“She’s mine,” Travis growled. “I’m not giving her a chance to hook up with another loser. If she wants an ass**le, she can just take me.”
Kade chuckled before he answered more seriously, “It’s your turn, Travis. You’ve spent your whole life taking care of the business, the employees, Mia, and me. It’s time for you to figure out what you need.”
“I need her,” Travis replied desperately. “Christ. I don’t know how you do it. How do you need a woman so much and survive?”
Kade smirked. “You don’t. So you make damn sure you get her.”
“She’s stubborn,” Travis grumbled. “She doesn’t even want to take the new clothes I bought for her. It’s in her damn contract. I provide her a new wardrobe.”
Kade grimaced. “Women are funny that way. Asha did the same thing.”
“And what did you do?”
“I ignored her protests. She got over it eventually and took them from Maddie as a gift from her sister.”
“Ally complains pretty loud,” Travis answered unhappily, knowing she’d make it difficult for him not to hear her. But he’d still try to ignore it. He wanted her to keep the clothes. Christ! It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it.
“I know,” Kade said happily. “It’s one of the reasons I think she’s perfect for you.” He hesitated before asking, “What would you have done if Ally hadn’t found out her ex was a dick? What if she had actually gotten married?”
“I don’t know,” Travis answered honestly. “I tried not to think about it, tried to tell myself it didn’t matter. But if it came down to that day, that moment, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have done just about anything to keep it from happening. The only thing that had ever stopped me was the possibility of ruining her happiness. Shit! I have no idea how I never noticed how tired she was, or how miserable things were for her. I didn’t know she had to work in a damn bar to make ends meet. I thought she had the perfect life, the perfect fiancé who was getting ready to start a prosperous career. I wanted her, but I didn’t think I was the best thing for her.” He was a murderer and an unfeeling bastard. He’d wanted Ally to have someone better than that.
“And now?” Kade asked solemnly.
“Now I’m taking her. After understanding the bullshit she put up with for years, even being with me would be better than that. I’d treat her good, Kade. I’d give her whatever she wanted.”
“Nobody knew what Ally was going through. She hid it very well. It isn’t your fault. I don’t think any of us could see beneath her tough exterior,” Kade told his brother thoughtfully. “I think she just needs a man who cares about her. From what Asha tells me, Ally’s self-esteem got hammered pretty badly. This ass**le has obviously been knocking her down mentally for years.”
“He killed her dreams,” Travis said harshly. “Not only did he betray her and leave her stuck with his bills, but he didn’t support her writing either.”
“Ally writes?” Kade asked, surprised.
“Yeah. Incredible stories. She’s talented, and I’m not just saying that because I have a hard-on for her. She has a gift, and he never encouraged it. He made her give it up, manipulated her into thinking everything was her fault or her responsibility. All that the bastard wanted was a meal ticket to get him through school. I’m pretty sure he actually had no intention of going through with the wedding at all. He just played on all of Ally’s weaknesses to get her to support him.” Travis clenched his fists on top of the desk, wishing he had his hands around Ally’s ex’s neck. “She’s so damn smart and beautiful. I don’t know how he managed to convince her otherwise. But he did. Bastard!”
“Sometimes we don’t always see ourselves the way others do, Trav. If someone beats you down long enough, you start to believe it,” Kade replied sadly. “Ally obviously doesn’t see her own worth anymore except for her work. She may be confident in her job, but not in her value as a person. Look at what happened with Asha.”
Travis knew what Kade was saying was true, knew what it was like to be beaten down until you couldn’t see reality. He, Kade, and Mia had experienced that during their childhood and adolescence. Luckily, they’d all had one another. Travis had a hard time comparing Ally to Asha, their personalities on the surface so different. Asha was quieter, shyer. “Asha’s getting better.”
Kade nodded. “She is. But you and I both know that it takes time to undo years of conditioning. Asha and Ally have very different personalities, but I think the reason they became friends is because they understand each other in the ways that really matter.”
“How can I fix her?” Travis asked huskily.
Kade laughed. “She’s not a car, Travis. She’s a woman. They’re much more complicated.”
“No shit. And you aren’t much help.” Travis glared at his twin.
“I think you’ll figure it out. If you really care about her, that’s all that really matters. It’s a hell of a lot more than she’s had in the past.” Kade rose and strolled to the door. He turned around as he opened the door, looking first at Travis and then at his desk, and then smirked. “I think I figured out why you have a love/hate relationship with that desk.”
Travis watched as his brother left the office, letting the door close quietly behind him, still trying to figure out exactly what Kade meant by that comment. Certainly, Kade couldn’t know…
Shaking his head, Travis glanced at the clock, convinced that Kade could never guess why he was really having a “desk frustration” problem. It was three o’clock. Damn! Most days he didn’t give a shit what time it was for any reason other than appointments. Now, he willed the damn clock to move faster.
Irritated, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Ally.
Six o’clock instead of seven.
There. That was one less hour he’d have to wait. At least he’d get to see her sooner. If Ally wasn’t ready or she didn’t get his message, then he’d just wait…or think of something else to fill the time…
He put his phone back in his pocket and turned back to his computer, wondering if he’d completely lost his mind, and thinking he was the most desperate, pathetic guy on the face of the earth. What the hell difference did an hour make?