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“Because no one would listen!” I toss up my hands, forgetting about the glass in my hand and sloshing margarita onto my wrist. “I tried to say something when it was all blowing up, but no one would listen to me. And I tried to tell King, but he was being a dummy…” I trail off, thinking that I’ve probably had ample opportunity to tell him but I’ve had a few other things on my mind.
“King doesn’t know?!” Val leans too far over the armrest, making her chair start to tip.
She shrieks and leans back, dropping all four feet back to the floor.
We both snicker. “I tried to tell him,” I repeat with a shrug. “But if he wants to make dumb assumptions, then he can live with dumb consequences.”
“That’s so typical of King,” Val cackles. “And so very fucked up.”
I roll my eyes, “Understatement.”
Her face turns serious. “I know this is all super unfair, and I don’t like that King just, well, took you. But I really like you. And I’m happy to have you as a part of the family.”
“Thanks, Val.” I swear she’s the only normal person I’ve met since this all started and the thought of her being family makes something calm inside of me.
“So…” Val smiles over at me. “Do you think you’ll stay?”
I take a big gulp of margarita and turn to look out at the final rays of sun. “I know I shouldn’t.”
“But…”
“But… I like Duke.” I lift my glass and drain the rest of the drink. “And I’m starting to like your stupid brother, too.”
CHAPTER46
King
When I walkinto the house, I expect to hear… something. Laughter, talking, maybe crying. Whatever it is that women do when they get together.
But I hear nothing.
I pause my steps to listen, but still, nothing.
My man at the gate told me Val got here three hours and twenty-five minutes ago.
They’re all a little jumpy after yesterday’s gate guards disappeared, probably thinking I had them killed.
Really, I just had them transferred to Texas. Summer in the south felt like a good punishment, since technically, I was at least partially to blame for Savannah getting away yesterday. I’d been too preoccupied to give every employee a photo of Savannah and explicit instructions to keep her on the grounds. But I’d figured no one would be stupid enough to let some random woman leave, in a vehicle that clearly doesn’t belong to me, when they knew I had a kidnap victim on the premises.
So let the men think death is the punishment. Because if anything had happened to Savannah it would’ve been.
Duke lifts his head from his spot on the living room couch, but he doesn’t bother to get up to greet me. He always acts put out when I work late.
“You gonna run away from me, too?”
I swear he rolls his eyes before closing them and dropping his head back down on the cushion.
My emotions have been all over the fucking place today and I can’t figure out why I feel so…out of sorts.
I finally got my sexy little wife under me last night.
Finally got my dick buried in that sweet little pussy.
And she was a full, enthusiastic participant.
I hadn’t gone to Chicago with the intention to fuck her before bringing her home, but when I saw her…
When I found her waiting for me in that room…