Why had he left? Wasn’t this what he wanted? Yes, he wanted to push her, she got that much, but this was Trevor. He never stopped until he got his way. But he’d stopped with her.
So what? That made him a hero?
She brushed a stray tear from under her eye. With trembling legs, she went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Her cheeks were pale for a change, and she felt sick to her stomach. She walked back into the room and numbly put her clothes back on, shoved the hairpins into her purse. She stared at his belt, lying there on top of the dresser, and left.
Trevor stood near the entrance, waiting for her to join him. He didn’t say a word as he led her out of the casino and into the limousine. Simmons held the door for them, and when Allie climbed in, she stared straight ahead. If she looked at Trevor and his cold, blank face, she’d wind up in tears again.
The car moved forward. As it pulled into traffic, Trevor reached out and grasped her hand, pulling it onto his thigh. Surprised, Allie did glance at him then, but all she saw was his profile.
“I was angry and I hurt you. I’m a complete and utter ass. Please forgive me.” He still didn’t look at her, but he gave her hand a little squeeze.
Now he apologized? Now, after that craziness upstairs? After forcing her to the brink, almost pushing her into fucking him? She pulled her hand out of his and placed it back in her lap but kept her eyes trained on his face. “No.”
He turned then. “What can I do?” His voice sounded raw and jagged.
She shrugged. She tried to plaster the smile back on, but it was gone for good. Her heart had shattered like a piece of glass and she was hollow. “I don’t know.”
He took her hand again and placed it on his cheek. “Tell me what a horrible prick I am. Hit me. Throw something at me. Just forgive me.”
Her tears came now. They flowed freely, and she was powerless to stop them. “I’m not sure I can.”
He pressed his lips into her palm. “I won’t give up until you do.”
Allie didn’t speak again. She was confused, and although still angry, Mags’s words came back to her. His heart’s very fragile, you see. Allie heard the vulnerability in his voice when he asked for forgiveness.
Part of her—the small, stupid part—wanted to comfort him. God, how pathetic. The only thing that was fragile around here was her brain.
Butheapologized. Trevor never apologized.
Did he get an award for acting human? He should have apologized days ago. Should never have said such a hateful thing in the first place.
When they pulled in front of the house, Simmons opened the door. Allie tried to muster a smile for him but couldn’t manage it, so she nodded instead. As she walked across the drive, she felt Trevor’s presence behind her, but he didn’t touch her, didn’t place his hand on her back or elbow. She shouldn’t miss it.
When she walked through the door, Brynn sat waiting on the bottom step with her arms clutching her knees. She hopped up when she saw Allie.
“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for over an hour.”
Allie rushed to her sister, placed her hands on her Brynn’s shoulders. “What’s happened? Are you all right?”
Trevor moved behind her. She could feel his body heat at her back.
“What’s wrong, Brynn?” he asked.
“Monica’s in jail. She needs bail money.”
“Oh my God.” Allie’s hands fell. Trevor gently gripped her arms, offering support. She fought the desire to lean back against him, to take comfort from him. No, she could handle this on her own. She tried to pull away, but his hands tightened. “Why was she arrested?” she asked.
“Possession of pot and underage drinking.”
“Crap, I need to call Dad.”
“I already tried,” Brynn said. “I got his voice mail. I couldn’t get ahold of you either.”
“I’m so sorry.” Allie ran her hand down Brynn’s long hair. “I had it on vibrate and forgot to turn the ringer back on.”
“Where are Arnold and Frances?” Trevor asked.
Brynn shrugged. “They were busy, and I didn’t want to bother them with this.”
“No reason to worry your father right now, Allison. I’ll call my attorney and take care of it.” He reached out and patted Brynn’s head before walking past them toward his office. “It’ll be fine, I promise,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.
Allie guided her sister up the stairs and into her room. Brynn pulled away and flopped down on the bed while Allie walked into the closet. “How did Monica sound?”
“She’s in a cell with a bunch of drunk people. She sounded scared.”
Allie shimmied out of the dress and threw on a pair of old jeans and a sweatshirt. Walking back into the bedroom, she stuck her hands in the shirt’s front pouch and settled herself next to Brynn.
“Is Monica going to be okay, Al?”
“Yeah, she will. But first we need to see if we can get her out of jail.”
“You’re not going to make me go back home, are you?”
She rubbed Brynn’s back. “No, but Dad has the final say.” Not that he seemed to care one way or another. And that’s what pissed Allie off the most. She was worried sick about her sisters while her dad was probably out having a great time with his new girlfriend. Resentment and frustration warred with the anger. She was tired of being the responsible one. She closed her eyes. But that’s why Brynn was here in Trevor’s home, and it was why she was going to bail Monica’s sorry ass out of jail. Her sisters needed her. Allie wasn’t going to abandon them.
“I don’t know why Dad gets to make the decision,” Brynn said. “You’re the one who does everything. And I like it here. Mags and Nigel are funny. Besides, I’m going to be in the wedding. Mags asked me to be…what did she call it? Not flower girl. Junior bridesmaid, that’s it.” She smiled. “I like them. Why doesn’t Trevor?”
Allie smoothed a strand of Brynn’s dark hair, flipping it behind her shoulder. “They weren’t always the best parents.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” Allie said.
Trevor stepped into the room. He’d removed his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt. Her eyes drifted to his and this time, she didn’t look away.
“I found your sister. She’s in the North Las Vegas Detention Center. We can bail her out now.”
Allie stood. “Let’s go.”
“I want to go too,” Brynn said.
“No, you stay here.” She slipped her feet into a pair of tennis shoes. “We’ll be back soon.”
***
Trevor held open the sedan’s passenger door for Allie before walking around and climbing behind the wheel.
“You don’t have to do this, you know. I can handle it myself,” she said.
He started the engine and pulled through the gate. “You’ve been dealing with this by yourself for too long.” He twisted his head and glanced at her.
“I don’t need saving, Trevor.”
“Really? So you have the fifteen hundred dollars for bail money, do you?”
Gritting her teeth, she stared out the window. She owed him big time, and it was always there between them, like an invisible wall. She was tired of being indebted to him, wished they were on equal footing. Then you never would have met him.
“We could, of course, allow her to rot for a few weeks until her trial. How does that sound? She is eighteen, after all,” he said.
“Fine. So what do you want in exchange for this loan?”
When he didn’t answer her, she unhooked her seat belt and moved closer to him, placing her hand on his leg, creeping it closer to the juncture of his legs. When she stroked his semi-hard dick through his fly, she whispered in his ear, “What’s fifteen hundred dollars worth, Trevor? How many handies will it take?”