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Her words hurt. Hurt so fucking much as they splintered inside her, shredding her to a million useless pieces. “Did he call you Charlee?” Her reedy voice echoed in her ears.

Ella dropped her hands and climbed to her feet. “Yes.” She smirked. “I hear he calls us all Charlee.”

It was a punch in the gut, one that stole the last of her composure. She unleashed her fist and caught Ella’s nose in the same place.

Blood spurted over her wailing mouth. She wiped at the mess uselessly, panic flaring her eyes.

Charlee stretched her fingers and curled them again at the sight of blood staining her knuckles. “Get out before I start punching on your underdeveloped tits.”

A sharp inhale interrupted the woman’s sobs. She gathered her clothes, tugging them on as she ran to the door.

She balled her fist and turned toward the bed.

Eyes squeezed shut, his hand wrapped around his erection, hips pumping manically. A groan rumbled low in his throat.

Her stomach turned and her feet carried lead weights as she trudged toward him, fighting back tears. “Jay.”

His eyes flashed open, roamed over the ceiling, and his hand fell to his side. “Charlee?”

She closed the final few feet and sat on the mattress beside his hip, placing his erection outside of her periphery. “What did you take?” She waded through what she’d read in the file he’d given her. What drugs increased libido? “Was it ecstasy? Meth?” Neither of those had been starred in his list.

Could Roy have orchestrated this? Drugged him somehow? Jay only drank bottled water during his shows. And Roy’s drugs would’ve knocked him unconscious, not sent him into mindless arousal. She knew the effects of Roy’s concoctions too well.

Besides, Jay had proven he could slip back into drug use under the right circumstances. She couldn’t trust him.

His eyebrows pulled together, and his gaze bobbed over her face, unfocused. “I didn’t take anything.”

Anger burned through her cheeks. “Okay, then you were sober while you fucked Ella’s mouth. That makes it all better.”

He curled to a sitting position, awkward and sluggish, and his eyes landed on his erection as if seeing it for the first time. He gripped it, stroked. “Ah, God, Charlee. I need…I need to fuck you. Come here, baby.” He reached for her.

Heart sprinting, she jumped from the bed and backed toward the door. His betrayal was unlike anything she’d ever felt. It was a riptide, slamming into her over and over, pulling her under. Her knees buckled and a sob crawled through her throat.

She gripped a cabinet and swallowed helplessly, unable to gather enough air. “I trusted you. I loved you so goddamned much. I…I—” She slapped a hand over her mouth, gulped harsh breaths, her voice reaching high-pitched hysterics.

He stared at her, but she was certain he wasn’t hearing, wasn’t seeing. He fell upon his back and resumed his self-pleasure.

“You broke my heart,” she whispered from the emptiness inside her. Opening the door with measured and determined movements, she stepped into the hall.

83

Charlee clicked the door behind her, the pain wrenching her chest, cutting off her air. Just a few more minutes and she could finally break down.

“Will you call Laz?” She stared at the button on Tony’s shirt, not wanting to see the pity sagging those steel gray eyes. “He’ll know how to deal with whatever drug is in his system. Make sure he doesn’t…overdose.” She cleared her throat. “Get him back to his room safely. I won’t be joining him.”

“Of course.”

Nathan gripped Charlee’s chin, raised it. His eyes were fierce and imposing. He wouldn’t ask her if she was okay. Not if he was reading her face. “I had our things packed. Our bags are downstairs. Was that…is that what you want?”

Bless him for his foresight and saving her that dreadful task. “Thank you.” She moved toward the cluster of guards, knowing what would come next. Jay’s actions didn’t just impact her. They hurt Nathan, too.

Nathan wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist and leaned his forehead against hers. They spoke softly, Tony nodding, her face drawn and her lip sucked in.

Maybe Charlee could convince him to come back before they left Little Rock. What could she say to make him stay with Tony? The throb in her head magnified with the pain stabbing her heart.

He cupped Tony’s face, kissed her deeply, passionately. Charlee turned away and swatted at the tracks of tears burning her cheeks.

A moment later, his hand slid over her limp one. “Let’s go.”