any more of these ‘special features,’aware that Darcy’s eyes were watching every minute movement that she made.
The car pulled up to the back entrance of the Plaza. Beth didn’t even know you could get into the building this way unless you were an employee. When the car pulled up to the curb, Darcy opened his door, turning to her before he got out.
“Wait here,” he instructed. “Please.” The last was uttered as a gruff afterthought.
Beth nodded, watching as he got out of the car and began to talk with Jason. She wished she could hear what he was saying. The car seemed to be incredibly soundproof, on top of which she was pretty sure that Darcy was speaking softly so that she didn’t hear anything. She watched him, Jason, and Andrew looking around the car very briefly before Darcy opened her door.
Beth got out of the car as Darcy placed a hand on the small of her back, the firm pressure providing a grounding effect as he guided her to the entrance. He pulled out a special keycard that opened the door, leading them to the private service elevator. Beth was expecting Jason and Andrew to separate from them at this point but they climbed into the elevator as well, riding up with them the entire way to the penthouse floor. Only then, after Darcy opened the door to the apartment and ushered Beth inside, did he turn and give them instructions before shutting the door behind him.
She didn’t know what to say or where to start. She just watched him close the door and waited for him to make the first move. His jaw was clenched as he turned back to face her, reaching out to grasp her hand and lead her into the living room. As soon as they reached the couch, he turned so suddenly that she ran right into him, but it didn’t matter because his arms came around to clutch her to him, one around her back, the other reaching up and cupping her face before sliding back through her hair. His forehead fell to hers before he moved to bury his face in the side her neck. She heard him breathing deeply against her skin, his arms clutching her, his fingers gently massaging where they touched.
He held her to make sure she was ok, to make sure that she was still there, still his, that she hadn’t been damaged by whatever the CB had said to her.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered hoarsely into her ear as he gently turned her face to his, kissing her reverently on the lips.
Beth sighed into the softness of his kiss; there was no pressure, no desire to consume, only the delicate need to comfort. Her eyes stayed closed and she lost her balance for a moment as Darcy pulled away. Steadying her, he gently kissed the tip of her nose as he stepped back.
“Why don’t you sit down and tell me exactly what happened,” he said gently, holding her arm until she was firmly seated on the sofa.
“I was at work when a messenger arrived with the roses,” Beth began, “before I could even tip him, much less look for the card to see who they were from, he was gone. I just assumed they were from you, even though they were black, and that’s why I texted you first, but then when you responded the way that you did, I realized that I made a mistake. Then I assumed that they must be from a client, maybe Renée, after this past weekend, but as soon as I opened the card, I knew.”
“What did it say?” Darcy asked tightly. Then, changing his mind, added, “Can I read it?”
She could see the stress and anger building within him, his beautiful face harshly trying to contain the rage boiling underneath the surface just waiting for his ex-girlfriend’s words to light the match. Beth bit her lip, wanting to give him the note because it was easier than having to try and relay the information herself, butnotwanting to give him the note because she was afraid what his reaction would be to the real thing.
You know what you have to do.
Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the black envelope and held it out to him. Taking it almost hesitantly from her hand, Darcy pulled out the card inside. Opening it, Beth watched as he began to read.
She saw his brows furrow, his jaw muscles flexing as his eyes scanned over the words that this woman had written. Even though the card was held just between his fingertips, she could see his knuckles blanching with the force with which he was squeezing it; his other hand clenched into a fist by his side. Beth watched as the darkness of anger melted over his eyes.
