Page 113 of Runaway Bride's Guide to Love

“For what? And who are you?” Dad demands.

“We’re from the SEC and the Tennessee attorney general’s office. Miss Banks is the focus of an investigation. This will go easier if everyone cooperates.”

SEC? The only SEC I know plays football.

“The Securities Exchange Commission? What does the SEC want with my daughter?”

Temu CSI takes off his sunglasses, like some sort of power move he’s been waiting to do for years. “Miss Banks is being investigated for insider trading. She needs to come with us. Now.”

33

emmett

“Emmett, sit down.”

I shoot a death glare to Simon. “I won’t sit until I know what the fuck is going on.”

It’s been eight hours since the police and the federal government showed up to take Stella in for questioning. Insider trading? I love the woman, and she’s good for many things, but being savvy enough to buy and sell stocks after illegally obtaining information about what to do with said stocks? I don’t think that’s in her wheelhouse.

“Well you’re making me dizzy, so sit the hell down.”

I stop, send him one more menacing look, then reluctantly take a seat next to him. It’s the only seat available, and that’s because Charlie is upstairs putting Lainey to bed. No one left Mr. and Mrs. Banks’ house today after Stella was taken away. Hell, even Maddie refused to leave. Mrs. Banks set the kids up in different rooms upstairs since it’s now well past their bedtimes. Even Quinn is taking a redeye from Arizona.

It’s good having everyone here, ready to act when the order comes. The only problem is, besides the charge that Stella’s being questioned about, that’s all we know.

And it’s slowly killing me.

“Hey, she’s going to be okay.” Simon pats my leg as I lean forward, rubbing my temples from the headache I’ve had since Stella was driven away. “My dad isn’t going to let anything happen to her.”

“I know,” I admit. “I just…I hate that I’m not there with her. I want to fix this for her. Fight it. Whatever it is. I just…I feel so useless.”

“We all do,” he says. “But I get it. You love her. That’s what we do for the women we love.”

On cue, Charlie comes back downstairs and I offer her seat back, but instead she sits on Simon’s lap. He wraps his arms around her, holding on to her for comfort. It’s what they do. They’re a team in every way, feeding off each other when the other needs them.

That’s what I want to be for Stella. And it fucking killed me that I couldn’t go with her. Well, I could’ve, but William told me to stay. I wasn’t allowed in the interrogation room, and who knows how long it was going to last. It was better for me to stay here with the rest of the family and wait.

And wait. And wait some more. No one is speaking or talking, and the silence is eerie. I’m guessing quiet isn’t something that happens often in this house. It’s so quiet that we all jump when we hear the sound of a door opening and Stella, along with William, walking into the living room.

“Tiger.” Her name is a relieved breath on my tongue as I take four huge steps and scoop her into my arms. Her arms are a vise around my neck, and I squeeze her back just as hard. “Are you okay?”

I feel her nodding into my shoulder as she squeezes me even tighter, but she doesn’t say a word. I just hold her until she starts to let go, and even then I refuse to take a hand off her.

“Stella, what can we get you?” her mom asks.

“I know I should drink water and it’s late, but if you have a Diet Dr Pepper, that would be really great right now.”

Demetria smiles and nods. “Of course, sweetheart.”

I take a step back as everyone comes in to hug her. Questions are starting to fly, and I see Simon and William whispering something in the corner, so I step away to listen in.

“How bad is it?” Simon asks.

“It’s not good,” William says.

Before he can elaborate, everyone starts having a seat around the living room. I take Stella’s hand, clasping it with both of mine, as I see her gear up to recap the events of the night.

“I know that if anyone was going to be a criminal mastermind in the family, it was probably going to be Simon. But joke’s on everyone, it’s me!”

---