Beth's fists beat into his chest. “I hate you.”
The feeling was mutual. He hated himself as well, but instead of giving into his panic, he did what he did best. He buried his feelings. Danny sat on the sidewalk, holding her tight despite her fervent wriggling, and caressed her forehead. He made shushing noises and didn't release her until she stopped struggling.
“It's going to be okay,” he said.
“How could you let him do that to me?” Beth said.
That was the same question he was asking himself. He'd seen the look in the boy's eyes. It had set his brotherly instincts on fire, but something had led him astray. Not something, he chastised, Nia. Fulfilling Nia's demand had led him to abandoning his instincts.
“I'm sorry Emily, I mean Beth.” Damn it. How'd her name come up?
Beth pushed out of his arms, a glint of fury ignited in her eyes that never existed before tonight. The realization slammed into him, piercing his heart. Her innocence—steadily departing.
“Emily?” Her eyebrows knitted together as her fury grew.
“Don't worry, Beth, I'm going to handle this.” He wasn't going to hash over that nightmare with her now. Not ever.
“Yeah, right.” She turned her back to him, crossing her arms over her chest. “You're not going to do anything. You're going to call Robert, and he's going to make it like this never happened. Because the reformed prince would never take his sister to a drug house, would he?”
“You're wrong.” He moved into a sitting position next to her and brandished his cellphone. “I'm calling the police.”
It was going to be a relief. The tight pain he'd grown accustomed to over the last year, relaxed tonight. A flash of a yellow cab brought the tension back with lightening vengeance. The car pulled a U-turn, parking in front of them. A pair of legs in pressed gray trousers stepped out first. The man in the trousers said something inaudible to the cabbie and turned to face them.
Only a dick would show up at ten in the evening in full business attire. His publicist wore a dark gray blazer without a wrinkle in sight. The checkered baby-blue color of his dress shirt stood stiff to attention, as if it had been freshly starched. He glared down at Danny, a briefcase in one hand and a trench coat in the other. Ready to weather whatever storm headed their way. Robert was a survivor.
Although he knew better, Danny swore the man had a sixth sense for divining when he was in trouble. Though tonight was quite the magic act. How had his publicist known he'd be here at this very moment? They hadn't spoken since they'd landed.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Robert set his briefcase on the sidewalk and laid his trench coat next to Danny before settling down on it. “I heard the call over the police scanner.”
Danny raised an eyebrow.
“A habit from my early days as a beat reporter,” Robert explained. “Anyway, on a hunch I called Nia, and she said you were here. We'll need to leave before the authorities arrive.”
“I can't. Beth was attacked, and she's pressing charges.”
Robert leaned forward and waved to Beth. She returned the greeting with an icy stare that froze the smile on Robert's face and chilled Danny to his bones.
“You've got a show in two days and we really don't need the bad press right now.”
“Don't you want to know why I was here?”
Robert paused, refusing to look Danny in the eye. The man already knew. What he didn't know was that it wasn't for himself, it was for Nia.
“Look, let's all go home and we'll talk about this. Danny, don't feel bad, I've been reading up on this. It's very natural for you to relapse. There are some outpatient programs we can try.”
“I'm not doing any more work with Habit Relief.”
They couldn't help him. No one could. If tonight held any meaning, it meant he'd moved past the stage of recoverable.
“Of course, there are plenty of other programs out there. Let's talk about it at home though.” Robert stood and gripped Danny's bicep, cajoling him to rise.
“Robert, I'm doing this.” He wasn't going to do it again—let him talk him out of doing the right thing. He'd listened to him when it came to Emily, but this was his sister.
Robert sidestepped Danny, turning toward Beth. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Beth glanced at Danny, a soft look this time, reminding him she wouldn't always be angry.
“You don't have to talk to him,” Danny said.
He'd already made up his mind. How dare Robert try to go around him and talk to his sister? He was going to talk to the police, and maybe after they dealt with the asshole who assaulted her, he'd tell them all about Peru.
Beth took the hand Robert extended. Danny stepped toward them, but Robert asked for a minute alone and ushered Beth a few feet away from him.
His heart twisted as they started talking animatedly. Beth waved her hands in the air, and Robert offered fake—Danny guessed— sympathy. They paused for a minute, and both pairs of eyes stared at him before they turned back to each other and continued their heated conversation. Finally, Beth turned on her heels and stomped back toward him. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and her arms folded tightly across her chest.
“Take me home,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Beth,” Danny tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she wrenched herself wildly out of his reach. “Forget whatever he said, we're pressing charges.”
“Is this about me or you?”
Danny's jaw dropped open. The question had taken him by surprise. Of course it was about her. He was doing this for her.
He started to respond when she cut him off. “Take me home.” Each word emphasized slowly as if he were some child who barely understood English.
He ran a hand through his hair. This new turn of events confused him. Beth's face flashed a shade of blue, and he turned toward the flashing blue and red lights that illuminated the sleepy neighborhood. A police vehicle had pulled up to the driveway.
“Tell them you made a mistake,” Robert advised, from behind him.
He walked up to the car unsure of what he would tell them. The driver got out. He was a short man with a stocky build. But a glint in his eyes signaled to Danny he was an easygoing guy. This relieved him some, though the stitch in his chest was tightening.
“Hello, officer.”
“Are you the man who called in the assault?”
“Yeah, but there's been a mistake. It's kind of embarrassing.”
He exhaled and decided it would be easier to tell part of the truth. “My mom stuck me with my sister's slumber party.” He turned, pointing to the Lexus. Three sets of eyes were glued to the rear window.
“And my sister, Beth,” She gave a hesitant wave at the sound of her name, “decided to sneak out and come to a party her boyfriend was attending. Only I didn't know she had a boyfriend. She's only sixteen.”
The police officer's face spread into a wide, knowing grin. “I've got a sister like that. She's older, but still gives me the same amount of trouble.”
“Anyway, I followed her out here, and I thought the guy was doing something to her. That's why I called you guys. She didn't explain to me until afterwards that he was her boyfriend. So, I'm hoping I can just take the girls home, tell my mom and let her dish out the punishment.”
The officer returned to his vehicle and leaned into the driver's side window. He pulled out, looked at Danny and leaned back in again. When he returned his demeanor was different. A somber expression had replaced the laidback grin.
“Sir, is your name Danny Roland?”
He nodded.
The officer's eyes widened, then he leaned forward. “The Danny Roland?”
The stitch in his chest loosened. Fans. He nodded again.
The officer cursed, then reached into his wallet, and tossed a twenty through the open window of his car.
“My partner bet me you were somebody famous.” The laidback grin returned. “Would you mind signing a few autographs? I hate the music, but I'm a big fan of your movies.”
When he was finished with the officers, he turned to Beth, but she'd gotten back in the car. Robert and his cab were gone. He squared his shoulders and walked back to the Lexus. The girls argued amongst themselves as he settled into the driver's seat.
“I told you he wasn't going to get arrested. Famous people don't go to jail.” He looked in the rearview mirror at the blonde who said it.
“I can think of a few who have, but tonight I'm grateful I wasn't,” Danny said.
After dropping each of the girls at their respective homes, he parked in front of his mom's house.
He turned in the seat, facing his sister. “Beth, I'm sorry about what happened tonight.”
She hadn't spoken to him throughout the ride, and he was afraid she was going to continue this unbearable silence. But she turned to face him.
“Why? You got what you wanted.” She gave him a malicious smile that rocked him to his core. She hated him. But why? Hadn't he done what she wanted to him to do?
“You're still America's reformed prince, and Robert's pet.”
He wasn't anyone's pet. She was confusing his desire to acquiesce to her request with Robert's own agenda.
“I did what you asked me to do.”
She smirked. “No, you did what was best for you, and I did what I knew you really wanted.”
“Beth.” Danny reached over to hug her, but it was already too late for that. She flung the seatbelt off. It zipped back into its holder and the belt clicked against the wall of the car, marking an end to the conversation.
She got out, and after closing the door, leaned into the open window. “Stay the hell away from me.”