House of Scarlett Read online

  Bump launches into a serious debate centered around Skee-Ball and motorcycle racing as I give a sign to the hostess that we’re ready to be seated.

  The three of us head to the table, but Bump never misses a beat. “We can race motorcycles first and then we can play Skee-Ball, and you can tell me which is your favorite, because I like old school and new school, and I’m good at both.”

  “Don’t let him talk you into betting on it. Bump is a total shark when it comes to Skee-Ball.”

  The pride on Bump’s face warms my heart, and helps take away some of the concern I’ve been carrying all day, since we haven’t heard from Bruce or Gerard about the contract for the fights to happen at Legend.

  I know it takes longer than a day to draft the contracts that’ll make it a done deal, but I’m more worried about them not being able to get approval from whoever they might have to run it by. Q reached out to Black, but we haven’t heard back from him either.

  I need all these pieces to fall into place if my plan is going to work, but so far, nothing’s moving. I have a meeting with some of my investors in less than forty-eight hours, and I need this plan to be sorted out beforehand. If I can tell them I have it all handled at the meeting, they’ll back off with their questions and let me run my business the way I need to. But considering the current state of affairs and who my investors are, they’re going to have a fuck load of questions that I’m not ready to answer yet.

  Dinner goes quickly, with Bump carrying the weight of the conversation with Scarlett, at least until the food comes. Then he turns into a Hoover, and the food is gone in minutes without a single word from him until his head pops up.

  “Can we play now?”

  I pull out my wallet and peel off a couple of twenties. “You get started. We’re going to finish up and pay the tab, and then we’ll come find you.”

  Bump stares at Scarlett. I know he desperately wants her to come with him, but he’s being patient, which is new for him. “Okay, but come find me. I’ll warm up on hoops, and meet you at the motorcycles, okay?”

  “That sounds great, Bump,” Scarlett says, and he scampers off.

  “I’m sorry about that. He’s always at level ten when we’re here. He has no chill when it comes to arcade games.”

  Scarlett’s gaze follows him as he goes to change the cash for the swipe card that will unlock the hours of fun that will come next. “He’s a special guy. His enthusiasm is contagious. I haven’t been this excited to play Skee-Ball since second grade.”

  “Bump’ll do that to you. You should see him at the go-kart track. He’s a speed demon. Half the time, he gets black-flagged and thrown off the track because he gets too into rubbing and bumping cars driven by little kids.”

  “Well, I guess I’d be concerned, but considering he’d probably lap me within minutes, I think it’d be safe.” She takes a long drink of her water.

  “Thank you for coming tonight. I know this isn’t your normal scene, but it means a lot to me and to him.”

  She reaches across the table to cover my hand with hers. “If this is going where I want it to go, then I plan on Bump being a big part of my life too. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s my scene or not, Gabriel. I like new experiences. I want to live, not stay locked away at Curated and never know what real life is like.”

  I think about all the shit that’s still up in the air about the club, and all the ways things could go wrong. I won’t take Scarlett down with me, but there’s no chance in hell I can give her up again. I have to find a way to make this work for both of us . . . and I really need those fights to happen at the club—with me and Bodhi Black headlining the event.

  I need to tell her. But not until I’m sure it’s actually happening.

  “You want to live, ladybug? Then I’m your guy. Because that’s all I know how to do. Let me grab this check, and then I’m going to stare at your ass while you race motorcycles with Bump.”

  Fifty-Two

  Scarlett

  Gabriel’s tense all night. I know there’s something going on that he’s not telling me, but with Bump grabbing me by the hand and pulling me all over the arcade, there’s not a good time to ask what’s on his mind.

  I’m midway through kicking Bump’s ass in Skee-Ball, much to my surprise, when I hear a familiar voice.

  “I certainly never expected to see you here, Scarlett.”

  I release the ball before I’m ready, and it hits the backboard with a hard thunk as I turn toward the sound. “Meryl. What are you doing here?”

  She’s dressed like me, in jeans and a blouse, and she has a handful of tickets. “Playing games with some of the kids from the center. They won tonight through their good behavior.” Her gaze lands on Bump, who is playing next to me. “And who is this?”

  Gabriel returns with Bump’s refilled popcorn to stand at my side as she asks the question.

  “Meryl, this is Gabriel Legend, of the club Legend, and his little brother, Bump.”

  Meryl’s eyes widen with the introduction, and it’s evident I’ve shocked her. “Mr. Legend. Your reputation precedes you.”

  Oxygen freezes in my lungs as Gabriel shifts the popcorn to his other arm and holds his free hand out to her. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Fosse. I hear you’ve done some great things for kids in the city. We’re looking forward to your event.”

  I didn’t think Meryl’s eyes could get any bigger, but they do when Gabriel mentions the charity fundraiser.

  “Ah, you’ll be Scarlett’s date. That’s delightful. Hopefully, you won’t find it too subdued for your taste. Although, the silent auction bidding can get quite heated.” Meryl’s words sound sincere rather than catty, but I can tell she’s not sure what to make of our pairing. Her attention shifts to me. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

  “I won!” Bump throws his hands into the air and does a victory dance that breaks the rising tension. As he’s attempting to moonwalk toward us, Gabriel holds out the popcorn.

  “Here’s your victory popcorn, bud. Don’t spill it.”

  Meryl’s eyes narrow on the missing strip of hair on the side of Bump’s head, and she looks at me. I give her a little nod, and she glances back to Bump as he starts telling Gabriel about his strategy for the game and how if he can just play one more time, then he’ll have enough tickets to win his prize, when he adds the tickets I gave him.

  “You’re pretty good at Skee-Ball,” Meryl says, and Bump’s head jerks around to look at her.

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Meryl Fosse,” she says, holding out her hand. “I run a center for kids in the city who need extra love.”

  Bump’s face lights up. “I love kids. And I love love. Did you know that Scarlett gave me her tickets so I can get a prize from the top shelf? I almost have enough. One more game. Right, Gabe?” Bump stares pleadingly at Gabriel, and the man behind me nods.

  “One more game. Then we’re going to cash out and take Scarlett home. She’s gotta work in the morning.”

  “I promise I won’t take long, Scarlett. We have to get home to Roux, anyway. She misses me.”

  Bump, having already forgotten about Meryl, returns to his game. Her expression is curious, and I can tell she has questions but is much too polite to ask them.

  Gabriel sees it too. “Traumatic brain injury. Fifteen years ago.”

  “Oh my. I’m so sorry.” She takes another long look at Bump. “Does he have a job?”

  “He works for me,” Gabriel replies. “Why?”

  Meryl purses her lips. “I’m always looking for good, kind-hearted volunteers at the center. You should bring him by sometime to see it.”

  “You want Bump to volunteer at some fancy charity place?” Gabriel sounds shocked.

  Meryl shrugs. “I don’t know enough about him or his background to say whether or not I’d want him to volunteer yet, but I like his energy and his enthusiasm. You may keep him plenty busy with your work, Mr. Legend, but I find that sometimes people like Bump have
much more to offer the world than we realize.”

  Gabriel’s expression is skeptical as hell, but I want to hug Meryl Fosse. This is why I’ve been so desperate to get her as a client. Because she’s real and smart, and she sees the good in people.

  “I’ll think about it,” Gabriel says with a lift of his chin.

  Meryl nods at him and then shifts her attention back to me. “I’ll see you both Saturday night, Scarlett. I’m truly looking forward to it.” There’s a shriek from behind her, and she glances over her shoulder. “I’d better get back to my kids before they overrun the adults. Have a good night.”

  As she walks away, Gabriel looks down at me. “Saturday night? I thought it was next week?”

  I grimace. “Sorry. I meant to tell you.”

  “It’s no big thing. We can make it work, anyway. I just need to tell Q.” He glances toward Meryl’s group one more time. “You think she’s serious about wanting Bump to volunteer, or was that some weird rich-bitch posturing that I don’t understand?”

  I slip my hand into his. “She was serious. She’s good people, Gabriel. That’s why I’ve been so anxious to get her business. She’s not fake like a lot of the other ones. Meryl Fosse’s organization does important work.”

  He turns to watch Bump throw another Skee-Ball. “Huh. Maybe she’s right. Maybe that’d be good for him.”

  My phone buzzes in my purse, and I pull it out, more from habit than concern about it being an emergency. But when I see Amy’s name on the screen, I pause.

  “I need to answer this.”

  He waves a hand at the tickets flowing out of the machine Bump’s playing. “Go for it. I’ll be right here.”

  “Ames?” I say as I tap the screen.

  “Hey, sorry to bother you tonight, but I need to ask you a question.” The tone of her voice immediately puts me on edge.

  “What?”

  “What are you wearing?”

  I jerk my head back at the question. “Why?”

  “Just humor me, Scarlett. I swear I have a point.”

  I look down at my jeans and plaid blouse and describe them to her.

  “What about earlier today?”

  “Why, Amy? You’re freaking me out.” My voice grows louder, and Gabriel’s attention zeroes in on my face. He leaves Bump and comes to my side.

  “The troll is back, and this time, he said something about you wearing a pink dress. I was gone all day, so I don’t remember a pink dress. When did you wear one last?”

  “Earlier today. When I went to pick up doughnuts for the girls, I was wearing a pink dress.” My stomach twists, and I move back a few steps to lean against the side of a video game.

  Gabriel moves beside me. “What’s going on?” he asks, his gaze cutting from me to the phone. “What’s happening?”

  Amy keeps going. “Shit. He’s here, Scarlett. That sick fuck is here in the city, and he saw you today.”

  “Send me the screenshots. I’ll call the detective.”

  Harsh lines etch into Gabriel’s face. I can tell he wants to rip the phone from my hand and demand answers, but he doesn’t. As soon as I hang up the phone, we’ll be having a conversation that I didn’t want to have tonight, but now there’s no other alternative.

  “Sending them now. This guy is sick, Scarlett. We need to stop him.”

  “I know, Amy. Trust me, I know.”

  Once I end the call, Gabriel corners me next to the arcade games. “What’s going on? Your face is white as a fucking sheet. What happened?”

  “I have a troll on social media. Well, I have a lot of them, but there’s one who . . . well, he’s more of a stalker. And, apparently, he knew what I was wearing earlier today.” My voice shakes, and I can’t pretend I’m not terrified of what this could mean.

  “Fuck.” Gabriel bites out the word as he wraps his arms around me, then pulls me against his chest and squeezes hard. “No one touches you. I fucking promise. No one touches you ever. We’ll find this fucker, and we’ll take care of him.”

  I want to believe him. I want to soak up his heat and strength and let him take my problems so I don’t have to carry them, but that’s not how I’m built.

  “I have to call the detective and email the screenshots over. I don’t know what else to do.”

  Gabriel loosens his grip on me and presses his forehead to mine. “Don’t lose one minute of sleep over this. I’ll handle it. Give me everything you have, and I’ll put out feelers. Q has a whole fucking network of people in the city that we use for information. I don’t care how many favors we have to call in, we’ll find him, and we’ll make it stop.”

  I inhale a shaky breath. “I would really, really like that. And I should probably find a new self-defense instructor. Just in case.”

  His blue eyes have never been more serious than they are in this moment. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know. No sick fuck is going to hurt a goddamned hair on your head. Not while I’m breathing.”

  Fifty-Three

  Legend

  It takes every ounce of willpower I have to wait for Bump to finish and pick out his prize—a giant stuffed elephant—and then get the three of us the hell out of the restaurant.

  We take a cab back to the club, because I’m not walking the streets, even at this time of night, with Scarlett beside me. She called the detective while Bump was finishing his game, and filled him in on everything.

  My guts are twisted into knots at the fucking filth this prick is saying to her. Killing people may not be part of my repertoire these days, but I sure as fuck can find a bullet with this prick’s name on it.

  After we hurry back to the club and get Roux, we all load up in my Bronco, and I back out of the parking spot in the alley.

  “Are you coming home with us, Scarlett? It’s so cool. You can see my other prizes too. They’re in my apartment.”

  I look across to her pale features, and even though it wasn’t the plan, I’m definitely bringing her home with us. “It ain’t fancy, but if you want to see where I live . . .” I trail off to let her decide.

  “I’d love to come home with you both.”

  “Sweet!” Bump pumps his fist in the air, and I give her a nod.

  “You need anything from your place?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m good. Let’s just get out of the city.”

  I hate that she’s getting chased out of her own town because of fear, and I vow right then that it won’t last. Whoever the fuck this gutless asshole is, we’re going to find out, and I’m going to take care of him.

  That’s a promise.

  Fifty-Four

  Scarlett

  It’s funny that the last two times I’ve left the city have been with Gabriel. Or maybe not funny so much as telling. He pushes me outside my comfort zone without even trying.

  Despite the pall the troll cast over tonight, I’m excited to see where Gabriel lives. I want to know everything about this enigmatic man, but I suspect it’s going to take years to peel back all of his layers.

  Years. The prospect of spending a minute more with Chadwick terrified me, but with Gabriel, no amount of time I can think of feels like enough.

  Because you’ve fallen hard, Good Scarlett reminds me. And that’s not a bad thing. Enjoy it.

  And I will, because it’s impossible to slow my racing heart when he’s around. My breath still catches when he smiles at me. My skin tingles when he touches it. If this is what being in love is supposed to feel like, then it’s a whole new experience for me.

  Thankfully, Bump keeps the conversation going without needing much input from me or Gabriel. When we pull down a side street and make a left, Roux sits up and pokes her head between my seat and the window off to my right.

  “She knows she’s almost home,” Bump says from the back. “She likes to see it, though, just to make sure.”

  I sit up straighter, peering through the fading sun and the orange glow of the streetlights coming to life. It’s an industrial area dotted with store
fronts and a few houses that seem to be the last holdouts to all-out commercialization.

  Gabriel slows in front of a blue-and-white painted concrete building with four large overhead doors labeled alignments, brakes, mufflers, and oil changes. Above the doors is a sign with quinterro’s in big blue letters.

  Gabriel parks in front of the mufflers door and shuts off the Bronco. Bump opens the back and Roux is the first one out, trotting to a patch of grass nearby to take care of her business. As she’s nosing around, I hop out of the truck and meet Gabriel in front of it.

  “Home sweet home. Even if it doesn’t look like much.” He points left with a raised arm. “Q’s parents live on the other side of the scrapyard. His pop still runs it with the help of one of his sisters. That’s what’s behind the big fence between here and the white house down the street.”

  “The scrapyard is fun, but dangerous. I don’t go there by myself. Only with Big Mike,” Bump says with pride in his voice.

  “I’ve never been to a scrapyard, but it sounds like a great place to find cool stuff.”

  “So much cool stuff. Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “All right, Bump,” Gabriel says. “You take Roux up to your place. Make sure you check her water and food.”

  Bump salutes him. “Got it, Gabe. I’m going to brush her too. She’ll like that.”

  Gabriel leads us all to a side door and unlocks it. “Good deal, bud. See you in the morning.”

  Bump dashes up the stairs, trying to keep pace with Roux. From the top, he yells down with a snicker. “I’ll keep my TV on too. Just in case you need to be loud.”

  I cover my own giggle as it tumbles involuntarily out of my mouth.

  Gabriel shakes his head as Bump disappears. “That kid . . .”

  “He’s awesome,” I say, slipping my hand into his. “And he’s really lucky to have you.”