“You have to trust me on this one, Allie.” Hudson’s strides were long and measured as he directed her down the hallway toward his bedroom. Everything about his demeanor had changed since the doorman’s call. Tension rolled off him in waves. When they reached the door to his room she heard the penthouse elevator ping softly in the distance. “Stay here,” he said. “This shouldn’t take long.”

He turned to leave, pulling the door shut behind him.

What the hell was that all about? Hudson had hustled her out of the room so quickly. Allie’s heart sank. Was that how she made him feel? Like she was ashamed to be seen with him? It couldn’t have been further from the truth. Under normal circumstances she’d have been proud to be on his arm. But her situation was far from normal. The panic she’d felt earlier had nothing to do with who he was, or where he’d come from. Somehow she had to make him see that.

Allie sighed heavily, resigned to the fact there was nothing she could do at the moment but wait. Might as well get ready for bed. She hadn’t planned on spending the night but after Nick’s unexpected arrival and Hudson’s bizarre reaction, there was no way she was leaving. Not with so many unanswered questions.

She grabbed a T-shirt from Hudson’s dresser and headed for the master bathroom to change and brush her teeth. A new toothbrush lay in the drawer next to Hudson’s. She unwrapped it, smiling at the gesture. Underneath that tough exterior was a sweet, considerate man. Of course he would hate that description if he heard it. Just picturing the look on his face made her laugh with a mouthful of toothpaste, but it was true. She’d seen his softer side more times than she could count, although it had never been more evident than in the way he treated Nick.

Hudson had always been so good with his kid brother. He was patient, putting up with the incessant barrage of questions only a twelve-year-old could conjure. He was protective, always making sure Nick was home before curfew. And he was kind, letting Nick hang around the two of them despite constantly teasing Hudson about having a “giiiiiiiirlfriend.”

So what had changed? Why was he insisting she stay in his room? Allie spit and rinsed her mouth, mulling the questions over in her head as she dried her face with a towel. Curiosity eventually got the better of her and she slipped quietly out of Hudson’s room.

When she reached the end of the hallway, she heard a voice she assumed was Nick’s. “You gotta help me, man.”

“What the hell do you keep looking at?”

“Your elevator. Does that fucking thing close?”

“Private elevator, Nicky. Here, drink this.” The exasperation in Hudson’s voice was tangible, and although she couldn’t see him, she could picture a deep furrow between his brows. “How many days have you been up this time?”

“Can’t fucking sleep. I haven’t even been home.”

“Why not? Did you blow your goddamn rent again?” Hudson was practically shouting. “Stop looking at the motherfucking elevator and sit the fuck down.”

Allie poked her head around the corner and stole a glance at the two brothers. Hudson had his back to her, obscuring her view of Nick, who had apparently listened to his brother and sat the fuck down. Hudson ran a hand through his hair and moved toward the window, giving Allie her first glimpse of Nick. She had to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp.

Of course he looked different—he was older now, twenty-two, maybe twenty-three—she’d expected that. But what she hadn’t expected was to find him so disheveled and agitated. He was tapping his heel, his leg bouncing at a manic pace as he fidgeted with a water bottle. Cap off. Cap on. And even from a distance she could see how badly he was sweating. Cap back off. Nick skipped the plastic cap across the coffee table and took a long drink. When he’d drained the bottle, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Hudson turned to face his brother and Allie was struck by the overwhelming family resemblance. She’d never really noticed it when they were young, but despite Nick’s current condition, he looked so much like his older brother. Same jawline and nose, same dark wavy hair—although Nick’s was considerably longer and, from the looks of it, hadn’t been washed in a few days. Their most distinguishable feature, though, was their eyes. Hudson’s were a clear blue while Nick’s were a deep brown. Allie’s chest tightened as she focused her attention on Nick’s dark circled eyes. Once so warm and full of life, his eyes were now vacant as they darted anxiously around the room.

“They’re after me. Bastard’s probably got my place on watch.”

“Look, you’re crashing and not making any sense,” Hudson said, but Nick didn’t appear to be listening. All his attention was focused on scraping the label from his water bottle. Without warning he jumped up and began pacing like a caged animal. When he was within arm’s reach, Hudson snagged him by the collar. “Come on, you can sleep it off downstairs or in the theater, take your pick.”

Nick shrugged out of his hold. Hudson stared at him for a long moment and then shook his head as he turned away. Allie ducked back around the corner, afraid she was about to be discovered. She was inching toward the master bedroom when Nick’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“You’re not listening to me!” he yelled.

“Hearing you loud and clear. What kind of money are we talking about?”

There was a lengthy pause, and when Nick finally spoke, his voice had grown quiet. “A shit ton.”

“How much, Nick?”

Nick muttered a few words she couldn’t hear.

“Fuck!” Hudson exploded. “How could you be so stupid?

Allie flinched at the sound of a fist pounding into a hard surface.

“I didn’t mean for shit to get real. I swear, Hudson, this is the—”

“Don’t you dare finish that fucking sentence.”

A cabinet opened in the kitchen. Glasses clinked. A bottle was set down with a thud. And then nothing but an uncomfortable silence.

When Hudson finally spoke, Allie could tell he’d used the time to reign in his temper. His voice was level though his words were still razor-sharp. “You’re going to listen to me carefully, because the terms of this deal are non-negotiable. I’ll bail you out one last time, but you’re checking into rehab. Tomorrow. Consider it repayment.”

“I got this, bro. Don’t need rehab.”

“There’s only one right answer here, Nick.”

Nick mumbled his reply, and the next thing Allie heard was the sound of Hudson’s footsteps on the living room floor. Shit! She scampered down the hall and was sitting cross-legged on the bed when he entered the room.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine.” Hudson strode through the room without so much as a glance in her direction. His face was taut with tension as he stripped his watch from his wrist and tossed it on top of the dresser. Pockets were next. He emptied them, carelessly dumping his wallet, change, and cell phone into a pile. When he was done he yanked open a drawer and grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms before disappearing into the bathroom.

Clearly he wasn’t fine.

Allie crawled up the bed and slipped under the covers. Exhaling, she leaned back against the headboard, crossed her arms, and waited. When Hudson emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, his clothes had changed but not his mood.

He threw back the duvet and stretched out on the bed with his forearm resting over his eyes. Allie lowered herself to the pillow next to him, watching the heavy rise and fall of his chest. After a while it became clear Hudson wasn’t going to say anything about his brother’s late night arrival. It was up to Allie to address the elephant in the room.

She took a deep breath and confessed. “I was listening.”

Hudson lifted his arm and stared at her, his expression unreadable. “Were you now?”

She nodded. “I’m sorry. You were just so upset . . .” Allie fumbled with excuses as Hudson dropped his arm back over his face, offering no reaction or further explanation. “I had no idea.”