Page 23

K ing ended up renting a large suite with two rooms connected by a common sitting area and kitchen.

His boss paid for the room with a credit card under Ana’s watchful gaze. When the woman behind the counter held out the room card to King, Ana stepped up and snatched it away.

Without a word, Ana spun on her heels, took Sara and Carla’s arms, and walked toward the elevators.

The men trailed behind.

Levi couldn’t take his eyes off Sara. She looked haggard and tired, but breathtakingly beautiful. His chest tightened when he thought about the fact that he might have already lost her.

The first thing Levi did was separate Sara from the rest of the group.

King helped him make that happen by speaking up first when the door to the suite of rooms closed.

“I think this will go much better if we stay out of their business,” King said, walking to the mini bar.

Ana glared at King’s back, but the gray-eyed, muscle-bound soldier was correct, and she acquiesced with a few words to Sara.

“Alright,” Ana told Sara, “but only if you want to.”

“It’s okay.” Sara gave Ana a small smile and followed after Levi, who headed to a room off of the main area.

“Call me if he gets out of hand!” Ana said, and because Levi didn’t look around, Ana shot her glare at their leader.

King smirked and lifted a small bottle of whiskey. “Care for a glass?”

“No,” Ana said with disdain.

“How about some wine?” Nash said, lifting a bottle from the counter.

Ana smiled for the first time since they’d met and walked gracefully over to Nash.

“I believe I will.”

Carla curled up on the couch with a throw blanket and her phone.

“What do you do, Ana?” Nash gave the woman a charming smile and uncorked the bottle.

“I’m a criminal defense attorney. And you?”

“Oh…I work for the government,” Nash said vaguely with an easy smile.

“Are we talking city water works or something else?”

Nash smirked. The woman was extremely smart, he could see why she was a lawyer. Not to mention, she was drop dead gorgeous with a wealth of black hair that hung to the top of her ass. She probably stopped the court in its tracks when she entered the room.

“Something.” He smiled and handed her a glass of wine.

Sara came out of the room’s bathroom and found Levi standing with his back to the room, facing a large window.

“What do you want,” she said. It wasn’t a question. It was more of a…what the hell do you think you’re doing…kind of thing.

Levi released a heavy sigh and turned slowly. His eyes raked over her, and Sara crossed her arms over her chest to keep her traitorous nipples hidden. She expected him to laugh or smirk, but he did neither. Which was good because she wasn’t opposed to walking over and smacking him upside the head.

His blue gaze was serious, his mouth firm. He’d tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans in a slow, sexy slide, outlining his crotch. She knew intimately what that material covered and she tipped her chin to glare at him, covering her shiver.

“Rebecca is not pregnant with my baby,” Levi said flatly.

Sara blinked. Of all the things he could have said, that had not been what she expected him to say.

“She’s not?”

“No, she lied. She is a chronic liar.”

“She said you two were together and had only had an argument.” Sara rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“We are not, and haven’t been together in years. Long story short, I neglected her. She took money from my father and traveled abroad, thinking I would chase her,” Levi said, holding her gaze.

“But you didn’t,” she murmured softly.

“No, nor will I ever chase her or go back to her.”

“Why would she lie about you?”

“She’s an obsessive person. Lies are her go-to.”

“But about a baby?” she asked incredulously.

“I know. She’s delusional. I have no desire for a kid.”

Sara felt the immediate burn in her stomach. He didn’t want kids. Levi didn’t want to be a father.

She swallowed hard. Thank god she had only eaten a little bit at dinner time. She shoved down the desire to run to the bathroom and vomit up what she had eaten.

“I don’t know why you came looking for me again,” she said, anger giving her strength.

“Sara…” he began, but she cut him off.

“No, please stay the hell away from me.”

She was spitting mad, but more at herself. She wanted a man who wanted nothing to do with her. Nothing to do with a child. She was nothing more than a passing fuck to him.

What about the day at the beach? What about the trip to the outdoor market? She quickly shut down that pesky inner voice. That day was probably something Levi did when he wanted to get in a woman’s panties.

Levi was an irresponsible jerk.

The guy certainly didn’t want a relationship with her or kids.

And she wanted both. She wanted a loving significant other and her baby.

She didn’t turn away from him, but instead stared him right in the eyes, keeping her expression frosty.

He was confused; it showed on his handsome face.

“Sara…” he tried again.

“No.” She held up a hand, stopping him. “I just can’t deal with you right now.”

In the next instance, she walked out of the bedroom door and entered the sitting area.

She found Carla curled up on the sofa and joined her there. Carla wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

What the hell had happened?

Levi couldn’t wrap his head around the change in Sara. She’d gone from warm to ice cold in seconds.

Wasn’t she glad that he wasn’t with Rebecca? Wasn’t she glad that it wasn’t his baby?

Baffled, Levi walked after Sara and into the other room, but she was already ensconced with Carla on the soft beige sofa.

Ana glared at him. “How did you fuck that up?”

Carla giggled at Ana’s aggressive tone and even Nash chuckled. Levi scowled and walked to the mini bar to make a drink.

“Sara,” King said, approaching the two women.

Levi swallowed down half of his drink and turned to lean against the mini bar as King walked over to Sara.

“Yes?” she said, turning her attention to King because god knew she didn’t even want to look at Levi to avoid breaking down.

“I’m part of a joint DEA Taskforce.”

Surprise held her mute for a few moments and then her voice came out with a squeak.

“What?”

King smiled ruefully and settled across from her in a large overstuffed chair. The men who were called West, Rowan, and Nash also came over to sit or stand around. Ana pushed through them all and took a seat on her other side so she was encased between her two friends.

What exactly was going on? She squinted at King.

“What does your task force do?” she asked. It seemed like a good place to start.

“We catch very bad people.” The man’s cool gray eyes stayed calm. No smile creased his mouth, his posture was confident and even controlled. If she had to sum him up in one word, she would call him lethal, badass, unapproachable, like hardened steel. Okay, that was more than one word, but every one was fitting.

“Okay…” She didn’t look away when King held her gaze.

“Your ex-boyfriend Kevin Wilson is suspected of drug distribution and money laundering,” King said.

His words shocked the hell out of her, and she wasn’t sure how to process the information.

Meek, mild Kevin Wilson was a…

“What?” Sara was pretty sure she was squeaking again.