Chapter 5

After setting the alarm, I left through the front door of Coffee Bean. I'd managed to snag a spot out front, which I much preferred. I'd have to get used to parking in the back once I moved upstairs, though.

The day had settled into dusk as the sun began to set, casting a beautiful pink and yellow glow across the sky. I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed before opening them again. Today had been a stressful day and I wasn't sure how things were going to go tomorrow. Penelope still had a long way to go. She would recover physically soon, but the mental toll would take time. All I could do was be there for my friend.

My eyes wandered over the town square, which was blooming with color. Flowers and shrubs were well tended by the gardeners. My heart went into fight or flight mode when I spotted Aiden making his way toward me. The man's posture told me he was angry, though he had a smile on his face. As he stood in front of me, his eyes blazed with fury. I swallowed hard and took a step back. "What do you want?" I asked, sounding braver than I felt.

"Where is she?" He ground out.

"At my parents' house."

"I didn't think you'd tell me." Surprise etched into his features.

I shrugged. "It's not a secret, Aidan. Nor is it a secret what you did to her." I glanced around, noticing how quiet it was on the street.

"You know nothing," he hissed, taking a step closer.

"Tallulah, there you are!" Trevor rushed to my side and wrapped an arm around my trembling shoulders. "Aiden, do you mind if I take my fiancée? We're late for our reservation."

Aiden swallowed his anger and stomped off, glancing back over his shoulder. He hadn't finished with me.

It took me a moment to realize that Trevor was leading me toward La Cucina Italiana. "Where are we going?"

"We both have to eat." He effectively maneuvered me into the restaurant. "Table for two, please."

"I'm going home."

"Nonsense. There is nothing wrong with us eating together. Stop being childish. Besides, it's the least you can do after I saved you from Aiden."

I snapped my mouth shut, angry that he would take advantage of the situation. "Look," I said as we sat down at the table for two, "I appreciate what you did out there, but I don't think this is a good idea."

"What, eating?"

"Don't be obtuse, Trevor," I snapped, opening the menu in front of me. "You know," I continued, "I'd like to know what you meant about me having to marry you. What do you have on my family?"

His eyes lit up with amusement. "I was wondering when you would get around to asking me." He grinned. "I promised your father I wouldn't repeat it to anyone. Sorry."

The thought of picking up the knife on the table and stabbing him crossed my mind. I wondered if he knew I had murderous thoughts about him. That wasn't like me. I frowned.

"Talla?"

I snapped my head up to see Jessop striding across the restaurant. Trevor groaned and swore under his breath.

Jessop glanced at Trevor before focusing on me. I was surprised by the bruising on his face. Getting to my feet, I reached up and cupped his face. His eyes widened in surprise and a blush formed on his cheeks. I grinned. "Stop being a baby. Let me see. The swelling has really come out." He held still as I ran my fingers over the large bruise on his cheek.

"Will you stop fondling the guy," Trevor hissed. "You shouldn't feel sorry for someone who fights."

I faced Trevor. "He wasn't fighting. He was defending my friend." I turned to Jessop. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. How's Pen?"

"I left her with my brother to take care of her." I smiled. "I'm not sure he knows what he's getting himself into."

"Hmm."

I hugged the man and squeezed him tightly. "Thank you." I knew Jessop had a thing for Pen. Although for a while now I thought it was a lot more than 'a thing'.

"Tallulah!" Trevor snapped. "Get your hands off the man!" He threw his menu on the table and stood.

Jessop put me behind him. "Calm down, Trevor. The lady doesn't belong to you, so back off."

"What the hell is going on?" Carlisle appeared next to his brother, his eyes on Trevor before they briefly passed over me. "Trevor, is there a problem?"

"Your brother is manhandling my fiancée."

"Ugh! I'm not your fiancée." I moved in between the two brothers. "And Jessop was not manhandling me. I hugged him in thanks for what he did earlier. This whole dinner was you manipulating me."

"Why don't we go to my office and sort this out, the guests are here for a quiet meal."

"I'm sorry about this, Carlisle. I'm going home."

"I'll drive you," Trevor said.

"I'll drive myself."

"Let me walk you out," Carlisle said. He took my elbow and led me through the restaurant. "How did he manipulate you?" The question hit me the moment we stepped outside.

"Aidan confronted me as I was locking up. Trevor came to my rescue. He then led me to La Cucina before I regained my senses." I shrugged, suddenly feeling tired. "Thanks for helping me escape." I smiled.

"I don't like that he won't leave you alone," he admitted. "This town and the people who call it home have dark secrets, Tallulah. You must be careful."

A shiver ran down my spine as I gave him my full attention. "Is my family involved?"

He looked away before leaning toward me. The scent of his cologne wafted into my nose. "You smell good." I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. "I mean, oh my." I blushed. "You do smell good."

He chuckled. "Glad you think so." His dark eyes held mine as he opened my car door. "You know, I have my suspicions about who Donna was working with. I can't prove anything yet. But I haven't given up." He hesitated, which surprised me. "Call either me or Jessop if you run into trouble." He grinned. "As long as it doesn't involve a cue stick."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

He put his mouth to my ear and whispered, "And no more fondling my brother," then bit my earlobe. "Drive safely, Tallulah." The man walked back down the sidewalk to his restaurant.

Where he got his strength from, I don't know, because I fell into my car from how weak my legs suddenly felt.

By the time I pulled into the driveway at home, my heart stopped pounding so hard. Carlisle Hallen was a sexy man, and he knew what he was doing to me. I patted my cheeks and there was only a hint of warmth to them, so my blush had faded.

I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat and got out of the car. It wasn't a big deal. I called it my mini-SUV because it looked like one in shiny red. I mean, what did I need a big car for? I didn't see the point, plus it was easy to maneuver in tight spots.

As soon as I entered the house, I knew something was wrong. I stopped at the door and looked around, not quite sure what I was looking for.

"Tallulah, may I speak with you?"

My eyes snapped to my father's office. The man himself was standing in the doorway. My father had the body of a runner; tall and lean. Although I hadn't seen him run in a long time. His hair had begun to show signs of aging, with silver running through the dark strands. His face was lean, and when he smiled, I thought my father was a handsome man. Unfortunately, his bite could be deadly.

He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows.

"Um, yes, of course." I walked towards him, and he followed me into his office, the door closing behind him. "Is everything okay?" I asked, taking a seat in front of his large, ornate desk.

He didn't speak until he was seated in his chair, which I knew made him feel powerful. "It would have been nice to be asked about our guest."

"Pen is my friend. She had nowhere else to go. It's temporary anyway." I relaxed back into the chair as tiredness caught up with me.

"Penelope should be at home with her husband."

"Her husband doesn't deserve her!" I said, sitting up straight. "How can you expect her to go back to him after what he did to her?"

"Allegedly did to her."

I stared at my father. "What in the world are you talking about? There is no alleged or anything like that. The fact is, he hit her. Aidan should be locked up for assault!"

Dad scoffed. "That's not going to happen. The man had a bad day at work. So what?"

I shot to my feet. "What is wrong with you? I can't believe you would be so callous to my best friend. No one deserves to be hit by their spouse. If Aiden is having a bad day, he should know better than to take it out on his wife. He's a cop!"

The door opened. "What's with all the yelling? I can't hear myself think," Mother said, a crystal glass filled with bourbon in her hand.

"Father thinks Pen should have gone home to Aidan," I said stubbornly.

"The poor girl doesn't need that man in her life, Duke."

Father looked ready to blow a gasket. "Women! Get out of my office, both of you."

I hesitated. "Can I ask you about Trevor?

Father snapped, "What about the man?"

"What does he have over you?"

Father gave me a surprised, disbelieving look. "He has nothing over me."

He was lying. He'd spoken in a low and dangerous voice. He only used that tone when he was bluffing.

I swallowed hard. "I'd better go see how Pen is." I fled the office and made my way upstairs. I glanced back over my shoulder and caught my mother's gaze before I locked eyes with my father.

My stomach filled with nerves.

Tate met me at the top of the stairs, his complexion pale. He reached out and grabbed my wrist. We ended up in his room. "Something's going on and I'm scared."

I stared up at my brother and got scared myself. Tate could be a bit of a jerk. Well, a big one. He had surprised me lately. The side I saw confused me. "Who are you afraid of?" I asked.

"I'm not sure it's any one person."

"Tate, you're not making much sense. What is going on?" I thought about him and what he had said for a moment, then I asked quietly, "Does this have anything to do with what you said behind Coffee Bean after Donna attacked me?"

He paled even more and stumbled back until he fell into a chair. I sat down at the end of his bed. "I never should have said anything."

"You never expanded?" I raised my eyebrows and waited.

"And I'm not going to either. Me and my mouth are going to get us both in big trouble, Talla." He paused. "So, I think it's best if we just let it go."

"Wait a minute." I grabbed Tate's arm as he walked past me. "You brought me here to tell me something."

"I told you something was going on. I don't know what exactly."

I narrowed my eyes. "There is something else. I see it in your eyes."

"Honestly, Tallulah, everything is fine. I feel better." He led me to his bedroom door. "I'm meeting Trevor soon, and Pen is waiting for you." With his last words, he pushed me out of his room and closed the door in my face.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" I muttered to no one in particular.