Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“I know enough.”
Why was I arguing with a drugged female?
“Yeah, you do. No one can ever know more.”
What the fuck was that supposed to mean? She’d been molested by her own father. That was fucked up. But she’d gotten away. She’d saved herself. I respected that. I did. I even respected the fact that she’d killed the sick bastard. But that didn’t give her an excuse to be some shallow, lying, cheating slut. There was so much potential. Even if she didn’t look like a centerfold, she was talented. Really fucking talented.
“I wish you liked me.”
I squeezed the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Why wasn’t she passed out? I didn’t want to talk to her.
“I was good once.”
Then, be good now.
I bit the inside of my jaw to keep from responding. I wasn’t going to do this with her. She was high on her pain meds. She’d probably remember nothing that she said tomorrow.
“You would have liked me back then.”
I reached for the volume and turned the radio up to drown out her ramblings. Listening to her be vulnerable wasn’t safe for my common sense. Not coming from that mouth. I had to get her to fucking Dov and get back to the cellars. Forget tonight happened and try to forget this woman.
If she tried to say more, I couldn’t hear her over George Strait. When I finally pulled into her apartment complex, I’d found without her help since King was still keeping tabs on her every move, I glanced back to see she was asleep. Damn, she was beautiful. The urge to pull her into my arms and just watch her sleep was tempting, which meant I had to get her away from me. Far away.
Getting out of the vehicle, I closed the door and then opened hers to ease her out until I could pick her up. She didn’t open her eyes, but she did nuzzle her nose into my chest and sigh contentedly.
Scowling, I stalked to the front of the upscale apartment building. A security guard studied me, then saw Briar in my arms and stepped forward to open the door. I started to go past him when I realized a card was required to get into the elevator.
“I need in the elevator,” I told him.
He held out his arms as if I were going to hand over Briar to him. I didn’t.
“I’ve been told to deliver Miss Landry to her apartment,” he informed me.
“I’m capable of taking her to Dov,” I replied, being sure to drop the man’s name who was supposed to be up there, waiting on her.
The security guard frowned. “Dov”—he paused, as if unsure about that name—“informed me that no one was to come up that elevator with Miss Landry. Just me. I can’t let you inside.”
Fucking hell. Why wasn’t this Dov down here to get her?
Holding on to her tighter, I realized I was ready to fight this man over something that wasn’t my damn business. I had no right to Briar or her safety, and I didn’t want it. What I needed to do was get the fuck away from her before she messed with my head any more than she was already doing.
“Fine,” I snarled, shoving her into the man’s arms. “Take her. I’ve got better shit to do.”
He was gentle as he held her, keeping her slightly away from his chest. She was safe. I could see it in his expression as he studied her with worry. I wasn’t needed here. I should leave. Walk away.
He lifted his gaze to mine. “I need to make sure you’re outside and the doors are secure before I take her upstairs.”
Of course he did. I might be some deranged man, obsessed with Briar, ready to chase him inside the elevator. Nope. Not that guy. I was the one who had saved her life and brought her home. Nothing more.
Turning, I walked outside of the apartment, deciding then and there I wasn’t the one who would come get her for that checkup that Drew wanted. One of the others could deal with her. I was done.
• Six •
We needed to start packing.
Briar
Dovie was curled up beside me in bed, asleep, when I woke up this morning. For a moment, I was confused until I moved, and the pain in my shoulder brought it all back to me. The party, Jameson, the gunshot, and Storm. I just wasn’t sure how I had gotten in bed. The last thing I remembered was texting Dovie that I had been hurt and needed Maurice, our nighttime security guard, to help me up to the apartment when I arrived. Hopefully, that was what had happened. I’d fallen asleep while Storm was driving me home.
Trying to make coffee with one hand was more complicated than I would have imagined. At least it was distracting me from all the things slowly coming back to me that I wanted to forget. Mostly what I’d said to Storm in his SUV until he turned up the radio. Thank God for that. Except I hadn’t been able to stay awake when I wasn’t talking, and now, I wasn’t sure if Maurice had brought me upstairs or if Storm had.