Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72543 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72543 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Tension uncurls in my belly with his confession and my fingers curl on his jaw. “You are to me,” I whisper.
He pulls back to stare down at me, his fingers fanning my face, and the torment I’d seen in him moments before has gone nowhere. “I don’t deserve you.” With this declaration, his mouth closes over mine, and I moan with the deep stroke of tongue, gone too soon as he tears his mouth from mine. “I’m not good for you.”
“Those words are destructive. You know that, right? They drive us apart.”
“I want to be your hero, baby, but the stakes are high. You have to know that.”
My fingers ball in the soft cotton of his t-shirt. “There’s a way to fix this. There’s always a way.”
“Not as long as he’s alive. That’s the cold hard truth.”
“Think of something else. What was that text you got?”
“Walker wants to meet.”
“Why?”
“They know we’re backed in a corner,” he explains. “They want to help us get out.”
“So let’s go talk to them.”
“Not us. Me. They want to talk to me alone.”
Realization hits me. “They don’t think you can be objective about what to do next with me in the room.”
“Look, baby, with you next to me, all I can think about is-”
“Protecting me,” I supply, and this touches me, and how can it not? He’s the only person in my life who’s ever looked out for me. “I know,” I add. “And that matters more than you know. Go alone. I need to go see my mother anyway. I might glean some information that helps us.”
“You sure you want to do that?”
“No,” I admit, “but I think we need me to do that.”
He considers me a moment, his lips tight as is his tone when he finally says, “It’s a good move but you have to have security with you.”
“I’m not going to argue on that point. After last night, I might need someone to pry her off me.”
His hands settle on my shoulders. “I’m going to take care of this and you. I promise.”
“And I’ll take care of you,” I promise, wrapping my arms around him, pressing my head to his chest, and holding him tight.
Chapter forty-six
Both Adam and Savage arrive at the same time and by the time we’ve exchanged greetings Savage has inhaled what’s left of the pancakes. “Clean up, complete,” he says, walking to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water and lifting it Damion’s direction. “Ready, man?”
Damion and I both laugh while Adam just shakes his head. “We ate breakfast,” Adam says, “in case you were wondering.”
“I’m a growing boy,” Savage explains. “And I need energy to beat all the asses in need of beating.”
He might be right on that one, I think.
A few minutes later, the whole lot of us are downstairs with two SUVs parked at the front of the building. Damion walks me to the backdoor of one of them and kisses me. “I won’t be long. Don’t you be either.”
I happily agree and he opens my door, helping me inside and too soon, he’s gone, and Adam’s joining me. “Your mother’s place?”
I glance at the time on my phone which reads ten am. “No,” I say. “She always goes in on Saturdays until noon and I need to grab a few things in my office anyway.”
He leans back and speaks to the driver and I glance at my phone and realize, Damion doesn’t know about Dierk. Oh God. I didn’t tell Damion about Dierk. I sit up. “Wait. Can you stop Damion? I need to tell him something and it’s urgent.”
Adam doesn’t so much as blink. He leans back to the driver and says something before he snatches his cellphone and punches in a number. A moment later he says, “She needs Damion.” He listens a moment. “Copy that.” He disconnects. “He’s still here.”
I’m already reaching for the door, when it opens and Damion appears, concern etched in his strong features. “What’s up, baby?”
I scoot all the way over. “Outside,” I say.
He backs up and I join him on the street, shutting the door. “You need to see something.” I reach for my phone and he catches my hand. “Dierk. I know. Believe me, I fucking know. Savage texted me this morning right after we got up.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you, but I was just lost in us. He was the last person on my mind. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I told you I could handle this shit and I wasn’t going to let him fuck up our morning.” He catches the lapels of my jacket and pulls me close, his voice pure demand and possessiveness. “You’re mine. Not his.”
“Even if you were still in Europe, I’d be yours and not his. I know you know that.”
“He doesn’t know, is the problem.”