Vanessa knocked on the door and walked in, a nervous expression on her face. “Is everything okay? I heard shouting.” She dashed to his mother’s side, checking her vitals on the screen linked to her IVs. Then, she grabbed a cup of water and silently handed it to Claire, who shook her head more to herself than the others.
His father stretched to his full height, shooting him a look of disapproval. “What’s your angle? You want to kill your mother by bringing that woman here?”
Brooks growled. “Stop talking about Alexa that way. She’s a successful businesswoman.”
His father’s acidy laughter cut through the tension. “What a joke. Did you know, Claire, that she makes money by having women sell their virginity at an auction?” He turned to Claire. “That’s the kind of businesswoman your son has been seeing.”
Vanessa stepped forward, lifting her hand. “I don’t know what’s going on here. When Mr. Taylor called, I mentioned your visit and your friend as a positive thing for your mother.” Vanessa peered at him, a shade of red spreading across her cheeks. She probably meant well, and his father had researched Alexa online. “I’m sorry. If you two have a fight to pick, please do it elsewhere. I’m here to make sure your mother heals and shame on you two for causing her more stress.”
His mother clenched the diamond cross pendant on her necklace. “Brooks…is it true?”
Brooks hooked his hands in his belt, pacing in small circles. His brain was about to explode, so many thoughts running through his mind. Then he popped his knuckles, willing the anger away. He could tell his mother how much of a hypocrite his father was, judging Alexa when he’d had his share of women who slept with him for money. But, if he did, his mother would get more stressed, and maybe worse. He came to a halt and faced his mother. “Mom. This isn’t the kind of conversation we should be having.”
“I’m tired of all of you telling me what to do and speaking for me,” his mother said, raising her voice. The vein in her neck pulsed, and she shifted in her bed, lifting her chin as a silent reminder she may be sickly but she wasn’t dead.
Guilt stabbed at him. “Alexa isn’t a hooker. She’s built a successful business facilitating women who want to sell their virginity. She doesn’t force anyone to do anything and has rules in place to secure their safety,” he said without wavering.
His father slow clapped. “Is that how you met her? You bought some naive young girl’s virginity?”
Brooks lifted his fist, ready for another go at his father’s face, but Vanessa outsmarted them both, planting herself in the middle of them with sonic speed.
“Get out.” His father pointed to the door. “This is my property and you won’t slap me around like I’m your little bitch.”
Brooks exchanged a stare filled with resentment with his father, then glanced at his mother, softening his expression. “I’ll check on you later, Mom. Sorry for the stress,” he said, unwilling to excuse himself for Alexa’s presence, or for smacking his old man.
She reached out her hand and touched his face. “We’ll talk later, honey. Goodbye.”
He closed the door behind him and searched for Alexa in the living area, only to find her in the outdoor patio, texting. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she said softly. He couldn’t see her reaction through her sunglasses, but he imagined she’d tried to pull herself together. Another tide of anger flooded through him. She’d only come to Texas to help him, and his father had humiliated her. What made him so much better than her? His money and upbringing? “I just ordered an Uber. I should get going.”
He took her hand in his. “No. We’re leaving together.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “Brooks, assholes like your father don’t bother me. But I don’t want to create a rift between you and your mom. Wouldn’t be right, so it’s best if I go.”
“Go to the hotel or to Vegas?”
She slid her sunglasses off and stared at him. “Go to Vegas…alone.”
Alone. Panic ricocheted through him, so real it felt like a blow to his guts. The same word he’d used to describe the idea of the sad future she’d shared with him. A future where she’d run and try to be someone else when the very same person she was would always be with her. “Don’t do this to us,” he said. “My father has no place in my life. He won’t get in our way.”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her eyes glossy and teary. “I want to live in Spain because it’s a good hub in Europe to do some volunteer work. I’ve donated money to women’s shelters here and abroad, but also dreamed I could help them and be more hands-on.”
“Why can’t you volunteer here? In Texas?” he asked, though the answer echoed in his ears. If she volunteered at a shelter, her identity would be exposed. They wouldn’t take her seriously after running a virgin auction for so long—hell, folks might think she was selecting women to auction later. Idiots who didn’t know the true Alexa—who didn’t know her like he did. “Most people here won’t know you, Alexa. If you want a new identity, I can get you one.”
He stepped forward, but she lifted her hand in a silent plea for him to respect her space. Frustration throbbed in his throat, his jaw tight.
“So you’re worried about people here knowing my real identity if we’re together?” she asked, her voice bitter.
“I’m not worried the way you think. I want to protect you against those assholes who think you’re
