Page 132 of Hard Limits

THE ASSISTANT

We flew back to LA the next day, and thank goodness Brax had chartered a private jet because I overslept. He’d shattered me, but purely in a good way, over and over and over again. The Blackstone crew were still at the hotel, everyone except for Jerry, anyway. Chase said there had been “an incident” the night before, and all hands were needed to clean up afterward. I dreaded to think. The last time I saw her, she’d been dancing with a dark-haired guy she’d picked up when she went to the bathroom, so hopefully whatever had happened wasn’t too serious.

Brax said that until the murder, he’d been happy living in Blackstone House, and now I understood why. His old roommates were an eclectic bunch but interesting and fun to be around, even Grey, who usually looked so serious in public. I hoped we’d see more of them. We’d meet Nolan again, for sure—he’d offered us a stay at his vineyard as a wedding gift, plus two dozen bottles of wine from the latest vintage, and I was looking forward to taking a trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

But for now, it was back to reality.

“Oh, hell,” I gasped as the limo pulled up outside Nyx. Brax couldn’t possibly take a cab like a normal person, so he’d hired a vehicle fit for a movie star. Actually, scratch that—Violet was a movie star, and she’d mentioned that she drove a Prius.

“Oh, hell,” Meera echoed.

Elsa pressed her face against the window. “What’s wrong? Wow, is that the place?”

Two families were waiting for us—mine and Meera’s. My father and both brothers stood stony-faced outside Nyx’s doors while Meera’s mom clutched her husband’s arm for support.

“You still didn’t call your parents, did you?” I asked her.

“I sent a text.” And Meera thought that would be enough? Sheesh. “I said everything was fine.”

“Is that your father?” Brax asked me.

I nodded.

“And your brothers?”

“Yes.”

“Want me to handle it?”

“That’s not fair. This is my mess.”

“It would be my absolute pleasure to send those three packing.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

“I love you.”

“Forever and always.”

Then my wonderful husband climbed out of the car and offered me a hand. I grabbed it like a lifeline, desperate to borrow some of his strength. Behind us, Meera helped Elsa to stand and made sure she had her crutches. They were still decorated with green velvet ribbon from the wedding. Lauren had hitched a ride back with us, and she hurried inside, heading for the elevator.

“Can I help?” Brax asked, keeping his voice neutral. Disinterested, even.

My father stepped forward, his disgust all too evident as he looked at our joined hands. “I’m here to take my daughter home.”

“Your daughter? Do you mean my wife?”

It was the first time I’d seen my father speechless. His mouth opened and closed again before he found his tongue.

“Indali can’t be married to you. She’s engaged to another man.”

“The way I understand it, you tried to marry her off to a jackass, and she decided to forge her own path instead.”

“I was a witness,” Meera said. “They’re totally married.”

“So was I,” Elsa added. “It was such a beautiful ceremony.”

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