feel a lot better. “Guard your heart a bit longer, Gabriella.”
“Agreed. The fucking thing clearly has performance issues.” Exhaling roughly, she added, “Losing Elijah is painful, Hudson. I love him. I don’t want him to suffer.”
Warm hands cupped her shoulders. “Trust him. He wants you and he’ll find a way to have what he wants. It’s the way of such men. For now, focus on you and let Delkin twist.”
Smiling slowly, she nodded. “For once, I’m starving.”
“Excellent. Feeding you and Natalia particularly pleases me.”
“Lord, why?”
“As a boy, food was too often a luxury. Feeding the people I care about always reminds me how far I’ve come.”
“You’re awesome. Just fucking awesome.” He kissed her hair, guided her to the door, and they descended to the lobby.
Carlo came out from behind the desk. “Brie! Look at you!” He hugged her tight. “Henry!”
The doorman peeked through the glass and his smile covered his whole face. He rushed in and took her shoulders. “There’s the bright and happy girl I remember.” He bent to kiss her cheek. “I can’t wait to tell the others.”
“My stomach is going to eat my face. I’ll chat when I get back.”
“Of course. Enjoy, Brie. This is going to be a good day.” Carlo hugged her again and returned behind the desk.
Henry held the door with a huge grin. “Mr. Winters. Miss Hernandez.”
“Thank you, Henry.” The words from Hudson filled Brie with pleasure and when they were on the sidewalk, he glanced down and winked.
Leonard waited at the curb and said, “Lola is going to lose her shit, you know. Kickass results, Brie.”
Behind them, Harper’s car pulled to a stop. Elijah stepped out and stood stiffly to the side as his charge exited the vehicle.
Brie called out, “Good morning, Elijah. Kiss my ass, Delkin .”
Then she got in the back of Hudson’s car and didn’t look back.
When they were a block away, Hudson started laughing and it was highly contagious.
* * *
Harper feared he’d irreparably damaged his relationship with Elijah by his actions.
They unexpectedly returned to the building so he could use his apartment’s secure system for an emergency call to a small outpost in eastern Africa.
As he got out, he was shocked to see Gabriella preparing to get into Winters’ car. She looked incredible.
Clearly, Elijah overstated her distress.
In tandem with the thought, she called, “Good morning, Elijah. Kiss my ass, Delkin .”
He blinked at the pissed off side of her he’d been unaware she possessed. She ducked into the limo and a ripple of awareness shot through him.
Gabriella didn’t look back. Winters didn’t acknowledge him.
Seeing her inner fighter emerge, he recognized that he’d hurt her far more deeply than he intended.
The woman had been an impulse decision, one meant to show he wasn’t waiting around for Gabriella’s attention.
How his date for the evening looked hadn’t even crossed his mind since she resembled so many others who were similar in nature. That she was barely dressed was also common.
In hindsight, he’d ignored Elijah’s comments about Gabriella’s embarrassment about her scars. He’d forgotten her insistence during their first conversation that she wasn’t Harper’s type .
How the fuck was he supposed to fix the cluster he created?
Elijah’s eyes flicked to his and away. Sighing, Harper got back to work and knew he’d have to figure it the fuck out if he ever expected his oldest friend to talk to him again.
Chapter Eight
Mid-November 2014
Two weeks following her birthday party at Trois , Brie found herself restless on her first night back at the club.
She missed Elijah constantly and hid her sadness.
There were no more nightly visits but she continued to listen for his knock, just in case. She hadn’t seen the
“Agreed. The fucking thing clearly has performance issues.” Exhaling roughly, she added, “Losing Elijah is painful, Hudson. I love him. I don’t want him to suffer.”
Warm hands cupped her shoulders. “Trust him. He wants you and he’ll find a way to have what he wants. It’s the way of such men. For now, focus on you and let Delkin twist.”
Smiling slowly, she nodded. “For once, I’m starving.”
“Excellent. Feeding you and Natalia particularly pleases me.”
“Lord, why?”
“As a boy, food was too often a luxury. Feeding the people I care about always reminds me how far I’ve come.”
“You’re awesome. Just fucking awesome.” He kissed her hair, guided her to the door, and they descended to the lobby.
Carlo came out from behind the desk. “Brie! Look at you!” He hugged her tight. “Henry!”
The doorman peeked through the glass and his smile covered his whole face. He rushed in and took her shoulders. “There’s the bright and happy girl I remember.” He bent to kiss her cheek. “I can’t wait to tell the others.”
“My stomach is going to eat my face. I’ll chat when I get back.”
“Of course. Enjoy, Brie. This is going to be a good day.” Carlo hugged her again and returned behind the desk.
Henry held the door with a huge grin. “Mr. Winters. Miss Hernandez.”
“Thank you, Henry.” The words from Hudson filled Brie with pleasure and when they were on the sidewalk, he glanced down and winked.
Leonard waited at the curb and said, “Lola is going to lose her shit, you know. Kickass results, Brie.”
Behind them, Harper’s car pulled to a stop. Elijah stepped out and stood stiffly to the side as his charge exited the vehicle.
Brie called out, “Good morning, Elijah. Kiss my ass, Delkin .”
Then she got in the back of Hudson’s car and didn’t look back.
When they were a block away, Hudson started laughing and it was highly contagious.
* * *
Harper feared he’d irreparably damaged his relationship with Elijah by his actions.
They unexpectedly returned to the building so he could use his apartment’s secure system for an emergency call to a small outpost in eastern Africa.
As he got out, he was shocked to see Gabriella preparing to get into Winters’ car. She looked incredible.
Clearly, Elijah overstated her distress.
In tandem with the thought, she called, “Good morning, Elijah. Kiss my ass, Delkin .”
He blinked at the pissed off side of her he’d been unaware she possessed. She ducked into the limo and a ripple of awareness shot through him.
Gabriella didn’t look back. Winters didn’t acknowledge him.
Seeing her inner fighter emerge, he recognized that he’d hurt her far more deeply than he intended.
The woman had been an impulse decision, one meant to show he wasn’t waiting around for Gabriella’s attention.
How his date for the evening looked hadn’t even crossed his mind since she resembled so many others who were similar in nature. That she was barely dressed was also common.
In hindsight, he’d ignored Elijah’s comments about Gabriella’s embarrassment about her scars. He’d forgotten her insistence during their first conversation that she wasn’t Harper’s type .
How the fuck was he supposed to fix the cluster he created?
Elijah’s eyes flicked to his and away. Sighing, Harper got back to work and knew he’d have to figure it the fuck out if he ever expected his oldest friend to talk to him again.
Chapter Eight
Mid-November 2014
Two weeks following her birthday party at Trois , Brie found herself restless on her first night back at the club.
She missed Elijah constantly and hid her sadness.
There were no more nightly visits but she continued to listen for his knock, just in case. She hadn’t seen the
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