Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Erikson had showered and was sitting at the little table in the trailer shuffling through paperwork when Connor finally returned. His brother glanced up, looked away, and then whipped his head back. “What’s the matter?”

Connor walked to the sink and filled a plastic cup with water, avoiding his brother’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

“You have this look on you,” Erikson said, setting the papers down. Connor turned around and leaned against the sink. “Like you’re … happy.”

Connor snorted. “I’ve been happy before.”

“Not like this. This isn’t our-show-hit-top-ratings happy. It’s something else, like I’m-completed happy.” Erikson’s blue eyes widened. “Holy shit, it’s Holly, isn’t it?”

Connor didn’t answer. He drained the cup and set it next to the sink.

“Are you in love with her?” Erikson pressed.

“I don’t know,” Connor admitted. “I don’t think I deserve her.”

Erikson stretched out his legs. “Don’t be an idiot. You’re not only a rich TV star, but you’re actually a pretty decent guy.”

“You don’t know her. She’s one of a kind.”

“Hot sex?”

“I don’t mean that way.” The answer was yes, but hell if he was sharing that with his brother. It had never bothered him to talk sex with Erikson in the past, but if he shared details of his sex life with Holly it would feel like a betrayal. That was for him and Holly alone. “She’s extraordinary. She manages this farm while watching out for her entire family. I’ve never met anyone like her. And neither have you.”

Erikson’s head lifted as if he were a dog on a scent. “Elaborate.”

Connor took a seat across from him and said, “Buckle your seat belt, bro. I’m about to take you on a wild ride.”

Twenty minutes later Erikson was pacing the trailer and practically vibrating with energy. “I can’t believe it,” he kept saying over and over. “Wickeds. Not Witches. Do you know what this means, Connor? It means there could be so much more out there that we don’t know about.”

It was a thought that had crossed Connor’s mind more than once.

“This could pivot the entire show.” At the look on Connor’s face, Erikson said quickly, “Don’t get me wrong. I understand why this has to be kept a secret. They’d be persecuted, possibly to death. But it doesn’t mean we can’t shift the focus of the show from ghosts and yetis and the Loch Ness monster to discovering other supernatural beings.”

Again, Connor had entertained a similar idea before eventually dismissing it. “So that we can put other supernatural beings in a compromising position?”

“Damn,” Erikson muttered, crossing his arms. “I know you’re right, but damn . This is so extraordinary. And you’ve seen her power with your own eyes? It wasn’t a trick or an illusion?”

“Trust me.”

“Always,” Erikson answered automatically. “This means the photo of the aunt was real, even though we still don’t know who sent it.”

“No, and that bothers me because it means someone else knows what the Celestes are. I need to tell Holly about it. Maybe she’ll have some insight, maybe not, but she should know either way.”

Erikson nodded in agreement. “So Holly can manipulate weather events, but what about the others? What about the curly-haired elf with the bad attitude?”

“You mean Winter? The one you got all muddy with?”

“Yeah. Winter.”

“She glimpses the future.” Connor described the rest of the family’s “gifts”—or curses, as Holly put it.

“I get it now,” Erikson finally said, sitting back down. “I get why Charlotte called me out here. You are hiding something; you are putting something ahead of the show, and I agree that it’s the right thing to do. But it’s not just that, Con. You’re different here. I can feel your attention slipping from the show in other ways.”

Connor raked his hand through his hair. He felt it too, but he was sure his passion and drive for the show would return as soon as he left. It was his wife and baby all rolled into one.

Involuntarily, a vision of Holly as his wife flashed in his mind. Connor immediately shut it down. No. He’d worked too hard for his show and come too far. He wouldn’t let down his brother, Charlotte, or his crew. He couldn’t have both Holly and Grimm Reality . He chose Grimm Reality , just as he always did.

“I’ll be fine,” Connor said. “In fact, I wanted to get your opinion on the shots for this last episode.”

They chatted logistics for a few minutes until Connor became aware of raised voices. He glanced toward the trailer door, which was slightly ajar, and frowned. He could have sworn he’d shut it.

He pushed the door open wider and looked toward the house, spotting Jeremy’s big SUV parked behind Holly’s car. Holly was standing on the porch with Winter at her side, gesticulating wildly, her hair blowing around her shoulders as she said something to Jeremy, who was standing two steps down. Winter’s arms were crossed over her chest, and she had a murderous expression on her face. Overhead clouds rolled in from the west.

Shit.

Connor jumped down the steps and walked toward them with deliberate calm, trying to convince himself that punching Jeremy in the face wouldn’t be worth the jail time. He felt Erikson at his back as he approached the heated trio.

“Jeremy,” he said, not bothering with niceties, “why are you here?”

“None of your business,” Jeremy snapped. He was dressed in ironed slacks and was carrying a briefcase, as if he were on his way to a client meeting.

Erikson eyed the sky as dark clouds approached with unusual speed, his expression one of awe and excitement.

“Jeremy stopped by to threaten me,” Holly said icily. Her hazel eyes were stormy with anger, and Connor knew just by looking at her that she was struggling to keep her rage in check.

“Is that so?” Connor felt his own temper heating with a very primal drive to defend his partner.

“Why do you twist my words, Holly?” Jeremy accused. “I’m trying to help you. Amy found a big-shot lawyer out of Boston who’s willing to take on her case. You could lose your farm if she wins. She’s going after you for emotional damage and assault.”

The hell Holly was going to lose the apple farm. The minute Jeremy left, Connor was calling in his personal law team.

“Don’t forget the last part, Jeremy. You’ll convince her to drop the suit only if I reconsider the show.”

“I care about you, Holly.” Jeremy’s voice was nasally as he snatched her hand. The sight of him touching her nearly pushed Connor over the edge. Thunder boomed overhead, a sure sign Holly was feeling similarly pissed. “I don’t want to see you hurt, but you will be if you don’t take me up on this offer. Trust me, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll hear me out.”

“Leave.” Holly’s voice was so stony that a chill raced down Connor’s spine.

Jeremy studied her face, and he finally must’ve realized she wasn’t going to budge. The pleading expression of devotion morphed into something uglier and rejected. “You’ll regret this,” he promised, his hands shaking. “I know more than you think I do. I can ruin your life, and if I do, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. I paid my dues. I put my time in with you and your freaky sisters, and I deserve some of the recognition and fame coming your way. You owe me. I have ambitions, and you, Holly, are going to help me achieve them whether you want to or not.”

The guy was fucking losing it, Connor thought with fury. Connor wasn’t even surprised by Jeremy’s unhinged entitlement—like creepy ghost; like descendant—but if Jeremy thought he was going to harass and harangue Holly into submission, then the man didn’t yet understand the concept of regret.

Holly’s tone was strikingly calm in contrast to the thunderous clouds overhead. “If you come here again, I’ll file a restraining order.”

Jeremy’s face turned mottled red, and he jerked his palm back as if to strike her. Connor lunged for him, but before he could reach him, Jeremy went flying backward, his hands clutching his nose. He landed ass-first in the dirt, and his briefcase fell open, the papers scattering to the wind. Jeremy screamed in agony, his tears mingling with the blood dripping between his fingers. Winter stood in front of Holly, her fist still curled and a look of such fierceness on her face that Connor wouldn’t have been surprised to see her standing in that exact same position with a sword instead of a killer cross-jab.

Connor and Erikson hauled a sputtering and crying Jeremy to his feet and forcibly walked him to his car. Connor wrenched open the driver’s side door and jammed Jeremy inside.

“Don’t ever come back,” he snarled.

“That bicked bitch bill be sorry,” Jeremy blubbered, his hands smeared red as he failed to staunch the bleeding.

Connor leaned in close enough that Erikson couldn’t hear. “Let me make myself crystal clear, Jeremy: if you bother Holly again, I will destroy you, and I don’t just mean physically. I’ll drive you out of business, I’ll shred your reputation, and I’ll sic my impressively large and well-paid legal team on you. I’ll beat you down so low you’ll start to feel like the scum you are. And that’s not even half of what Holly will do to you.”

“Buck you, Brimm. Bolly still lubs me. You’ll see.”

Connor lowered his voice further and said savagely, “Holly is mine . Do you understand that? Mine. I take care of what’s mine. Don’t ever forget it.”

Erikson tossed the briefcase on Jeremy’s lap, and Connor slammed the door shut. A moment later the SUV backed out of the driveway with reckless speed, leaving a plume of dust in its wake.

“What’d you say to make him go all pale?” Erikson asked in amusement.

Connor watched the truck until it disappeared out of view. “I told him Winter was walking over.”