Only a Millionaire (The Sinclairs #6.5)(28)

“You’d have to stand in line to protect her,” I rumbled. My possessive instincts were on full throttle, and I wanted nothing more than to be there to try to shelter Brooke from all of this. Maybe she’d eventually see the whole thing as a big positive—which it was—but considering what had happened to her, she really needed normal right now. And becoming a Sinclair family heir was as far away from normal as I could imagine.

Evan nodded. “I assume you’re going to take me up on the offer of transportation?”

“Yes.” I didn’t really care how I got to California, but Evan’s jet was the fastest.

“Take care of her,” Evan requested.

“Count on it,” I agreed, holding out my hand to him.

“We’re all coming to the wedding,” Evan warned.

I could tell that Evan was concerned, even though he didn’t outwardly show it much. “She’ll appreciate what you did eventually,” I said gruffly to him as I moved toward the front door. “She’s thinking with her emotions right now.”

Brooke obviously hadn’t stopped to think things through before she left. If she had, she would have come to the same conclusion I just had: Evan had done everything he could for her and her siblings, even before he’d had confirmation of who they were.

I still had questions, but none of them were as vital as my need to find Brooke. I had to know that she was okay.

Home wouldn’t exactly be home anymore since everything had changed. If she needed one stable thing in her life right now, it was going to be me.

Without another word, I strode out the front door, unwilling to stop until I knew for a fact that she was going to be okay.





CHAPTER 14

BROOKE



“I’m so sorry, Brooke. None of us ever meant to hurt you.”

My sister, Jade, was crying as she sat on the couch of my apartment in Citrus Beach.

Thank God one of us still lives in the same place.

I think I was the only one in my family whose life had stood still while I’d been gone.

Every member of my family except me now owned a residence on the water in the most prestigious area of the city of Citrus Beach. I hadn’t seen any of my siblings’ homes yet, but I was comforted by the sameness of my own apartment, which I’d lived in for several years.

“I know that,” I said grudgingly.

I wanted to stay angry about the fact that every member of my family had betrayed me, including Evan, but reality was slowly setting in. All of them had acted out of love and concern.

“It almost killed me every time I talked to you. You’re my best friend. I wanted to be able to share everything with you,” Jade said tearfully.

My heart squeezed, knowing that keeping the truth quiet had been difficult for all of them.

I’d had an escort from Evan’s security force with me until I’d finally stepped into my apartment. I’d dismissed them, but they hadn’t actually stopped watching out for me until Jade had gotten to my place. They must have had instructions from Evan not to depart until my family was with me.

I’d left Amesport with my mind completely overloaded, and I hadn’t trusted Evan. But as the entire picture came into focus, and Jade told me more about all Evan had done for my family, I couldn’t help but regret the reckless things I’d said to him.

“Evan didn’t deserve the things I said to him,” I told Jade.

She swiped at her tears as she answered, “He’s done nothing but nice things to help since he found us. He joked about never missing the money, and maybe they didn’t miss it. But my mind is still blown over the fact that he saved and invested for us all those years. I guess we all trust his judgment now. He is one of the savviest business minds in the world.”

“I was angry,” I explained. “I said some mean things to him that he didn’t deserve. Honestly, I think I was scared.”

“Because things have changed?” Jade asked thoughtfully.

I nodded. “It seems unreasonable now, but I guess I was looking for things to get back to normal, and they’re all so different. Everything has changed.”

“We haven’t changed, Brooke,” Jade said softly. “Our brothers are all still jackasses just like they were when we were poor. I don’t think the money has changed any of us. It just allows us to do more of the things we always wished we could do before. And we have more family. Unfortunately, it includes more interfering brothers, but they live on another coast, which is a plus in my book.”

“We have a sister,” I said, still stunned by everything that had happened while I was gone.

My anger was dissipating. Now that I’d gotten the whole story from Jade, I could put myself in my family’s shoes. It had been a no-win situation for them. I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same if the roles were reversed and it was Jade who needed time to heal.

Granted, I thought they could have told me a little sooner, but the whole situation had been uncertain. The reporters hadn’t stopped trolling Citrus Beach until a month or two ago, and nobody had known if they’d show up again.

Jade smiled wistfully. “What’s she like? You met her, right?”

“I did. But I didn’t know she was my sister,” I answered, sorry that I hadn’t gotten to know Hope Sutherland better when I’d been in Amesport. The beautiful redhead had crossed my path several times, but I hadn’t talked to her very much.