But first things first. He needed to prod her out of being down in the dumps. She obviously had no real plan for the future, and he figured she needed the very people she was avoiding more than she wanted to admit.
He approached a desk, where Linc’s fiancée and personal assistant sat guarding his office.
Catching sight of him, Jordan rose to her feet. “I have to admit I was surprised when the guard downstairs called and said you were here to see Linc.”
“So was I.” Linc, dressed in his ever-present suit and tie, stood in the doorway. “But considering my sister is staying with you, I’m guessing we have something to talk about. Come in.” He glanced at Jordan. “Why don’t you join us. You’re just going to listen in anyway,” he said with a grin Beck knew he reserved for very few. “I take it you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Beck said. It hadn’t been a question anyway.
Beck gestured for Jordan to precede him, and they all walked into Linc’s office. Jordan took a chair. Linc leaned against his desk, arms folded in front of him.
And Beck stood in front of him. “Well, this is cozy.”
“Cut the crap,” Linc muttered. “What brings you here? Is Chloe okay?”
“Yeah,” Beck answered immediately because he wouldn’t let Linc think anything was wrong with his sister. “But she’s not herself. I’m not sure I’d say she’s depressed, but she’s down for sure.”
Linc stiffened. “How can you be sure? You barely know her,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Linc.” Jordan rose and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let him explain without biting his head off.”
Beck flashed her an appreciative smile. “I know because Chloe hasn’t left my apartment, and she doesn’t seem to have motivation to do anything more. Even when Aurora came over, Chloe enjoyed herself, but she definitely didn’t think about going out while she was there. Maybe because they had the baby, I don’t know. But I thought you should know.”
Linc nodded, taking in Beck’s words. “She needs her family, which is what I said from the minute that bastard left her at the altar,” he muttered.
“But she’s an adult and made her choice to stay with me. I’m just giving you the courtesy of letting you know how she’s doing. In person.”
A long pause followed, and Beck thought Jordan was going to have to nudge Linc to get a thanks, but he managed to speak up first.
“Thank you,” he finally said.
“I’m doing it for Chloe.” Beck needed to make his position clear.
“We’ll take care of her,” Jordan said and Beck had no doubt she meant it. Linc, too.
Like Beck and his family, the Kingstons were a tight bunch.
His job here finished, Beck turned and walked out of the office, heading back downtown to his loft. That Chloe was there waiting made it all that much sweeter.
Chapter Five
Other than Aurora’s visit, Chloe had managed to hold her family off for over a solid week. And if it had been Linc who’d called asking her to meet, she could have pushed him for more time, too. Not Xander. Her marine turned thriller writer brother liked his solitary lifestyle, staying in his East Hampton home whenever he could and only coming to his Manhattan apartment when necessary.
If Xander was asking to see her, she couldn’t say no. He suggested they meet at her mother’s estate in Brookville, which was halfway for each of them, an hour for her and actually half an hour longer for him. Leaving Beck a note so he wouldn’t wonder where she’d suddenly disappeared to when he returned from work, she called for an Uber and headed to her mom’s.
As the car stopped at the gate, Chloe opened her window and punched in the code. The doors slowly opened, and the driver pulled up to the house she’d grown up in. Massive and with enough land for her father to dub it the Kingston Estate, this was home.
She thanked the man and exited the vehicle, immediately taking in not just Xander’s BMW SUV but Linc’s Range Rover and Dash’s obscene Ferrari Limited Edition V12 supercar. Given his rock star status as lead singer of the Original Kings, to Dash, the sports car was pocket change. He had the kind of fame that put her little issue with social media bloggers and Page Six to shame. Surprise hit her that he was at their mother’s, too. The band should be holed up writing music and practicing the songs they had ready so they could head off on tour. Instead Dash was here along with the entire family.
Which told Chloe one thing: She’d been set up.
Her anger bubbled up along with a deep understanding of their concern. After all, if the situation were reversed and any one of them had been left at the altar and taken refuge with a stranger, she’d be out of her mind with worry, as well. But that didn’t mean they could manipulate her.
The front door was unlocked, and she let herself inside, following the sound of voices to the large family room her mother had redone shortly before Chloe’s father had passed away of a heart attack.
She stood in the wide entry, taking in the busy-looking chintz furniture covered with floral fabric and accented with dark wood. All her mother’s taste. Not Chloe’s.
In silence, she waited until, one by one, they noticed her.
“Honey, I’m so glad you’re home.” Her mother walked up to her and pulled her into a hug, and Chloe doubted anyone had told her mom that this was an ambush.
“Hi, Mom.” She hugged her back, taking in her familiar scent.
Breaking apart, she met Xander’s gaze. “You,” she said, pointing at her bearded brother, “used our relationship against me.”
“Whoa.” He held up both hands. “All I did was ask to see my sister. With a little prodding from him.” Xander tilted his head toward Linc and Jordan groaned.
“Can’t you keep your mouth shut?” Linc muttered.
“What? Because it isn’t obvious that this gathering means it’s time to have a chat with Chloe?” she asked with finger quotes around the word chat.
“I thought you all decided to come for a visit,” her mother said, her chiding gaze falling from one male child to the next.
Linc stepped toward Chloe. “Well, now that you’re here, can you at least understand that we’re worried about you? Holed up in Beckett Daniels’s place? You don’t even know him.” He reached out a hand to touch her arm and she jerked away.
Chloe dropped her shoulders and much of her anger. “Of course I understand you’re concerned. I would be, too, if the situation was reversed. But the whole point of me staying with Beck is that he’s not pressuring me. I have time to think and assess my life. When things get upended, that’s what you do.”
Dash, who’d been leaning against a far wall, stood straighter. “She deserves time to weigh her options and her life choices,” he said, and she shot him a grateful look.
“By moping around? Not going out or leaving the apartment?” Linc asked. “I don’t call that healthy behavior.”
Chloe narrowed her gaze. “Just how did you know that?”
“I didn’t say a word to anyone about anything! I swear. Except relaying your message to Linc,” Aurora said, obviously afraid Chloe would think she’d mentioned something to cause this intervention after her visit.