Pink Springs Collection, page 7
The room is empty except for a few members and Richard sitting at the head of the table. To his left I see Stan with his head bowed, and suddenly I realize exactly what this is about. Lux confided in me the other night that the other bunny Scarlett had a recording of what happened. I knew it was a matter of time before she shook him down for money or worse.
“Are you having issues with your phone, Bastian?” Richard asks in a clipped tone. I noticed when I looked at my phone that he’d tried to call me several times when I was in the copy room with Lux.
“What seems to be the problem?” I ask, directing my question at Stan and ignoring Richard’s snide comments. There was never a time I didn’t fall over myself all hours of the night to take his calls, but now I’m done.
“Stan is being blackmailed,” Richard answers for him, and Stan begins to sob. “Oh, quit your sniveling.” Richard clenches his fists on the table and glares at me. “You’re going to make this go away before this little bitch goes to the press.”
“What do you think it is that I can do?” My brows pull together as I try and see the logic in this. “Just pay her whatever she wants and be done with it.”
‘You don’t think we tried?” He slams his fist on the table.
“She told my wife,” Stan wails, and I have no sympathy for him. He’s never acted like he had a wife, and now it’s come to bite him in the ass. “She’s threatening to divorce me and take everything.”
“You need to get that little trashy temp you hired on board,” Richard orders like I’m a dog.
“What the fuck did you just say?” The penny drops at my statement, and although this isn’t how I wanted to do things, this is what’s happening.
“I said—” Richard begins to double down, but I cut him off.
“Shut your fucking mouth,” I growl as I lean forward on the table and plant my knuckles on the glass across from him. “I don’t give a fuck if that woman writes what Stan did in the sky, you won’t ever speak about Lux that way again.”
Richard seethes as he glares at me. “You’re fired.”
At his words, a cool calm falls over me, and I straighten up and tuck my hands in my pockets. “No, I’m not, and for a couple of reasons.” I wait as he presses his lips together, and I smile. “One, you have no grounds to fire me other than I won’t do your dirty work, so don’t even think about it.” I can almost hear Richard grinding his teeth. “Two, I know too many secrets for you to cut me loose on a scandal. You think one little bunny incident is enough to bring this company down? You have no idea the information I’ve gathered in the last five years that would make our former CEO look like a choir boy.”
Richard opens his mouth to speak, but when I smile brightly at him, he closes it and then lowers his eyes. He’s knows I’ve got him.
“And three, which is my personal favorite, I quit.”
“You can’t quit,” Richard is quick to say, and I know it’s because he is realizing that I do know too many secrets to be let go. Richard is the type of man that would have put me in situations to invent dirt just so that he’d have something over my head. But he never thought I was an actual threat and left me alone. I can tell with the clouds in his eyes at this very second that he's realized his mistake.
“Watch me,” I say smugly as I turn to walk out of the room. But before I leave, I have one more thought, and I turn to face him. “Oh, and I’m taking Lux and my sister with me.”
As soon as the elevator doors close, I hear Richard shouting on the other side of them. I can’t help but smile to myself because for the first time in a long time, I’m happy.
Chapter Thirteen
Lux
I stare at the clock on my computer, tapping my fingers on the desk. Time is dragging on today, but it’s like that all the time now. All I can think about when I’m away from Bastian is, when am I getting out of here so I can be alone with him again?
I have no clue how Bastian can sit at a desk all day, because it drives me crazy. I don’t want to be a bunny girl, and I don’t care for working in an office, so what’s left at this point? Should I be an astronaut? I’m probably too short, and I’m running out of ideas here.
“Katie!” A woman comes running out of the elevator and runs over to Bastian’s secretary.
I pretend to type on my keyboard while I eavesdrop, but in my defense, it's hard not to. They are only a few feet from me, and I’m not hiding behind a plant or under the desk. Maybe it’s just office gossip, which was probably my favorite part of working at the diner back home. When Juno and I were really bored we’d make up silly crap and see how far we could get it to spread.
“Something big is going on upstairs,” I hear her say and pause my fingers.
Bastian is upstairs right now, and I wonder if this has something to do with him. He sent me a quick text telling me he was going up and it might be a minute.
“It’s something with Bastian. What’s going on?” she asks, clearly here for gossip and has none of her own. I’ve been here for a little over a week, and I know there isn't a chance in hell Katie is going to tell this girl anything.
“Everything is fine.” Katie smiles up at the woman, who huffs in response.
“Fine, but you’re the worst.” Katie only laughs as the woman goes back to the elevator and gets on.
“She really thought she was going to get you to talk about Bastian?” I say when the elevator doors close.
“Sometimes I’ll let a few small things slip. That way she’s always spreading what I want shared. It’s one of the many ways I keep my eyes on the staff here.”
“That’s brilliant,” I admit as Katie goes back to work.
My worry begins to grow, and I wonder how she doesn't want to know what’s going on up there.
“So…” I say after a long minute, bringing Katie’s attention back to me. “What’s going on? You think they know about Bastian and me? Is this against the rules? Could I be getting him in trouble?” I fire off one question after the other, clearly starting to panic.
The first day we came back to the office together, I told Bastian we had to keep it professional around here. That lasted about ten minutes. We both cracked because it’s hard to keep my hands off him. It’s his fault that my body knows what he can do to it, and I’m addicted now.
“They’d be stupid to fire him and he’s not going to let them fire you.”
My stomach knots. Bastian has been working here forever and building his way to the top. It was one of the many things we talked about when we lay in bed at night. He never talked about it with excitement though; it was always more like checking something off his list. One of the biggest reactions I got from him was on the way to work together the morning after we made love for the first time.
The way he talked was as if I was already knocked up and he was planning every detail. There was a smile on his face the whole time as he spoke of family and our future. Whenever he talks about work, he gets this tense expression, and I can tell he doesn’t love his job.
The thought of having a baby with Bastian makes my heart flutter, and even though it’s crazy soon, it feels right. What we share is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and if we’ve learned anything, it’s that life is short. We don’t want to miss out on anything, so we’re jumping in with both feet.
When I think of our future, I try to picture our family. Will our kids have his wavy brown hair or my green eyes? I start to daydream for a moment before I snap myself back to the reality that Bastian might be losing his job.
“It’s fine, I can leave.” I grab my purse and start throwing things in my bag. I can work anywhere, and this place means something to Bastian. I would never want to take that away from him.
“Good, you’re already packing up,” I jerk my head up and see Bastian’s sister standing there. I still haven't really met her yet, unless you count the time she busted in on me making out with her brother. Now he’s getting in trouble because of me, so she probably hates my guts.
“I’m so sorry.” My eyes fill with tears. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” I’m not even sure what is actually happening, but it can’t be good.
“I think you meant to do it,” his sister Selma tosses back at me with a smirk, and I swallow.
Bastian loves his sister. I can see that love in his eyes when he talks about her and his mom. It’s one of the many reasons I fell in love with him so quickly. He understands the bond of a family. It’s important to me that the man I end up with knows what family means.
“Keep packing.” She motions to my stuff, and I nod, grabbing the last couple of things.
“Is Bastian coming back here?” I want to see him and make sure he’s okay before I leave. I feel terrible.
“He should be here any second. Let’s go pack his shit for him.”
“Wait, what?” My heart drops.
“Bunny,” Bastian calls to me as he steps off the elevator. He ignores everyone else and comes straight for me. He lifts me off my feet and kisses me deeply in front of everyone, and for a moment I get lost in him.
“Do I need to get the hose?” Selma asks, and I pull back to look at her. She’s smiling, and I feel relief as Bastian puts me back on my feet. “I should have known it would take a woman to knock some sense into you.”
“I got lost for a minute.” Bastian stares down at me and rubs his thumb over my cheek.
“Wait, you don't hate me?” I ask Selma, and she looks shocked.
“What? No! The first day I was surprised because I never thought in a million years I’d catch my straight-laced brother going at it with someone, let alone doing it in his office.” My face heats because we’ve gone at it all over the place.
“Did you get all your things?” Bastian asks her, and she shrugs.
“I got what I needed from this place. I came down to help you and your girl.”
God, I really have to stop jumping to conclusions.
“You’re fired?” I ask, but he doesn't look torn up about it.
“I quit.” As long as he’s smiling then I’m happy about whatever it is he wants to do.
“Bastian,” Katie calls, standing up from her desk. She holds up a piece of paper and then hands it to Bastian. “I’m not working here if you’re not. I’ll end up in prison otherwise.”
“I feel you,” Selma agrees with a laugh.
“You should have retired years ago.” He signs whatever she gave him and then hands it back.
“I think I stayed just long enough.” She gives him a hug. “Walk me down, Selma.”
“I’ll see you guys down there,” Selma says as she points to me. “We’re going to lunch or something.”
“We’ll be down in a minute,” Bastian agrees as he pulls me into his office.
“What’s happening? I thought this place was your dream.”
He holds me close and sighs. “That’s the thing. At the end of the day, a job that doesn’t fulfill me shouldn't be a dream. Besides, I’m tired of their good old boys ways and I’m not saving their asses. I’m going to watch them burn with everyone else. It’s what they deserve.”
I grab his tie and pull him down. “You really are one of the good ones. My brothers swore there weren't any left in the city.” I kiss him, and he smiles against my lips.
“I think we need to take a trip out there.”
“You’re ready to meet the whole family?”
“Bunny.” His hands tangle in my hair. “You’re it for me. Babies, marriage, and all the things in between.” My insides melt because I want all of those things.
“You don’t think it’s too fast?”
“Do you want me to slow down?” He gives me a cocky grin.
“No!” I say it a little too loudly.
“Good, because I’m not. When you know, you just know. I feel it in my heart, Lux.”
I know what he means, because that’s what I feel for him. It’s a love that’s so different than anything I’ve ever felt. He’s the other half of my soul, and the two of us are forever.
“I do.” I smile up at him.
I love you, Lux,” he says, and my eyes fill with tears.
“I love you too.” When he kisses me, it’s claiming, and my body warms all over.
I knew something in the city was calling me and my destiny was out there waiting. Now that I’m here and I’m in Bastian’s arms, he’s mine and I’m his.
Epilogue
Lux
A few months later…
“It’s going to be fine, Bunny.” Bastian reaches out and puts his hand on my thigh so that I stop bouncing my foot. “And stop chewing on your lip. That’s my job.” I release it from my teeth and sigh.
“I just want them to like you,” I admit. I’ve been putting this off for too long, and not only that, but before we left this morning, I’d gotten a little sick. Bastian rushed out to the pharmacy and thirty minutes later we found out I’m pregnant. Now we’re doing this no matter what. I’m just nervous.
“They’re your brothers, they're supposed to hate me at first. Then I’ll grow on them over time once they learn to trust me and see how I take care of you. That’s what it’s really about. They’ll always question me until I’ve proven that I’m good enough for you. And as frustrating as that might be for you, I respect it. I also have no problem doing it, if that’s what it takes.”
“You always say the most perfect things to make me melt.” I take his hand on my lap and thread his fingers with mine. “I suppose they’re going to have to get on board quickly with us staying there for the weekend.”
“Have you ever had a man in your room, baby?”
“A man?” I smirk over at him, prepared to poke a little. “Maybe a bo—” I let out a small scream when he grabs my thigh in a tight hold. I don’t know if it tickles or hurts, but I’m laughing so it must not be too bad.
“You were saying?”
“No.” I reach over and smack his chest. “My brother is a former Navy SEAL and is currently the sheriff of Pink Springs. No man or boys in town would even look at me. Some cross the road so fast when they see me coming, you’d think I have leprosy.”
“If I forget to tell you later, I really love your brothers.” I try and glare at him, but my laughter wins.
When we turn onto the long driveway to my childhood home, I sit up a little straighter. The first thing I see in the distance is Juno leaning up against her Jeep and waiting for us.
“Is her hair blue?” I whisper loudly.
“Looks like it,” Bastian answers.
The two of them have met a handful of times when Juno came to the city for a visit. I was relieved that they got along so well and it meant the world to me because they’re both such a big part of my life. Although Juno has been to see me, I haven’t come home since I moved out. The drive really isn’t that far, but I’ve been reluctant to face my brothers. Well, Cooper specifically.
When Bastian brings the car to a stop, I jump out and run toward Juno. She engulfs me in a giant hug, and I whisper in her ear.
“I can’t believe your hair is blue and I’m pregnant.” She lets out a small scream, and I lean back to look at her. Out of the two of us, Juno has always been the wild one, even though she looks like the girl next door.
Bastian says hey to Juno as he grabs the bags and walks towards the porch. “Let’s take these in.”
“You don’t like it?” She winks at me while she fluffs her hair. “It was time for a change, and I was tired of the pink.”
“You know I think you’re always beautiful, no matter what color you are this week,” I say teasingly.
Before we walk into the house, Juno and I turn as we hear a car coming down the driveway. It’s Cooper's patrol car, and I can see my other brother Luca in the passenger seat.
“Are you going to come up to the diner?” Juno asks, still looking at the car. “My shift is over at eight.”
“Yeah, we’ll come up for dessert. But I thought you said you had the night off.”
“Some stuff came up.”
Juno shrugs, and before I can ask her about it, Luca is out of the car and picking me up in his arms. He’s always been so sweet and silly, and so unlike Cooper.
“What the hell did you do to yourself?” Cooper’s voice booms before I hear his car door slam shut.
“Nice to see you too, asshole.” Juno’s voice is ice cold. They always bicker, but this is new, and I’m about to jump in when Luca puts his hand over my mouth.
“Let them do their thing,” he says in my ear before putting me back on my feet.
“That’s not what I meant.” Cooper runs a hand through his short hair, and for the first time I can remember, he actually looks confused.
“Later, Lux.” Juno smiles at me and then looks at Luca. “Come swing by tonight. We’ve got the coconut pie you like.”
“I think I’ll do that,” Luca agrees before Juno gets in her Jeep and takes off.
“Luca.” We both turn around to see Cooper is pissed. “Don’t even think about it.”
“What the hell is going on?” I look between the two of them, and Luca shrugs while Cooper looks ready to throttle him.
“Our older brother can’t get his head out of his ass.” Luca puts his arm around me, guiding me towards the house. “Why don't we go see this Bastian guy?”
“You guys better be nice. I don’t know why you two are pissed at each other, but don’t take it out on Bastian,” I warn them both.
“We’re just gonna rough him up a little.”
I elbow Luca in the side, and he drops his arm, pretending like it actually hurt. I spin around at the door and point my finger at them.
“I’m serious. I love him, and he’s the one,” I say, and after a moment they both nod, understanding.
When I feel satisfied they’re not going to go crazy, I turn toward the house and walk inside.
