Arrogant Playboy(229)

I give her permission and almost offer my assistance, changing my mind when I know she’ll just turn it down. She wants to do it all on her own, and I respect that.

Relief comes the second I see her Tuesday morning.

“Find a place, did you?” I ask after leading her to my office.

Her hands wrap around a mug of tea, and her glazed expression piques my curiosity.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“I found a beautiful apartment on Hickory Street south of Campus Town,” she says. “Two bedrooms. Big windows. Tall ceilings. A fireplace even.”

“Wonderful.”

“They won’t rent to me because I don’t have any credit history.” She takes a careful sip of tea, her eyes fixed on the murky brown liquid. “Called a few other places. They all said the same thing. I need someone to co-sign.”

“Bellamy,” I say.

“Yes, Dane. I’ll accept your help, but only because I have no other choice.”

“It doesn’t make you any less brave or any less resourceful,” I remind her.

“My father pulled me aside last night after dinner.” She places the mug on the edge of my desk and only then do I notice she’s trembling. “He told me he suspects that my sister has lost her innocence and that his only option is to send her off to marry a virtuous man who can lead her back to the path of righteousness.”

My eyes flick to the ceiling and back. It sounds exactly like something one of the church elders back at the compound would say.

“He knows of a man in South Dakota with five other wives. He’s a wealthy man with a penchant for correcting women who’ve strayed a bit from their paths. He and my father have been speaking for a few weeks now, and my father is absolutely convinced that this is the only option he has to save my sister.” Her bottom lip quivers. “She’s eighteen, Dane.”

“Now. It happens now. Go get her. Bring her back. You two are living with me until further notice.” I rise, but Bellamy doesn’t move.

“I’m supposed to drive her to South Dakota sometime this week. I don’t know when, but my father made it clear that he expects me to drop everything the second he gives me the go ahead.” She shakes her head. “It was so hard to sit there and act like I agreed with everything he was saying. I know it was all an act, but I still feel sick about it.”

“Perfect.” I step to the front of my desk. “As soon as your father tells you to drive her to South Dakota, you’ll bring her to Golden Oak instead.”

“She won’t go without Jensen.”

“Jensen?”

“Our stepbrother. Kind of.” Her pale eyes wince. “He’s my father’s third wife’s oldest son from another man. I’m pretty sure they’re in love.”

I’m not one to judge the personal lives of others. “Then he can come too.”

“Are you sure?”

I smirk. “Are you surprised that the tin man actually has a heart?”

“Not at all.” Her eyes light. “Do you have an extra car in your fleet? One I could park at a shop for a few days?”

“Of course. What are you thinking?”

She sits up straight. “I could leave it at my uncle’s shop, where Jensen works. I’ll tell my cousin that if he comes in there looking for me or my sister, to hand him the keys and tell him to press the HOME button on the GPS. It’ll bring him to Waverly. I love my sister dearly, but if she so much as thought about going back for him and risking throwing away all my efforts, I’d have to kill her. This’ll prevent that from happening.”

“Smart girl.”

“Okay.” Bellamy stands, reaching for her mug. The color’s begun to return to her face along with a bit of hope in her eyes. “So now we wait for my father to give me the go-ahead.”

“You’ll call me when you’re on your way,” I say. “I’ll pick you two up in the parking garage. You can leave her car there. I’ll have it towed.”

“We’re doing this.” The woman can’t help but smile.

“You worry about getting your sister here. I’ll handle everything else,” I fold my arms, watching her saunter toward the door. I promised to take care of her the first week we met.

I can’t help that I’m a man of my word.





THIRTY-FOUR





BELLAMY



Jensen and Waverly snuck out of the house last night. No one noticed until neither of them showed up to breakfast.

Then all hell broke loose. My father wasted no time springing his plan into action.

Jensen’s truck pulled up about an hour after breakfast, and the house went eerily quiet for a brief moment, like the calm before a storm. I step away the second their footsteps tread down the foyer as I’m unwilling to witness any of what’s about to happen.