Page 93 of Own Me

“After,” Henry answers for me, sipping his drink as his free hand rubs my foot where it rests on his lap. I’ve stretched out along the sectional and have no plans of getting up again.

“Henry left Alaska after the grand opening.” She doesn’t need to know the disastrous reason why. “And I moved to what they call the Outdoor Crew, which is groundskeeping.”

“So you were his executive assistant and then you … cut grass?”

I laugh. “I mostly maintained the gardens because the guys were terrible at it. It wasverydifferent but also great. I love working with my hands and being outside.”

“Abbi was the only woman in a group of degenerates,” Henry adds.

“They werefun.” I nudge Henry’s thigh with my heel. “And when Henry was trapped in that mine, Ronan and Connor—that’s another one of the guys—went in to find him. They helped save Henry’s life.” Something I will be eternally grateful for.

“That’s … pretty cool.” Violet’s blue eyes meet Ronan’s for a moment, long enough for her cheeks to pink, and then she abruptly announces, “Too much Coke!” And scurries off to the nearby bathroom. It’s not hard for anyone to see that the almost sixteen-year-old might have a little crush on the gorgeous man sitting beside me.

“You even fucking blink at her in a way I don’t like and I will end you,” Henry warns as soon as the door shuts.

“Come on. She’s a kid,” Ronan snaps. “Andshe looks like you.”

Henry turns his scowl on me. “You toldhim?”

“Of course, I did. How would I explain her here tonight? Besides, you should know by now Ronan can be trusted to keep quiet.” He’s kept plenty of juicy secrets, ones that would sell a lot more magazines. “I’d be more worried about who Preston’s telling.”

“Those guys won’t say a word. They know how to be discreet.” Henry returns to his foot ministrations.

“And she doesn’t lookcompletelylike Henry. She showed me pictures of her and her mother. There’s a good mix there.” Her heart-shaped face and wide smile are, without doubt, Audrey’s.

“Still, the more people see you two together, the more questions they’re gonna ask. Eventually someone in the media will notice. You think they’ve been brutal with you, Red?” Ronan’s eyebrows arch. “Wait until they get hold of this story.”

My stomach churns with the thought. “She’s only fifteen. They can’t do that to her.”

“And yet they will,” he says through another sip.

“What happened today was because a conniving bitch couldn’t take rejection and wants to play hardball.” Henry adds quietly, “He’s not wrong, though.”

“What are we going to do, then? Violet’sin your life, Henry. She’s not going anywhere.” If the past two days have taught me anything, it’s that despite whatever Violet said early on, she wants to be here.

“I’ve already warned her about keeping this quiet. Seeing today’s mess unfold will make her think twice about saying anything to anyone.”

“People will still ask.” Annie asked. It was an innocent question.

“Yeah, I know.” Henry rubs the back of his neck. “What if we tell people that Audrey and my dad had a brief relationship, and she’s my half-sister who I just discovered?”

“Blame the dead guy.” Ronan shakes his head. “That’ssofucked up.”

“Yeah, well, if you’ve got any other brilliant ideas, I’m all ears,” Henry barks. “Because if the truth comes out, our lives will be hell, and both Audrey’s and my father’s reputations will be dragged through shit.”

Maybe they deserve it, though. Audrey committed a terrible crime and William buried it from everyone, including Henry. Maybe they don’t deserve to rest in peace. But no one deserves to make money off this story, which is what these tabloids will do.

Silence hangs in the living room, and my mind drifts back to thoughts of thelasttime the three of us were in a room together. My body flushes with the memory.

Henry’s phone rings. “That’s Dyson. Excuse me.”

I move my feet and watch him stroll toward his office, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. I can’t wait to peel those off later and lick every inch of his skin.

“So?” Ronan leans into me until our shoulders touch. “How are you holding up?Really?” In his eyes is genuine concern.

I shrug. “There’s not much I can do, is there? Henry’s got HR and the lawyers preparing all the dismissal paperwork.” Their security badges have already been suspended, with plans to haul them into a room the moment they show up for their shifts.Ifthey have the nerve to show up. “He’s calling in by video to fire them all personally. Theft charges are pending for the security guards.” Tillie’s going to get her wish of some face time with Henry, just not how she dreamed.

“Damn.”

---