Page 41 of Healing Conviction

“Nora…” Concern began to carve a hole into his chest with his every panting inhale. He reached for her, trying to help her off her knees, but she popped up on her own with a quick grin. Relief crept into the worry, and he returned her smile before shaking his head with a small laugh.

“Fuck, baby… that was incre—”

“Oop, hold on, my phone is ringing.”

The air in his chest stilled, making it hard to breathe again as he watched her turn from him and put her phone to her ear.

“It’s Snake,” she whispered over her shoulder back at him. “Hey there, Superman.”

Draco stuffed his softening cock back into his pants while she talked, fighting the irrational jealousy he had every time she talked to Snake. It wasn’t like he thought she liked his teammate, but their close friendship was something he coveted with her. And hell, she’d just been on her knees forhim, but it’d felt like she was further away than ever.

“Ugh… dude, that’s in the middle of Timbuktu. Are yousureJasmine’s there?” She finally met Draco’s eyes and spoke to him while listening to Snake. “He said he thinks he found the second woman’s address, but she’s hours away. You good with checking it out?”

He felt himself nod. She relayed his assent and continued to talk to Snake, like Draco’s cock wasn’t still wet from her mouth and he wasn’t still reeling from whatever the fuck had just happened.

It was good they were going to be stuck together on a road trip again. If there was a chance to have more time with Nora, he would take it, no matter what. Especially now that he had to get to the bottom of this distance that was suddenly between them.

“Alright, check back in soon.” She hung up and propped her hands on her hips before smiling at him. “Ready to go? Might as well get the show on the road.”

His mouth sputtered as he looked from her to his unzipped pants and back again. “Nora, I think we should tal—”

She held up her finger. “Hold that thought. Getting another call—oh shit. It’s Shanna.”

He tensed. “Put her on speaker.”

Nora nodded and tapped on the screen. “Shanna, girl, hey—”

“Please…” Rushed breaths huffed on the other side. “I need your help.”

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Drake’s truck careened into the hotel lot, parking crossways into the spot they’d left only a few hours before. When he hopped out of his side, only feet from Shanna’s room, her faded-blue door slammed open with a loud crack.

Shanna screeched out her door, barreling straight into Drake’s arms. Even with a hysterical woman throwing herself at him, he seemed to remain focused, and all but threw Shanna into the back seat of the cab before slamming her door.

“Drive! Drive! Drive! Oh my god, get me out of here! Get me out of here!”

Drake leaped into the truck and sped out of the parking lot, dodging people from the party still raging on from earlier.

“What’s going on, Shanna?” Nora raised her voice over her screams while trying to maintain a sense of calm amid Shanna’s chaotic fear.

“They’re after me! I told you they’d be after me! I told you. Get me outta here and I’ll tell you anything you fuckin’ wanna know. Just get me outta here—”

“Hey, it’s okay! What’s going on? Who’s after you?” When Shanna kept babbling and slapping the back of Drake’s seat, Nora twisted backward to grab hold of the woman’s thin, sweaty wrists to settle her wild movements. “I’m gonna need you to calm down, babe. Talk to me. What are you talking about?”

“I-I got a call from one of my re-regular suppliers—”

Oh, Hades in a handbasket, the poor thing’s high as a kite.

Nora glanced at Drake, and, as if he’d read her mind, the truck slowed to a lawful speed.

“No!Don’t you dare slow down.” The woman’s eyes were so wide, Nora half expected them to pop out of her head.

“Shanna, babe, did you take something?”

“I am not fucking high, alright? I mean, I am, but you don’t understand! They’re after me! You have todrive!”

Nora kept her hold on the hysterical, paranoid woman and tried to talk her through her hyperventilation. “Shanna, breathe with me and try to calm down. What did you take? Do we need to go to a hospital?”