All Falls Down (51 page)

"Ready?" I head toward the doors before she has a chance to answer.

Savannah doesn't say anything else until we make it to my Jaguar, and then her mouth drops open, surprise flitting across her face. She looks so fucking cute, my cock jerks in my pants.

"You're the chauffer?"

Christ, she's killing me.

"No," I snap and shove her bag into the small trunk. I'm being an ass, I know I am, but I can't stop it either. She's dangerous. An unknown. And I'm far too captivated by her. "Your carry-on?"

I hold my hand out for it as her gaze shifts between me and the car and then back again. She clutches the bag tightly in her fist as if she's terrified to hand it over. She looks like a frightened little kitten backed into a corner.

I start to tell her not to worry about it, but she holds the bag out to me.

Our fingers brush as I take it, and good God, her skin is so soft and warm.

I jerk away, ignoring the jolt that races through me, and stash the bag before slamming the trunk.

She's still gaping at me when I open the passenger door for her, and I can't help but tease her a little. "Coming, Miss Martin?"

Her cheeks explode into a fiery blush. For just a minute, life flows into her… her eyes sparkling, her lips twitching… and then she bends to get into the car. A hiss of pain leaves her lips and she sways, grasping the door to steady herself.

Fury rolls through me again. Why the hell didn't Matthew make an effort to check on her? To make sure she was really okay instead of just taking her word for it? The man was nothing but cautious and caring. To be anything less with Savannah, the foster daughter he spoke of fondly on many occasions, is maddening. He accepted her into his family, wrote her into his will.

How the hell could he just let her run off to a foreign country with a boy?

She was just a kid, for Christ's sake!

I stride around to the driver's side and climb in.

Savannah's staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought. She doesn't look at me, but another little whimper comes from her side of the car when I crank the engine.

The sound goes straight to my cock.

I grit my teeth and pull out into the flow of traffic slowly exiting the airport, trying to think of anything but the fact that she smells of vanilla and sunshine. She's scared, hurt, and the last thing she needs is someone like me fucking up her life after everything she's already endured.

I want to ask her why she stayed with Toby, why she didn't tell anyone what he was doing to her. Why she went with him in the first place. My conversation with Lexi comes to mind and I think I understand why. Abandonment can be a harsh mistress, but fuck.

How could she not know she deserves to be treated like a queen?

"How's Kit?" she yelps, startling me from my thoughts.

I glance in her direction and she instantly flinches away, cowering as far from me as she can get.

"Ah, she's managing," I mutter. Every time she jumps or apologizes, I feel like a bastard.

"You work for the Talbot family?"

"No." I blink at her. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"No," she answers. "Kit never mentioned you."

"Ah. Aren't you and Katrina close?" I can't figure out why they haven't told her anything about me. She was abused, for God's sake. How could they not let her know someone she's never before seen was coming to pick her up at the airport?

"We were. Once." She sighs sadly. "I haven't been around much."

"Ah. Traveling?" It's a stupid question, but I ask it anyway, wanting her to open up to me.

"Something like that." The way she says it leaves no doubts that this is not a matter for discussion. Her tone is emphatic, final, almost curt. "Should I know who you are?" she demands.

"Lexi's boyfriend," I retort, no longer sure what I can say to her. Does Lexi not want her to know the truth? Lex is such a pain in the ass sometimes…. "Isn't it obvious?"

Savannah's one of very few who have not automatically assumed that I belong to Lexi. I appreciate that and find it frustrating at once. Everything about this is frustrating, irritating.

I've been on edge for days, wound up. Matthew's dead. How the hell did I let this happen?

"Oh." Savannah blushes, bowing her head. She plucks at her shirt, a sad frown twisting on her lips, and I realize she's embarrassed, feeling out of place. Tears well in her eyes, and my heart physically hurts for her.

"I shouldn't have come," she whispers.

Frustration boils over instantly.

She'd really stay with the abusive prick after everything he's done to her? Is that why she stayed so long in the first place? She loves him? The thought makes me sick.

I frown, trying not to snap at her. "Katrina wanted you here."

"I–" She won't look at me.

"She could use a friend right now, Savannah."

"I'm sorry," she whispers miserably.

I clench my jaw, irritated by her apology, by her statement that she shouldn't be here… by a thousand different things. Mostly, I'm furious at myself for letting any of it matter. She's my concern only by proxy. The Talbot girls are my responsibility and they want her here. Anything beyond keeping her safe is not my business.

As she curls in on herself beside me, I have a feeling I'll be reminding myself of that fact frequently

I also doubt I'll believe it then any more than I do now.

"Savannah! Oh God, you're here!" Katie converges on Savannah like a storm as soon as the girl climbs free of the car. She throws her arms around her and starts sobbing.

Savannah is completely overwhelmed.

I wonder briefly if she's going to faint, but her arms go around Katrina and squeeze.

She looks at me over Katie's blonde head and I want, desperately, to tell her that everything will be just fine. She looks lost, fragile in a way that Lex, Katrina, and Maddi have come nowhere close to in the last four days. Their world has been shaken on its foundation, but Savannah's the one who seems ready to break beneath the strain.

"Take her inside," I snap, though I'm not sure if I'm talking to Katie or Savannah.

Savannah blanches at the sting of my words, but begins ushering Katrina into the house. She falters once, but quickly straightens and keeps going. Her face pales again though.

I jerk her bags out of the car and curse softly.

She's been here less than an hour and I've already managed to frighten her.

This is not going well… and I have no idea what to do about it. I think that, for her sake, it may be better if she avoids me entirely while I'm here. She'd be safer far away from me. But for my sake? I hope she doesn't avoid me. I want her to know that I'm not her ex. That I'm not a threat to her and won't hurt her. Even if I have been anything but welcoming since she ran into me, I think I'm glad she's here.

I grab her bags and head inside, intent on doing… something. Apologizing.

When I see her with her arms around Katie and her expression so unguarded and vulnerable though, I can't do anything but stare. She looks so lost, so broken. And so fucking beautiful, my heart aches.

Her eyes meet mine and she swallows audibly before stiffening and turning pointedly away from me.

I feel chastised, like an even bigger ass.

"I'll take your stuff to the guesthouse," I mutter and turn on my heel without offering the apology I came inside to deliver.

Katrina's still sobbing when the door closes behind me.

It worries me that Savannah's the one I want to console.

She is nothing to me…

And neither is Lexi
.

"You promised to see this through," I remind myself, cutting off that line of thought when Lexi's tear stained face flashes through my mind. "Lexi and the girls need you. Nothing else can be allowed to matter."

The reminder helps firm my resolve a little.

I think.

"How's Savanah?" Lexi asks as soon as I step into Madeline's room an hour later. Lexi's curled around her little sister, her face tear-stained. She is always so lively it's painful to see her like this now. I want to apologize to her again for failing to protect her as promised, but I know she won't hear it.

"She's with Katie," I answer, proud of her for asking when she has so much else going on. I'm hard on her and she drives me insane at times, but little things like that remind me of what kind of person she really is. She may be many things, but she has never been cruel or self-centered.

Mad is sleeping restlessly, Lexi's hand clutched tightly in hers. Her mouth moves, though no sound escapes her little lips.

Ah love, I am so sorry.

I've never seen Madeline so sad before, and it kills me. She's just a child, an eleven-year-old little girl. Her parents are both dead, and at least one of those deaths is my fault. That knowledge cuts deep, drawing blood.

"No one thought to tell Savannah I was the one coming for her today?" I ask Lexi quietly, pulling my gaze away from Madeline before the familiar fury starts roiling again. I need calm, focus. "She had no clue who I was."

"Oh, no." Lexi cringes, instantly contrite. "I didn't even think… I'm so sorry."

I want to be angry at her for forgetting something so important, but I can't. She has every reason in the world to forget, and I'm just being a dick. I sigh instead. "How's she doing?" I nod at Madeline.

Lexi's expression crumbles. "I don't know," she whispers. "She's so heartbroken, Jared. I don't know how to help her." The worry in her voice tugs at my heart.

I make my way to the bed and sit down beside her. She curls into me as best she can, letting me lend her a little of my strength.

"I'm glad you're here, Jared. I can't do this alone."

"You're doing fine, sweetheart." I rub her back, trying to comfort her.

"I'm so scared," she confesses, her voice soft. "What if I'm a terrible guardian? What if something happens to her or Kit? What if I–?"

"You can't think that way," I tell her. "We'll find whoever is responsible and we'll deal with it, just like I promised. You just have to be strong and let me help you. And I promise you that I will keep you, the girls, and T.I. safe."