Change of Harte (Harte, #2) (Harte Series) by Brooke Harris Page A

explanation.
    ‘So, are you free tonight then?’
    ‘Well, no. I agreed to dinner, but I said my place. No chauffeurs, no limos, and no Michelin Stars. Just normal stuff, you know.’
    ‘But Julian doesn’t do normal.’
    ‘Well, he agreed.’
    ‘Really?’ Shelly was genuinely surprised. ‘Are you going to cook?’
    ‘I told him I was, but I’ll just order takeout and hide the boxes before he arrives.’
    Shelly laughed. ‘Where are you now?’
    ‘Still sitting in the restaurant waiting for the breakfast we ordered. Going to be mortified when they bring out two plates to the girl who the hot guy ran out on. Jesus.’
    ‘Oh, God, Eva. Just get it to go.’
    ‘Don’t suppose you’re hungry? I’m just a block away.’
    ‘A block away makes no sense to me. I wouldn’t even know where to turn when I come out of the hotel. And my head hurts like you wouldn’t believe. The fizzy blew the head of me.’
    ‘Yeah, I know that feeling. So glad I’ve got the next two weeks off. I think I need it just to get over this hangover.’
    Shelly laughed. ‘I’ve taught you well.’
    ‘Yeah, unfortunately, you have. So you coming down for breakfast or what? It’s easy to find. Left and left again…come on, I’ll wait for you.’
    ‘I would but Nathan is here and…’
    ‘Nathan is there, too? Jesus. Is there anyone who isn’t here?’
    ‘Shit. Sorry, I forgot to mention that he was coming, too, didn’t I?’
    ‘Yeah. Yeah, you kind of did.’
    ‘Ah, Eva, come on. This was all Julian’s idea, and we were just dragged along for the ride. I’m sorry.’
    ‘Yeah.’ Eva suspected Julian was in charge here but it was a convenient excuse for Shelly and it was all rather annoying.
    ‘Look, just get the breakfast to go. Come back to the hotel. I’m in suite 165a. I really can’t wait to see you. The holiday starts now.’
    ‘Okay. You can fill me in when I get there.’
    ‘Yeah, of course. And hurry up. I haven’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday, Irish time. It was all posh caviar on the plane and I don’t eat stuff that looks and smells like snail puke.’
    Eva smiled seeing her food on the way. ‘Ten minutes. Don’t disappear on me again.’

Chapter 13
    Red, orange, black…black…black.
    Julian was always asleep when the nightmare took hold. But today, for the first time in twenty-three years, he was thinking about it while wide awake. The memory seared his brain, just as the smoke had stung his lungs that night. His father told him once, while checking under his bed for scary monsters, that ‘there’s nothing to be scared of in the dark.’ But his father was wrong. Two days later, Julian learned that there was everything to be scared of in the dark. And the dark was more vicious than he’d imagined. It stole his parents. Even now, as a grown man, he hated the dark, but he’d taught himself to embrace it. Forced himself to accept it even though it was a constant reminder of everything and everyone he’d lost. He was only a child, and as much as he knew that, as much as he’s tried to tell himself there was nothing he could have done, he could never escape the guilt of not being able to save his parents. But he was a man now, a few years shy of his father’s age. Failing was for children.
    Julian checked his phone again from the comfort of the backseat of his Maybach. Last night he’d instructed his jet to turn around immediately and return with Anthony and Mrs. Cartwright. He didn’t know how long he’d be in New York or New Jersey and he needed familiar staff who he could trust around him. Mrs Cartwright went straight to Julian’s Long Island estate and Anthony came straight to collect him from the coffee shop.
    Anthony hadn’t said more than hello and Julian had simply patted his chauffeur and friend on the back, sat into the car, and not spoken since. Each time Julian listened to the voicemail on his phone, it chilled him a little more.
    The hospital seemed so much smaller this morning