CHAPTER 20
The next morning, I have a huge smile on my face that I can't hide. When I roll over and glance at Peter, he's already awake with a mirrored expression.
"How are you?" His head is still on the pillow with his lower body tangled in the sheets.
"Really good." I'm wearing my pajamas because I'm mental and can't sleep naked. I fight the urge to pull the blankets up to my chin. Part of my brain is squealing like a twelve-year-old girl, I'm in bed with a hot guy! I try to stop smiling, but I can't, so I tug the sheets up to cover my goofy grin.
Peter's hand juts out and stops me. "I don't think so. I want to see that satisfied smile on those lips." He stares at me for a beat and then brushes my hair out of my face. "God, you're beautiful."
That makes the smile worse, and I blush as more of last night comes back to me. Peter likes that. He holds me in his arms whispering sweet words in my ear until there's a knock at the door. I glance over at him, wondering who would bang on the door this early. It's barely sunrise.
Peter gets up, pulls on boxers, and pads across the room to the door. He looks out the peephole and sighs. "It's Sean." I yank the blankets over my head and hide. I hate Sean. No, I hate Dean; I detest Sean. I think. I might have to make a list or something.
Peter chuckles after seeing me duck below the bedding, and pulls the door open. I can hear their voices with the down blanket over my head. "Good morning, Pete. There's been a change in today's itinerary. We need to stop by Mom's first. Jonathan did something and she's livid. I knew I shouldn't linger in the city. And, as much as I'd like to ride with you and Sidney, I'll take my bike. I'll see you there at lunch. Don't eat without me." There's a noise, like Sean slapped Peter on the arm in a manly embrace.
Peter says, "Afraid of the bird?"
"Where is the beast?"
"In the kennel downstairs. I had to pay them twice as much to take it," Peter explains.
There's a pause and Sean adds, "And you used your old name."
"Maybe." That makes me grin. Peter says it just the way I would have.
"You could have called me, you know," Sean says. "Disappearing like that had Mom more neurotic than normal. She made me track you down. I'll always find you, Peter. I did find you. I left you alone because I thought you were doing what you needed to do to get on with your life, but I have to ask you this—how much does this girl mean to you? Is she worth the risk?"
Peter's voice is stern. "I already answered that last night. Either you help me or you don't, but don't sit around questioning my motives. You already know my intentions. Leave it at that." Peter's voice drops to a hissing whisper. His tone is clipped and beyond annoyed. I don't know what they spoke about last night, but it's painfully clear that Sean doesn't like me at all.
"Fine. It's just odd timing, that's all. You finally get your head on straight and you fuck the first piece of ass that bats her eyes at you—" There's a loud crack as something slams into the open door.
I throw the blankets back and sit up to see what happened. Peter has Sean pressed into the wall and the two guys look like they're going to kill each other. Peter is hissing threats when I dart across the room. Sean replies, equally upset, but none of it makes sense to me.
I pull on Peter and say his name too many times to count. "Let him go, Peter. Stop it."
Peter steps back and flexes his hands several times. He paces in a swift circle, never taking his eyes off of Sean. Sean has a smug look on his face. "You're not thinking straight, Pete."
I'm livid. Sean can't come in here and do crap like this. Peter's been fine, but when Sean's added to the mix, Peter becomes enraged. I step up to Sean. "If he's not thinking straight, it's your fault, you callous bastard. Peter's been through enough. Help him or leave him alone. Stop antagonizing the crap out of him for no damn reason!" I'm not yelling. The voice coming out of my mouth is that low tone my mom used on me and Sam when we did something hideous.
Sean looks me over; his eyes notice the old clothing and my hair before glancing at the messy bedding. "There is a reason, miss." He rolls his eyes like he's forgotten my name and it doesn't matter. "You see, there are people that are toxic, people who poison others. I won't let you do that to him. Pete has been through enough, more than you could—"
Something inside my brain snaps. I'm close enough to do it, so I do. I shove both palms into Sean's chest and scream in his face before he can finish his sentence. "You think I haven't! You think this is a fucking game? Well, it's not! And yeah, I know what toxic people are, because I'm talking to one now!" I shove him again, but the bastard doesn't move. "I can't stand you."
"The feeling is mutual."
"Why? I mean, I have enough reasons to hate your guts, but you have nothing on me."
"You want more than Peter can give. You brought him here to ask me to—"
"Sean, stop talking!" Peter yells, so I can't hear his brother. "Stop! She didn't ask to come here. She didn't even know who the hell I was until the day we left. She doesn't want to be a Ferro. I'm lucky she didn't leave me when she found out, so cut the shit!"
At that moment, the elevator doors open down the hall and a security man is walking toward us swiftly. Sean's gaze cuts quickly to me. "You didn't know who he was?"
I glare at him and fold my arms over my chest. "Fuck you."
He smirks. "All in good time, dear."
"I swear to God, Sean—" Peter warns just as the guard is on us.
"Is there a problem here?" The man is older and looks really irritated. "Because I can make all sorts of problems if you guys don't have any, you get what I'm saying?" Peter and Sean just stand there. The guard looks at me. "You all right, miss?"
"No, this asshole is bothering us." I point at Sean. His eyes widen before they narrow like he hates me. I don't care. "Can you remove him?"
The guard says, "Come on," to Sean and tries to lead him away.
Sean glares at me, but there's a smirk on his lips, like he respects me for some twisted reason. "You mess with him and I'll break your goddamn neck."
"Mr. Ferro, please don't threaten the other guests—" the guard says, pulling Sean toward the door.
I talk over the guard and yell at Sean's back, "Go ahead and try!" By the time Sean is down the hall, I'm seething. My hands are clenched into fists at my sides and my jaw is locked. I slam the door and turn around. Peter is behind me, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He watches me carefully.
"Are you trying to protect me from Sean?" Like I'd try to protect him from his own messed-up family? Peter is giving me a look that says he thinks so.
"Truth?" I ask, and he nods. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing. He makes me so angry and he doesn't listen to a damn thing I say. It's like he thinks he's so much better than me because he's a goddamn Ferro."
Peter gives me a crooked smile and pushes off the wall. "He thinks he's better than everyone because he's Sean. No one else in my family is like that, just him."
"No one else will be worried that I'm after your money?"
He shakes his head. "No, the gold diggers are after Jonathan now. Sean and I are seconds. Well, I am anyway. Sean made his own fortune doing God-knows-what. He's smart, ruthless, and ambitious, so of course he made his own fortune. I'm the middle brother—the guy with a broken heart who's all but broke."
"All but broke? I thought you had a trust fund?"
"I do. That's rich people speak for Pete Ferro is a moron and walked away from a multibillion-dollar empire. My trust fund is peanuts in comparison, but it's enough for me and you. I can't buy you a mansion—"
"I don't want a mansion. I just want you to be happy, Peter." My brains are starting to work again and I remember something Sean said. "Why did Sean think that I wanted something?"
"Sean always thinks everyone wants something. Just be glad he isn't riding with us. Come on. Let's get out of here. I'll grab you breakfast and we can head up to my mom's place and see what Jon did. It's not far from here. We can get to your parents' house by dinner." He pauses and shakes his head. "Maybe we should ditch Sean and head to your house now."
Peter is trying so hard to take care of me, and I adore him for it. For some reason the stuff with Sean feels like it's all or nothing. Peter wants his brother's help when I go home, and I want Dean to stay away from me. There has to be a reason why Sean is taking a detour to their mom's house, but I have no idea what it is. Either way, Peter needs Sean. "No, it's all right and we'd have to stop and grab lunch anyway. If you want to see Jon, we can go. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to what's waiting for me at home. Adding a few extra hours to the trip might help me deal with it a little bit better."
Peter presses his forehead to mine. "I'll help you through whatever lies ahead."