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He caught her nape and stamped his possession with a kiss. He watched her dress in tight black leather pants, a grey turtleneck and thigh-high boots. She was securing her hair in a ponytail when his phone beeped.
He read the message with a satisfied nod. “Let’s go.”
The motel was two streets south of Collins Avenue. Noah parked his Maserati in front of a closed dry cleaners and handed his keys to one of Paddy’s men.
“Room 332.” The guy nodded at the two-story building across the street.
Noah grabbed Leia’s arm and led her to the motel.
Paddy was waiting and opened the door. They walked in, and Noah stopped in front of the guy seated on the only chair in the room.
Willoughby had dirty blond hair and might have once been passably handsome in a way that Noah supposed could turnheads when he was cleaned up. And not overweight from eating too much shitty prison food. The arms restrained behind him showed cheap prison tattoos. When he saw Leia’s name in red ink down the bastard’s neck, Noah’s stomach roiled.
Paddy had already introduced him to a few fist sandwiches, judging by the thick cut on his upper lip.
An upper lip that curled in a sneer when he saw Leia. “There’s my little baby whore?—”
Noah’s foot, propelled into Willoughby’s chest, stopped him from finishing the sentence. He crashed into the wall. The back of his head gave a sickening crunch when it connected with hard concrete. Taking a couple more steps, Noah placed his booted foot on the guy’s throat and leaned over him. “Now, is that the way to greet your stepdaughter?”
Willoughby’s eyes bulged, and he tried to wriggle away.
Noah picked him up and slammed him back down. “Let’s try again, shall we?”
Wheezing, Willoughby spat out blood and stared at Leia. “Did you feed him the same lies you fed the court?” He switched his gaze to Noah. “She wanted it. Same as her mama, this one. Cock-hungry little?—”
Leia’s boot caught him in the nuts.
Willoughby squealed.
She smiled. “I think I’ll let you get up so we can catch up properly.” She stood back. When he just grunted, Paddy grabbed him by his arms and hauled him up. The moment the PI let him go, Willoughby lunged at her.
Noah moved to intercept, but Leia was faster.
She crouched, spun on her heel and slammed her elbow in her stepfather’s face, followed by a sharp jab in the ribs. Noah barely managed to stop himself from applauding. When Willoughby crumpled into a heap, she bent down and spat inhis face. “This time when they lock you up, I hope they throw away the key.”
She was trembling when she walked into Noah’s arms, but the remorseless fire in her eyes made his heart sing.
She would be okay.
And if they were lucky, they would be okay.
He turned to Paddy. “Make sure he hands over every copy of the pictures and videos. Then find out everything he knows about Snyder, whether he sent those dolls, and where we can find him. And do it before our detective friend gets here, in case he decides to play hard to get later.”
Paddy smiled and nodded.
Halfway across the parking lot, they heard Willoughby squealing for mercy.
27
“I have to fly out of town for business this weekend.”
Noah’s heart leapt in his chest. How in the hell did his world stop just from those simple words?
Hoping his panic didn’t show, he tucked his hands behind his head and watched Leia from the bed. She crossed from the bathroom to the closet in nothing but an ice-blue garter and matching thong. “When and for how long?” he asked.
“I leave on Sunday night and get back on Wednesday morning.”
Today was Friday. He’d planned a leisurely weekend for them, perhaps even a double date with Damon and his wife, Birdie, since Gabe and Angela were fighting again and had headed out of town to fuck knows where.