Chapter Two

Bonnie was finishing the ritualistic taming of her wild curls for the second time today. She was about to go out, one of her first excursions since she’d moved back in with her brothers. The occasion? She’d managed to keep it a secret from them.

Sighing as she looked in the mirror, she used a finger to tame one wayward curl. Her brothers weren’t bad guys, they just had a seriously misplaced sense of security. Their idea of keeping her safe was locking her up and tossing away the key. She’d had to throw a temper tantrum just to get a job. Bonnie sort of felt sorry for her employers because of all the vetting they’d had to get through just for her to work there.

But she wanted a social life, too.

In fact, she was sick of begging off invites with her co-workers. They seemed nice, especially Brad, who made no effort to hide his romantic interest in her. But she felt pity for any guy who would want to date her—all because of her brothers.

Quinten was worse than Simon, though. In fact, he should be here any minute. As if knowing she had plans, he’d called to say he was stopping by tonight to check on her. Bonnie sighed. He usually just came in, made sure she was here and alive, lectured her about being safe, then went on about his business. He had a social life and things to do, unlike her.

Nope. She was locked away in the guest house over her brother’s five-car garage. It was a nice place, but a prison nonetheless.

Like clockwork, her ever-punctual brother knocked on the door before letting himself inside.

“Hey, Bonnie. Everything alright?” Quinten’s massive frame towered in the doorway of her bedroom, lounging against the frame. His eyes narrowed. “You getting ready to go out?”

So he hadn’t missed the fresh scent of her hair product reapplication.

Bonnie sighed and turned to Quinten, knowing this was a long-overdue talk.

“Yes,” she said simply. “I am.”

Brushing past him, she strode to the kitchen, needing a glass of wine for this conversation.

“Where?” His words, while not exactly accusing, still held a note of menace she was accustomed to.

Glass of wine in hand, Bonnie took a sip of fortification. “I’m meeting some people from work at a bar downtown. We’re going to people-watch the tourists here for South by Southwest. See if we can spot anyone famous.”

Quinten stalked to her fridge and grabbed a beer, twisting off the top and taking a long pull before slamming it on the counter. She had no idea why her going out pissed him off so much. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? We can’t protect you there.”

Well, he was probably right about that. South by Southwest was the largest musical experience on the planet. Blocks and blocks of downtown Austin were roped off to music—music on the streets, music in every club, and even expos about the music industry. Big stars, little fish, and everybody who was anybody in the music industry were there. And that was not including the concert-goers, using every drug known to man and smoking everything but their shoes. It was a time of very little inhibitions, lots of music, and people having fun. In her brother’s eyes, that would translate to danger.

She softened her voice against his hard edge, trying desperately to make him see reason. “I don’t need your protection anymore. It’s been almost two years. I just need to go out and be normal. Can’t you see that?”

Quinten’s eyes softened on hers. “What if something were to happen, though? All the security guys are on jobs, and we can’t shadow you to keep you out of trouble tonight. Can you reschedule?”

“No.” Taking another sip of wine, Bonnie resented the fact she needed alcohol to stand up to her brother. “I’m going out. Jonas is gone. He hasn’t been able to find me since school. You guys did a fantastic job of erasing any trace of me, but I want to live my life now. Please.”

The stalker who had chased her back home was a constant reminder of what evils the world held, and she was almost sorry she’d ever turned to her brothers for help. They had totally overreacted, and now Bonnie found herself in a situation she was desperate to regain control of.

Quinten sank into her kitchen chair, looking defeated. “You’re right.” His sigh filled her with righteousness. He was seeing her side. Finally. “Who will you be with?”

She laughed ruefully. “Like I’m going to tell you. I don’t want you doing background checks on my friends. Just trust my judgement, okay? You did protect me when I came home, and I appreciate that. But I’m twenty-four years old. I need to be going out with friends, Quinten.” Bonnie reached for his hand, unwilling to whine about not really having friends, only co-workers. “All I do is go to work and come home. I need to get out and enjoy myself. You are setting a total double-standard. You go out to dangerous places all the time with your fighting. I’m not going out looking for trouble, I just want to have fun.”

She gave him a reassuring smile and hoped for the best. But Quinten was an arguer and didn’t let it go.

“Why don’t you just go to the movies with your girlfriends or something? Movies are fun.”

“Because I’ve never been to South by Southwest, and I don’t want to wait until I’m too old to enjoy any of it to go! Just because it’s not something you’d do, or even approve of, doesn’t mean you can keep me from going. You can sit here on your high horse all you want, but I’m leaving.”

She reached for her purse, but Quinten’s next words stopped her.

“Zack’s going to be there.”

There was a time in her life when those words would have broken her heart. But she was no longer that eighteen-year-old girl watching her boyfriend kiss Megan Watts on her bed at her own graduation party. Nope. She’d had a lot of time to get over that.

Zack could be there, amongst all the other people she was sure to see, and she wouldn’t give a good goddamn. That’s what she told herself anyway, even as the butterflies swarmed in her stomach.

“He’s part of my past, Quinten. And I’m ready for my future.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” This was weird. Her brother, the holier-than-thou Quinten, never apologized. Lots of people worshiped at his feet, but she knew him. He wasn’t perfect.

“For Zack. The way I’ve been about him. I know you’re grown, and I haven’t given you much of a chance to make your own mistakes, and I’m sorry about that. The protective side of me wants to dictate everything. Zack included.” His jaw ticked, and she saw how hard it had been to make that apology.

“Valerie’s been nagging you, hasn’t she?”

Quinten flashed a wry grin. “Maybe.”

“Well, thank you. Apology accepted.”

With that, Bonnie grabbed her purse and strode out the door, leaving Quinten in her kitchen as she flashed him a carefree “See you later.” She was sure he would lock everything up tightly and set her alarms before he left.

She was going to South by Southwest.