“Kiro just got past security. They said he was cursing and ranting about finding you. I’ve called Rush, and he said to get the two of you to my office and lock you up until he deals with Kiro. The guys working security said he was furious and has been drinking.”
My dad was here. He knew. That was the only excuse for him acting this way. Blaire immediately stood up and reached for her purse. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
“I need to be here,” Woods said. “He has a driver, but I don’t think he’s prepared to deal with him. Kiro’s liable to knock my valet guys out if they say the wrong thing to him.”
“I’ll get her to your office,” Blaire assured Woods, and she grabbed my arm. “Come on, I know a back way.”
I didn’t have to run from my dad. I had never run from him in the past. I wasn’t scared of his angry ranting. He never got mad at me. But if he thought the baby was harming me, he wouldn’t be happy. He wasn’t used to being told no, and this time, I would be telling him no.
“Do you think you can calm him down? Or maybe Rush can?” I asked Woods.
Woods nodded. “Finlay can handle him. You get out of here.”
I did what he said and ran from my dad. I felt horribly guilty about it. It worried me that he was drinking again. Was Emily OK? Had something happened with her? Did he need me? Maybe he didn’t know about the baby. Maybe he was just having a wild, drunken episode and missed me. It wasn’t like he hadn’t shown up in North Carolina like this when I was growing up. Whenever Kiro Manning missed me, he jumped on a plane and came to see me, even if it was after a concert and he was high as a kite. My grandmama had hated it when he showed up like that. The one time he had come to my school, still drunk from the night before, basking in his fame, had been humiliating. But he was my dad. I dealt with it.
“Where is she, and where is that stupid f**k who knocked her up!” Kiro’s voice was slurred, but it carried down the hall as he entered the restaurant. I cringed and said a silent prayer of thanks that Grant wasn’t around for this.
I couldn’t hear what Woods was saying, but his voice had a hard edge.
“Rush will be here any minute,” Blaire whispered as she led me into an elevator that would take us to the top floor.
I couldn’t look at her. This was humiliating. She and I hadn’t actually discussed my pregnancy yet or the complications. All she had said was congratulations when she had arrived this morning at Grant’s condo.
When we were safely inside Woods’s office, Blaire locked the door behind her and let out a sigh. “Wow, he’s upset. Did you just tell him?” she asked, turning to look at me.
I walked over to the plush leather sofa, sank down into it, and dropped my head into my hands. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be down there dealing with him. He wasn’t going to calm down until he saw me. I just couldn’t face him yet. I didn’t want to hear him tell me to abort my baby.
“No. I think there were media people at the doctor’s office yesterday. Paparazzi, perhaps. Not sure. They snuck us out the back.”
Blaire walked over and sat down beside me. Her hand rested on my back. “It’s in all the gossip news. Your ‘visit to the ob-gyn with boyfriend Grant Carter.’ They had some woman outside the office saying she knew Grant and was positive it was you in there.”
I let out a frustrated groan. I was afraid that would happen. Stupid woman had to recognize me. “I should go talk to him.”
“No. Absolutely not. You aren’t dealing with him like this. Rush can get him back to our place and let him sleep it off. When he’s sober, Rush can bring him over to see you, but Grant will be with you when that happens.”
Blaire sounded like a mother. I would have smiled if I could manage it. Knowing my dad was downstairs, yelling my private business to the entire club, had me on the verge of tears.
My phone started ringing, and Blaire reached for my purse and pulled it out. After checking it, she handed it to me. “It’s Grant,” she said.
My heart ached. I wanted him here so badly. “Hello,” I said, my voice cracking, tears filling my eyes.
“I’m on my way. Rush has Kiro in his car, and he’s taking him to his house. Woods will be up to get you in a minute. He’ll drive you home. Blaire can stay with you until I get there. Are you OK?”
I nodded and sniffled, then realized he couldn’t see me nod. “Yeah, I think.” I replied.
“No, you’re not. Shit. I shouldn’t have left you,” he said, and I heard him curse and hit something. “I’m on my way, baby. I’m on my way. Be strong for me, OK?”
“I will,” I assured him. “Drive safe.”
“Always.”
Grant
Fucking Kiro. If the man wasn’t Harlow’s father, I’d bury my fist in his stupid-ass face. He’d come barreling into the club and upset her. Drunk motherfucker didn’t even think about how it would affect Harlow.
It took me half the time to get home than it normally did. I ran three stoplights and broke every speed limit, but I was here now. Slamming the car door behind me, I took off running up the stairs to my apartment. Harlow didn’t need to get upset. She needed to be calm and happy.
I opened the front door and headed toward the voices. Blaire was fixing two glasses of water, and Harlow was siting on the sofa with her legs curled up under her. When she saw me, her eyes went wide with relief. I closed the space between us with three long strides and pulled her up into my arms.