Revolving Door Read online

  “Have Colt run her name through the database or whatever, and see if there’s a warrant out there with her name on it,” Quinn suggests.

  “Even if she doesn’t have one, she could still be bringing trouble to our doorstep,” Gabe points out.

  I completely understand Gabe’s reservations. Ashton is hiding something, and I know Gabe’s concerned that it could fall back on either Quinn or Harper.

  Gabe looks at me, his expression clearly saying, ‘now what?’ He’s apparently hoping that I can persuade Quinn into changing her mind. The problem with that is once Quinn decides on something, there is no going back.

  “Before you guys decide anything, I think Quinn’s suggestion is very reasonable. Have Colt call in a favor and see if Ashton has a record,” Harper suggests.

  “Exactly,” Quinn says triumphantly. “If she doesn’t, I’m offering her the room until you can prove she’s a danger to us,” Quinn says with determination. She promptly turns and begins walking out of the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?” Gabe calls after her.

  “To go wake Colt!”

  “Good luck with that!” he shouts back. We all know Colt is a total bear in the mornings. Gabe turns to Harper, his expression accusing. “You were supposed to be the voice of reason.”

  She smiles and picks up her coffee. “I was. If Ashton simply wants to start over, you’re overreacting for nothing. Besides, with her money stolen, it makes sense that she’d want to avoid a hospital bill.”

  “There’s still something going on,” he says as Harper sips from the mug.

  She nods and sets it down. “I agree. But remember, she willingly handed her license over to Quinn. Does that sound suspicious?”

  Gabe falls quiet, scowling.

  Harper rises to her feet with her mug in hand and walks over to Gabe, patting his bicep. “If Ashton doesn’t have a record, let Quinn help her. Otherwise, she’ll just do it behind your back,” she warns. She walks out of the kitchen and disappears down the hall.

  Gabe releases an aggravated sigh.

  “Looks like I picked the wrong night to go out,” I remark.

  “Not that I’ll admit this to Quinn, but with Ashton’s concussion, it’s probably wise that she wasn’t alone last night.”

  “How bad was the accident?”

  “Not as bad as it could have been. The concussion was the worst of it,” Gabe says.

  “Have you done any digging into her background yet?”

  He shakes his head and straightens from the island counter, his hands now relaxed at his sides. “Haven’t had a chance yet, and I’ve got that benefit picnic to attend in a few hours.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out.” I reach for the pile of mail on the table and pluck out an envelope. I turn it over and look around for something to write with.

  Gabe picks up a pen from the counter and tosses it to me. “All I have so far is her full name, Ashton Delegrave, and she’s twenty. I don’t have an address, but Quinn saw it on her license.”

  Three

  Ashton

  I’m momentarily disoriented when I wake the next morning. First and foremost, my head aches terribly, and my hip doesn’t feel all that better. When I recall being hit by a car the night before, I wince and pry apart my gritty eyelids. I look around the unfamiliar room with its tan walls and sheer curtains pulled across a large window. That’s right, I’m in Quinn’s guestroom. I vaguely remember Quinn waking me every few hours last night. I feel achy and exhausted, and I’m betting Quinn’s not feeling as peppy today as she had been last night.

  My heart sinks when the reality of my situation settles in. The money… It’s gone. I had planned to rent an apartment and live off the money until I found a job—one that wouldn’t cause anxiety because of my dyslexia. Now I can’t afford to be so selective, and I’m going to need a job immediately.

  I can’t believe this is happening, and I draw in a deep breath to calm my anxiety. I try to look on the bright side—at least it’s still my life. My decisions, they’re all up to me now. I can do this, I tell myself. I’ll figure out a way. Anything is better than my parents and Hayden making decisions for me day in and day out.

  Time to face my new reality.

  After gingerly sitting up, I look around. The clothes that I’d been wearing last night are neatly folded on the oak dresser across the room. Quinn had given me a tee shirt of hers to sleep in, and I ease down the sheet to study my injured hip. There’s dark bruising about the size of my hand. Lovely.

  A knock on the door startles me, and I quickly pull the sheet back up to my waist. “Uh, come in?”

  Quinn sticks her head in, and she smiles when she sees that I’m awake. “Morning. How’re you feeling?”

  “Tired.”

  She steps inside the room and closes the door behind her. Somehow, after only a few hours of sleep, she looks bright-eyed and ready to take on the world. Her blue hair is pulled into a stylishly messy topknot, and her makeup is perfection. She’s wearing an oversized, white tee that hangs off one bare shoulder, and stonewashed skinny jeans with torn thighs. On her feet are black, wedged booties. She looked taller last night. Today, I note how petite she is. She’s probably five-two, or five-three at the most.

  “Thank you for being so kind last night. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I say lightly.

  She walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, her eyes studying mine. “It’s the least I could do considering I hit you.” She shakes her head and gives me a wry look. “I’m never going to live that down, you know. I gave my brothers some major ammunition.”

  A smile pulls at my lips. “I have a feeling you can handle it.”

  She grins. “Absolutely. So, now that it’s morning, and you didn’t try to kill anyone during the night, I think we can trust you if you want to turn this room into your own. Permanently.”

  “Pardon?” I ask with polite confusion.

  Quinn turns serious. “I know you said you were just passing through, but losing all that money probably changed things for you. You’ll need an income and a place to stay. The rent here is quite reasonable.” She names a figure. “If you think that’s acceptable for this room and all the amenities the house has to offer, it’s yours.”

  I’m staring at her with astonishment. I’d expected to be on my way this morning and had naturally assumed Quinn and Gabe would forget all about me.

  “I see I totally caught you off guard. I don’t need an answer right now, but the offer is there if you’re interested. Are you hungry?” she asks, switching the topic.

  I’m struggling to keep up with the conversation. “Starving to be honest,” I say tentatively.

  “Let me go grab some clothes from Harper, she’s about the same size as you. Then, we’ll get you some breakfast, and I’ll take you back to your car. Or I can just drop you off if you don’t want to stick around Riverside. No pressure.” She rises to her feet and leaves the room before I can reply.

  I blink and try to process everything. The last thing I’d expected was for Quinn to generously offer me the room. I look around, scanning it once more. It’s decent in size with a closet, though I have no idea how large it is. Not that I would need a big closet anyway. The walls are bare, and other than the oak dresser and the nightstand by the bed, the room is empty.

  Quinn’s offer is incredibly tempting. I feel safe here, and I have a feeling this is going to be my best chance for successfully living on my own. I won’t crawl back to Hayden or my parents. But if I do accept Quinn’s offer, I will have to find a job as soon as possible. Just the thought has me feeling intimidated and overwhelmed. My entire life, the very people that have surrounded me, have held me back. They’ve made me feel like I’m incapable of doing anything on my own. I need to prove them wrong. It’s also important that I prove it to myself as well.

  Quinn strolls back into the room and sets a small pile of clothing on the edge of the bed. “There you go. I’ll wait in the hall and then he
lp you down to the kitchen.”

  “You didn’t have to find me clothes. I could have put on my old ones,” I tell her. She’s already gone out of her way so much for me.

  “It’s fine, Harper offered.”

  “Quinn?”

  She looks at me expectantly. “Yes?”

  “Never mind,” I say awkwardly. Her kindness appears to be real, but I also come from a background where mostly everyone had ulterior motives. I don’t want to offend her by confessing my doubt.

  Quinn doesn’t press me to reveal what I’d been about to ask. “I’ll be right in the hall. Yell if you need any help,” she says easily.

  Once she’s gone and the door is firmly closed, I release a slow exhale. I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head, but with Quinn waiting on me, I figure I’d better start dressing. After I carefully ease out of the bed, I test my hip and take a couple of steps. It twinges when I walk, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle. When I’m finished slipping on the simple, black lounge pants and purple tank, I run my hands through my dark hair. Hopefully it isn’t looking too disheveled this morning.

  When I open the door, I find Quinn patiently waiting for me. She smiles and asks, “How’s the hip?”

  “A little sore, but I’ll live.”

  We begin walking down the hall, and I look around curiously. The flooring is wood, and the walls are painted a welcoming beige. Everything looks new, including the trim. We pass by a closed door before coming upon a stairwell.

  Quinn is careful to slow her pace to match mine, and once we’re on the first level, she pauses in the small foyer at the bottom of the stairs. There are two arching doorways leading in opposite directions. “The left is the living room, which you saw last night. To the right is where the kitchen is located, as well as the laundry room, bedrooms, study, and the patio door that leads out to the pool,” she explains as we walk in the direction of the kitchen.

  My eyebrows lift. “Pool?”

  Quinn grins. “Told you this was a sweet pad.”

  The house looks well kept, and a second later, we enter the kitchen. It’s a large room with light walls and tan tiles for flooring. The cupboards along the walls are a dark wood, and all the appliances are newer stainless steel. An island counter is located in the center of the kitchen with a granite top, and there are three, tall dark stools with decorative backrests situated along the side of it. Directly across the room, in front of a couple of large windows, is a table that can seat six. Someone had left their laptop at one end, and there looks to be mail tossed into a careless pile.

  A man is sitting at the island counter, and my eyes linger on him curiously. He’s shirtless and clad in only a pair of sweat pants. His short blond hair is a mess, and he’s gripping a coffee mug with his hand. He looks only half-awake, so it’s likely that he’d literally just rolled out of bed. Is everyone in this house good-looking? First Gabe, now this man. He’s an incredible sight with all that tanned, bare skin. And those muscles… Hayden was never built like that.

  Quinn grins at the man. “This here is Sebastian,” she introduces. “He’s not worth talking to in the mornings unless he’s finished his coffee,” she warns me.

  Sebastian’s blue-green eyes narrow on her, and he calmly lifts his free hand and flips her off.

  I fight back a smile, and as his eyes slide my way, my smile fades. He’s a very handsome man, but there’s a hint of something in his demeanor that warns me he can turn into a mean bastard. His eyes roam over me from head to toe, and I can’t read whatever he’s thinking.

  “This is Ashton,” Quinn informs him, completely unperturbed by his moodiness. “She might be renting Brenda’s old room.”

  He gives a short nod and turns back to his coffee.

  Quinn shrugs at me, smirking. Told you, she mouths. She then turns to the cupboards and opens the one closest to her. “Cereal okay?”

  I immediately step forward. “Oh, I can make my own,” I say quickly, not wanting her to wait on me.

  She moves away from the cupboard and walks to the refrigerator to grab the milk. “Bowls are in the cupboard to the right,” she tells me over her shoulder.

  After I have my cereal, Quinn leads me to the table near the window, and we sit down. “I ate earlier,” she apologizes.

  “That’s fine. I wasn’t expecting anyone to wait on me or anything.” My eyes slide back to where Sebastian is still sitting. He looks to be completely zoned out as he brings the mug to his lips every so often.

  Quinn laughs softly under her breath. “Mornings are brutal for him.”

  Sebastian must have heard her, because without a word, he rises to his feet and walks out of the room, mug in hand.

  “Wow, you aren’t kidding.”

  She laughs. “Just ignore him in the mornings. Don’t talk to him unless he talks to you first. Otherwise, if you think you can handle his bullshit, go for it. But I wouldn’t advise it.”

  “Is he one of your brothers?” I ask curiously.

  “Sebastian? No. He’s a friend. Gabe, Channing, and Colt are my brothers. Well, not by blood, but that doesn’t matter to us.”

  I begin to dig into my cereal. “They’re your stepbrothers?”

  Quinn shakes her head. “We kind of grew up together in the same foster home. None of us are related except for Gabe and Channing. We all consider each other family, though. They’re my brothers in every sense of the word.”

  My spoon pauses in the bowl. “Oh. That’s…” What do I say? Sorry you grew up in a foster home? Great that you’re all so close?

  Quinn waves a hand at me, smiling. “Relax, it’s all good. The Thompson’s were like parents to us, and we still keep in touch with them. Let me tell you though, high school was definitely interesting with my brothers,” she muses.

  “I bet. What about Harper?” I inquire.

  “I met Harper my freshmen year in high school. We’ve been tight ever since.”

  I don’t want her to feel like I’m grilling her, so I continue eating my cereal. When I’m finished, I spy the dishwasher. Without asking, I walk to the sink, rinse my bowl, and then set it on the top rack of the dishwasher.

  Quinn looks at me expectantly as she stands. “So, ready to go get your car? Or am I dropping you off?”

  “Are you sure about this? I mean, what about the others that live here? Do they know about…?” I look at her questioningly, referring to the accident and my sudden lack of money.

  “Sebastian hasn’t been filled in yet about the circumstances. Everyone else already knows.”

  I bite my lip. This has all happened so fast.

  Quinn’s brown eyes soften. “You can trust us. My brothers can come off as real dicks, but once they get to know you, they’ll be good to you,” she assures.

  I press my lips together as I rethink my situation. Honestly, it’d be ridiculous to turn down her offer. “Okay,” I quietly agree.

  Quinn beams and then hesitates. “Then I guess I should warn you that I’m having Colt check your name for priors or any criminal activity,” she confesses.

  My lips part. “W-what?”

  Her forehead creases. “You don’t have a record, do you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  Her expression promptly relaxes. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. He’s just having a friend of his check to see if you have a criminal background, that’s it,” she swears. “It was the only way to prove to Gabe and Channing that you weren’t hiding anything bad. As for whatever life you came from, that’s your past, and it’s your business. When you want to share, cool. If not, it doesn’t bother me. All I care about is who you are now.”

  I’m at another loss for words. I’ve never met anyone so generous or open-minded.

  Quinn squints at me, concern flickering in her gaze. “Did I do something bad? You showed me your license, and I don’t get the vibe that you’re in any real danger. But…did I mess things up for you?”

  I shake my head. “No, it’s fine,” I ass
ure. “I just want to forget my family, that’s all.”

  She nods. “Okay. Done. I’ll never bring them up again,” she promises.

  “So Colt’s not a cop but has friends that are?” I ask tentatively.

  “He’s a correctional officer, but he knows a lot of people that work in law enforcement.”

  I’m not comfortable with anyone digging into my history, but it can’t be helped at this point. The only way it could hurt me is if Colt or Quinn’s other brothers begin asking question in my home city. My father would get wind, and I’m certain he’d send for me. My brows pull together as I frown. I still don’t understand why I was so important to the business merger or why Hayden wanted to marry me so badly. Sure, we had a relationship—not a very healthy one, but I think he’d cared about me. But enough to marry me? I know his family had been pressuring him too, but this was our future we were allowing others to plan for us. The entire idea had never sat well with me, which would be why I’m here and not there.

  “Ashton?”

  I blink and come back to the present. Quinn’s looking at me questioningly. It dawns on me that I’ve just been standing there dwelling upon my past. “My purse is up in the room. I forgot to bring it down,” I tell her.

  “Want me to go grab it?” she offers.

  “I can do it.” I really don’t want to start my first day here looking like a complete invalid. I have a feeling I’m going to have to prove myself to her brothers.

  After I retrieve my purse, we head out the door and go out to Quinn’s car. In the sunlight, I see that it’s a light blue color, and Quinn immediately lowers the top. As we drive down the short driveway, I glance at her. “I don’t know much about you,” I comment.

  She reaches for the sunglasses that are poking out of the opening of her purse, and she slips them on. “Hmm. What to share? I work at a salon and do hair.” She shrugs her shoulder and slows for a stop sign. “I was never one that could sit still in school, and a desk job would have been a nightmare. I like what I do.”

  “That’s good. I think everyone should follow their dreams.”