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I start to go because really, there’s no sense in prolonging this. Finn doesn’t hold me back, but he snarls, “We can handle it.”
Behind the two trainers, a whole slew of sweaty, trained men gathering behind them. Dempsey lifts a brow, his face still a mask of fury. “You know it’s better for her.”
A murmur rises up behind the guys, and it’s Jax who turns first. “Go back inside,” he orders. “Or I’ll have you all doing burpees until you fucking puke.”
Most of them listen, but a few still linger. I meet Finn’s gaze. He’s frowning. A pissed sort of look that says he wants to pummel Dempsey, but also that he’s trying to behave like a gentleman. “You call me,” he says, gesturing toward the phone clutched tight in my fist. “Whenever.”
I nod.
“Car,” Dempsey orders. I take one last longing look and turn to find a shiny black car parked a couple of spaces over. I keep my shoulders back as I walk toward it, but when I get in, I start texting furiously to Jaz, needing an outlet for what just happened. She’s still at work, so she won’t be texting me back anytime soon but I need to get it off my chest. Dempsey sighs when he gets in the car. “Damn boy is smitten.”
“Who?” I ask, tugging on my lower lip even though I damn well know who. I’m just too chicken to look for him—or more importantly, see his face right now.
“You’re not fooling anyone.”
I rest my head against the seat, keeping my eyes closed. “I’m not really trying to.” Minutes go by. I don’t bother to watch out the window as we drive further into the Heights. I know where we’re headed. I know where we came from. I just wish we were turning around and heading back the other way. “What now?” I ask as soon as Dempsey rolls the car to a stop.
He salutes the Dragon inside the booth then steers the car down the ramp to the underground parking garage. “We wait for Cole. We make a plan. We eliminate the threat.”
“And me? I doubtweincludes me.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He parks and turns off the car. “You get to stay in the tower until everything is clear.”
“Fun,” I snark.
He chuckles, but I have a hard time finding any of this funny. “I had someone go out and buy groceries. We’re setting you up in the second best suite in the whole tower. Bulletproof walls. Building security. Personal security,” he says, pointing to his chest. “Nothing can go wrong here.”
“I might die of boredom,” I sigh dramatically.
“Nah. There’s all the TV you could ask for. I bet your brother will even spring for you to order movies if you want.”
“Ooooooh,” I say mockingly.
As big guards turned second-in-commands go, Dempsey’s not bad. He gets my humor and lets me use it without being a Jax. Yeah, that’s right. I just used Finn’s brother as a verb meaning ornery.
However, I should take that back because he clearly wasn’t happy with Dempsey when he ordered me back here. Maybe I really am growing on him. It would be a huge help if the brother of the guy I like actually could stand to be in the same room with me.
Dempsey and I step out of the car and head toward an elevator. He hits the P button, and we shoot up, dinging through the different floors until the doors open once again. Two guards come to attention, but immediately relax again when they see it’s us.
Dempsey nods in their direction, and then we continue down the hall. Instead of turning toward Cole’s suite on the right, we go a little further, and he steers me toward a door on the left. Well, if Cole’s new place was Big Daddy K’s...holy shit. “Is this Rocket’s suite?”
“I have no fucking clue,” Dempsey grunts.
I’d almost forgotten Dempsey came as a Dragon with Cole. He has no idea about the people who were in charge of the Heights before they were. In any case, I’m pretty sure I’m right because this suite is smaller but just as nice. It’s still on the Penthouse level, so of course it would be Johnny’s. Who else would have stayed here?
I walk in, but Dempsey stays behind. He reaches his hand out. “Phone.”
I fish it out of my pocket and hand it to him. “If you need anything, call me.” He taps on my screen before handing it back.
I give him a mock salute just like I saw him give to the Dragon in the parking booth. “Will do.”
He leaves, going off to do whatever gang leader guards do, and I step inside an unfamiliar room. Jax and Finn’s house couldn’t be more different from this one. It’s all hard lines with the same motif as the big suite. Lots of silvers and whites with modern, shiny finishes. I literally have nothing with me to put away, so I snoop inside the suite first, checking out the bedroom and then the en suite. It’s nice. It’s not homey by any stretch of the imagination but it’s a lot fancier of a place than I’ve ever stayed before.
I head back into the main room. A small kitchen is situated against the wall directly opposite the bedroom door. A peninsula with seating separates the small area from the rest of the living space. Stainless steel appliances, white marble countertops, and white cabinets round out the design. I go to the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water out of the fully stocked shelves. Dempsey wasn’t kidding. They really did buy groceries for me, filling it right up. I hope that means they don’t think I’m going to be here for a while.
I plop down on the couch next. A plume of flowery scent with a hint of Lysol greets me. Cole must have people who come in to clean all the suites whether they’re being used or not. It makes it easier to relax in the space, considering Johnny’s player reputation. If this place wasn’t regularly cleaned, I’d be worried about what I was sitting in. Obviously, the notorious son of the leader of the Crew probably calmed down when he got with Kyla, but who knows how many girls he had on this couch before then?
Grabbing the remote from the coffee table, I turn the TV on and flip to Netflix. I start watching the same regency series I was enjoying before. I get through two episodes before a knock sounds on the door.