Page 30 of Behind the Shadows

Her tongue darted across her lower lip, and I resisted the urge to entertain the idea of her mouth sliding up and down my cock. Thoughts of the previous evening returned, but I pushed them aside. This was a perfect opportunity to set Cooper up for being in her house last night. All she needed was a little encouragement to help that seed grow.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t ask you over to talk about Coop.” She leaned back in her seat, her body stiff and on alert. I hadn’t missed that her handgun was next to her.

“I have time.” I sat on the corner of her desk.

“I don’t feel right about staying here. Would you be comfortable talking at my place?”

I pretended to be shocked, but the opportunity to break down her walls when I took care of Cooper had fallen into my lap.

She shook her head, grinning. “I’m sorry. That was forward. But … why do I feel safe with you? Something about …”

My ears pricked at her words. Did she remember me after all? Was it just taking a while to jog her memory? It had only been a fleeting moment. Glimpses of that night flashed through my mind, and I winced as the full realization began to sucker punch me in the gut. Not only was this woman Samantha, but the fact that she was sitting in front of me meant … I hopped off the corner of her desk.

“Go home. Text me your address. I’ll meet you there around six. Make sure your windows and doors are secured. I don’t trust Cooper, and I sure as fuck don’t trust Draco.” Still, the thought of her heading out alone had my jaw locked tight, but I would have to keep an eye on the tracker under her car and the cameras in her house. She hurried down the hall as I scrambled to put the pieces together. One way or the other, I was about to find out the fucking truth, even if I had to pry it from a goddamn corpse.

12

HOLLAND

On high alert for any sign of Cooper, I rushed toward my car, wobbling on my high heels. The parking lot was deserted, making it easy to spot any movement, yet an unsettling feeling gnawed at me. Maybe Kip had scared Cooper enough to keep him away, but my doubts lingered. Draco, however, was a whole different problem, one I couldn’t shake off.

I reached my car as I fumbled with the keys, my mind a whirlwind of uncertainty. As soon as I climbed in, I locked all the doors, fastened my seatbelt, and started the engine, while my thoughts still raced.

My pulse hadn’t slowed since Kip had peeled out of the parking lot, leaving me alone with a head full of chaos.

Why did I feel safer with him?

The man was darkness, plain and simple. Brooding, dangerous, unreadable. His features carried a weight I recognized—maybe because I’d seen it in my own reflection too many times. A survivor’s weight.

Massaging my temples, I exhaled a shuddering breath.

It should terrify me—the way he’d handled Cooper, the way he moved like violence was stitched into his bones, but instead, all I felt was … relief.

God, what was wrong with me?

My throat tightened, a sharp sting building between my shoulder blades. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the loneliness catching up to me. Maybe it was the fact that when Kip stepped into that room—for the first time in years—I hadn’t had to fight alone.

My fingers curled tighter around the steering wheel.

I didn’t want to need him.

But right now, all I could think about was the rough gentleness in his words, the quiet way he’d sat on the edge of the desk instead of crowding me. The raw, dangerous promise in his words: that he would deal with Cooper. That he would stand between Draco and me.

A shiver rippled through me—part fear, part something else.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

This wasn’t happening. I wouldn’t let it.

But when I opened my eyes, my heart gave a traitorous little stutter.

Because no matter how much I tried to deny it, the feeling wasn’t going away.

My phone chimed with a message, and I hesitated, my hand hovering over my purse. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t hide from the world, and I needed to check my cell. I finally fished out the phone and tapped the screen, unsure if I wanted to see whatever message awaited me.

Vivian’s Dry Cleaners:

Your blouse is ready to be picked up.