Page 103 of Brooke
Another swell of emotion rocked her as she dropped her phone on the bed. They were going to want to talk about things. Comfort her. She couldn’t break down again. God, how did people function in a moment like this? She used to be the kind of person who thrived under crisis situations. Her facility had been a point of pride. But now it was personal. All the difference in the world, and she felt like she was a yo-yo being swung around by some errant six-year-old. “Come in.”
They both entered holding hands, their faces a sickly pallor that made her worry about their health. This stress couldn’t be good for them. “I’m so sorry! I know you must be upset. And today of all days.”
“Don’t be silly, honey.” Her father immediately crossed toher, wrapping her up in an encompassing bear hug filled with love. “Kyle called and filled us in. Princess, it’s the worst sort of betrayal. I can’t believe your boss would act like this!”
“Fashion is heartless, Daddy,” she said with a scratchy voice. “And I could have played this better.”
Giulia had won this round, and Brooke wanted to punch something every time she thought of it.
“From what I hear, you had a viper stir up trouble with a pack of lies.” He scratched his salt-and-pepper head when he pushed away, disgruntlement on his round face. “How do people who are stupid and impressionable stay in business? That includes your boss! I’d fire them all for being complete lunatics.”
She tried to smile over her sick stomach. “I wish you could, Daddy, but this isn’t your world, and right now, it’s looking like it might not be mine anymore.”
Nanine’s brown eyes were warm with compassion but glittering with rage. “I couldn’t agree with your father more, although I know only too well what vipers can do to one’s career, having experienced it firsthand myself. I thought my career as a chef was over.”
They shared a quiet look of understanding. Brooke hadn’t known Nanine when she’d been a student atle Cordon Bleuobviously, but she knew the story. Nanine had been seduced by an older Michelin chef who’d said he was leaving his wife. When she’d become pregnant with Adrienne, he’d called her a slut and denied the child was his before arranging for her to be blackballed by nearly every chef in Paris, trying to prevent her from finding employment in a respected kitchen. But one famous chef had hired her: her former boss, who had been at their D-Day dinner. He’d helped her because his own wife had been seduced by the same notorious chef.
“I rallied.” Nanine lifted her chin high. “So will you. Come here, Third Course.”
They didn’tbisousParisian style. This time Nanine heldher, stroking her back soothingly. Brooke squeezed her eyes shut to quell the urge to cry again. She’d had enough of that. She had to focus on rallying—like Nanine had said.
“I have been thus betrayed, so I know some of what you are feeling.” Nanine kissed her hair sweetly. “You are strong. You are Third Course. You will overcome this. I know it.”
But did she want to fight? As the texts had rolled in, that question had pushed through the initial shock followed by good old-fashioned rage.
“Brooke!” Thea skid into the doorway, breathing hard, her face pale with shock. “You need to come downstairs. Axel’s here, and I think Kyle might punch him.”
“What?”
She was glad to be wearing ballet flats as she raced down the first set of stairs. Reaching the next stairway that would lead to the entryway, she sighted Kyle standing toe-to-toe with Axel.
“You’re not welcome here, Axel,” Kyle spat, his body poised to fight. “First, you made Brooke cry! Do you have any idea howend of the worldthat is? Second, you just told me Madison took her cleaver with her to talk to you.”
“You’ve misunderstood her reasoning,” Axel fired back.
“I don’t want to understand you, Axel,” Kyle ground out. “I want you to leave. Now. While I still have control of myself.”
“Maybe Brooke should be the one to decide, Kyle,” Dean said from a safe couple of yards away, pointing to her charging down the stairs.
Sawyer pushed up his gold spectacles. “Dude, I like you, but you’ve got some major explaining to do.”
“Which I am trying to do!” Axel cried, putting his hands up in the air like a soldier surrendering, looking even taller and more commanding as he turned toward her. “I am here to help. Brooke, please. I want to speak with you.”
Kyle held out his arms, his eyes hot. “You don’t have totalk to him, Brooke. As far as I’m concerned, Madison taking her cleaver to visit him makes me think she feared she needed a way to protect herself from him.”
“Madison didwhat?When?”
“She did not feel unsafe, as I would never hurt anyone,” Axel said tersely. “She was only trying to make me see reason. It worked. Like the slap to the face I needed apparently. Now, Kyle, can you please step out of the way?”
“Kyle isn’t the only one you need to answer to, mister,” she heard her father call out as he entered from the side hall where he and Nanine had taken the elevator. “You hurt my daughter, badly, and that’s not something I’m going to stand for.”
“Neither will I,” Nanine added, crossing her arms and glaring at Axel.
Brooke’s lip trembled in the face of their loving rage. They had her back. She’d never felt more loved in her life.
Axel placed his large hand over his chest, sorrow cutting deep grooves in his face. “I am aware I hurt Brooke—as she hurt me.”
That grabbed her by the throat.
