“Yeah, she’s good for him. Mellows him out when he needs it. Kind of like you do me.”
She arches a brow at me. “Oh, I mellow you out do I?”
A smirk tugs at the corners of my lips. “Yeah you’re like the ying to my yang.”
Mia stares at me for a moment before she burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
I can’t help but laugh “What was wrong with that?”
She opens her mouth to reply when the door swings open again. Gavin steps into the room.
I sigh “Another interruption?”
He doesn’t crack a smile. In fact, I’ve never seen him look so serious. My hackles immediately rise.
“We have a situation,” he says.
I get up from my seat.
“What’s wrong?”
He runs a hand through his hair. “It’s Lincoln. Simon just called me and told me that he’s at Temptation and he’s wasted. He doesn’t feel right putting him in a cab. He can’t leave the club, Liam and Ava have already left heading back to Paris, and Nat and I can’t leave the kitchen. I know you’re on a date but…”
“I’m on it” I look over at Mia to ask if she’s okay with this but she’s already standing up from her chair.
That’s my girl.
Gavin sighs in relief. “Thanks man. The last thing he needs is anymore bad press after that last incident.”
He just transferred to a Chicago based fire department after everything that happened in Los Angeles. Ever since that fire that tragically killed a family, he hasn’t been the same. I thought he’d hit rock bottom when he broke up with his high school sweetheart Rosalie, but I was wrong. It’s gotten worse and worse over the course of the past several months.
He refuses to talk to us about it.
He refuses to see a therapist.
It’s gotten way past the point of no return. To say everybody in the family is worried sick about him would be an understatement.
“We’re out,” I say putting my hand on the small of Mia’s back as we head for the door.
“Alright, I’ll call Simon back and tell him you’re on your way,” Gavin says
I close Mia into my car before jogging around the front of it.
She looks over at me with worried eyes. “I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too.”
In no time at all we’ve reached Temptation. Mia’s hand grips mine as we push through the front door. Thankfully there aren’t any paparazzi camped outside. The place is packed per usual, but I have no problem spotting Arielle near the bar.
“Hey,” she says, and I can see the concern in her eyes. “They’re upstairs in Simon’s office.”
I pull Mia behind me up to Simon’s office. I knock swiftly and Simon opens the door a second later.
He’s dressed in his usual t-shirt and jeans. The same concern is brimming in his eyes.
“He’s over there,” he says pointing to the couch where Lincoln is sprawled out. His t-shirt is rumbled, and one tattooed arm is thrown over his face and the other rests across his stomach.
“Thanks for calling man, I appreciate it.”
“Of course. I’m just glad I saw him before he did something crazy.” Simon says running a hand through his hair. He and Liam have been best friends since for years. He’s more like family at this point.
“Do you need help getting him to the car?” Simon asks.
“I can fucking walk,” Lincoln grumbles getting up from the couch.
He stumbles slightly before righting himself. My jaw clenches as I get a whiff of the alcohol on him.
“Let’s go,” I say to Lincoln before turning back to Simon. I stick my hand out and he clasps it. “Thanks again man.”
Taking Mia’s hand in mine, we manage to get back to my car with no problems.
However, by the time we make it to Lincoln’s place he’s halfway passed out. I heft his arm over my shoulder and guide him into his apartment building.
Mia holds the door open for us.
Thankfully his place is on the first floor. She inserts his key into the lock and holds the door open as I get him inside. As she flicks on lights the state of the place brings me up short.
He just moved in a few weeks ago and the place is already a pig sty. Empty beer bottles litter the counter. The sink is full of dishes. A pizza box lays on the floor near the overflowing trash.
My jaw clenches tight, anger at myself and Lincoln warring inside of me.
Anger at myself for not seeing how bad he’s gotten and anger at him for not reaching out and leaning on us, his brothers during this time. I drag him over to the couch and he falls back his head lulling to the side. He’s out like a light.
“I’ll, um start cleaning things up, if you want to get him back to his room,” Mia says.
“You don’t have to do that baby girl.”
She looks up at me. “It’s fine. Family helps family, right?”
My chest tightens “Right,” I say gruffly.
Her small hand slides into mine and she squeezes it before letting go.
“Go help your brother. I’ll be fine in here.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her scent.
I go to the couch and throw Lincoln’s arm over my shoulder again before hefting him up and dragging him down the hall to his room. Once we’re inside I flip on the light and dump him on the bed. He groans and rolls onto his side. One eye opens and he peeks at me.
“Do you have to be so fucking rough?” he grumbles.
“Maybe I wouldn’t have to be rough if you
