Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“From here on out, I need to do damage control,” he says like he’s only halfway talking to me. “I have to make sure Carson and Nolan don’t fuck me over by spinning this story to my father before I have a chance to come up with a plan. I need to figure out how this is going to affect my engagement with Robin. And I need to decide what I’m going to do with you.”
“Do with me? I already told you—”
He holds up a hand, rubbing his face. “And I already told you. I’m not just giving you money and sending you on your way. That’s my baby too.”
I take a deep breath. He doesn’t seem to get it, but I’m not going to win this argument, not right now. I followed him to his house, now I’m stuck here, at least for tonight. “We’ll figure it out tomorrow, okay?”
“Fine.” He nods at my phone. “What’d she say?”
I give him Kathryn’s address. “She’s worried about me, that’s all.”
“Understandable.” He walks into the other room. I hear him make a quick phone call, talking in a low tone. When he comes back, he lingers in the door, watching me. “I know what you’re thinking. Strange man, strange house. You’re worried, aren’t you?”
“Can you blame me? We had a one-night stand and now I’m in your guest suite, pregnant with your baby, and you’re talking about taking care of me. I’m a little freaked out.”
He takes a step closer. “You need to understand something, Dara. No matter what, I’m going to protect you.”
“From what?” I ask, bewildered. Why’s this guy talking like there are assassins on our doorstep?
His jaw works for a moment, but he only shakes his head, turning away. “We’ll talk in the morning. I’ll be back in a little while with your things. Good night.”
I open my mouth to tell him to stay. We have so much to discuss—his fiancée, the baby, the future—but I’m exhausted and I don’t think I’m going to make any headway right now. Better to sleep on it, wake up refreshed, and make better decisions in the morning.
He walks off, the door shutting quietly, leaving me alone in the room trying to make sense of how in the hell I got here.
Chapter 14
Finn
I pour myself a massive whiskey and sit out on the back balcony, looking out across an alley. Genna picks up her phone on the third ring. “I was wondering when I’d hear from you,” she says.
It’s quiet in the background, wherever she is. “Left the club?”
“Stayed long enough to pester the boys. Carson says he’ll keep his mouth shut for a while, but he wants to talk. Nolan seemed angry, but he also agreed not to say anything right away.”
“That’s good.” I lean my head back against the chair. “Fuck, Gen. I’m in deep shit now.”
“Yes, you absolutely are.” She’s quiet for a moment. “You two seemed like you have a spark.”
“Something like that.” I squeeze my eyes shut, thinking about Dara back in my guest suite, all alone, lying in bed. I want nothing more than to get in there, crawl into bed, rub her back, whisper in her ear that everything will be okay. “I mentioned taking care of her. I said I’d keep her safe, and she asked me who I need to protect her from. I didn’t have the heart to say.”
“Your own family. What a fucking mess.” Genna lets out a bitter laugh. She has a complicated relationship with the Crowley organization, just like I do. It’s something we have in common. “You know I’ll help however I can, right?”
“I know that. Right now, I just need to figure out what I’m going to do about her.”
“If you like her, and she’s carrying your baby—” She trails off into silence.
I grunt at the part left unspoken. “I’m engaged, remember?”
“Engagements are easy to break off.” She clears her throat, sounding uncomfortable. “There’s always the other option. You know—”
“I am not going to ask her to get an abortion,” I say, anger rolling through my chest.
“Honestly, I’m relieved to hear you say that. I’m just putting the option out there. I don’t think that’s something you need to do, but maybe she wants to hear that from you. Maybe she’s looking for permission.”
“No,” I say more forcefully than I should. Genna’s just trying to help. “Even if that’s something she wants, I won’t allow it.”
“Okay, okay, fuck, when did you transform into an aggressive papa bear? It’s cute, but also annoying.”
I take a long drink. “My father is going to be homicidal when he finds out. The McLaren family doesn’t have our clout or our street power, but they do have top-level connections, all the way up to fucking Congress. If McLaren is angry enough, he can make our lives very difficult. Which means the shit will roll downhill, right onto me.”