Page 31 of His Deadly Devotion

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There’s a split second where consciousness seeps in and I don’t know where I am. Then I inhale and smell him. Connor. I don’t need to open my eyes to know he’s here with me, and if he’s here with me, I don’t care whereIam.

“Connor?”

“Yeah?”

“How bad was I?” I ask him. I don’t remember getting into bed, which means I drank a lot more than I meant to yesterday.

“Bad? You’re never bad, Aurora,” he tells me.

“How drunk was I? Oh god, I didn’t kill anyone, did I? Wait… Did I do something really stupid?” I open one eye to gauge his response.

“You’re never stupid and you didn’t kill anyonethat I know of. You were pretty drunk, though,” he says.

“How did I get in this bed?”

“I put you in it, after I showered you and washed your hair. You did brush your own teeth. You wouldn’t let me do that for you.” He chuckles.

“Oh my god. I’m sorry.” I’m mortified. What the hell did I say? What did I do? I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk around Connor. I’ve had one or two drinks, but I always limit myself. Especially after what happened that night at Kenny’s party…

“Don’t be,” Connor tells me. “Why did you drink so much? It’s not like you.”

“I don’t know. I guess I just got carried away with Zara.”

Oh shit, I wonder how much trouble she’s in?I do remember Dominic coming to get her, and he was far from happy. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man all that happy.

“Whatever you did, you pissed off your brother. He literally threw you on my bed and told me you were my problem now.”

My eyes widen. Lorenzo threw me onto Connor’s bed? He must have been really annoyed with me.

“He’ll get over it.” And he will. Because he’s my brother. He will forgive me for whatever I did or said. He always does. It finally registers in my mind that I’m completely naked. “Why am I naked?” I ask aloud.

“I didn’t have anything to put on you,” Connor explains.

“We need to get some supplies.”

“We do. I need a computer. What are the chances your brother will give me a laptop?”

“Probably not high. But you have that burner phone still, right?” I look around like it will just pop up out of thin air.

“I do. Why?”

“You want a laptop? I know how to smuggle one in.” I smile wide, because getting my hands on things people tell me I can’t have happens to be one of my specialties.

“You can’t call anyone, babe. No one can know you’re here,” Connor says, sounding more and more like my dad and brothers by the minute.

“I’m calling Zara. She already knows I’m here.” I roll my eyes. “So, no harm.”

“Okay.” Connor leans over the side of the bed and reaches for something. When he comes back up, he has the burner phone in his hand. “Do you know her number?”

“Ah… no. Shit. Hold that thought,” I say, jumping off the bed.

Before he can protest, I’m wrapping a towel around my body and walking out of the room. I hear him yelling my name as I shut the door and make a hasty escape down the hall.

I am, however, stopped dead in my tracks once I reach the corridor that leads to the main suite. Lorenzo is walking towards me. I turn and look over a shoulder to find Connor coming up the rear. I’m trapped.

“Aurora, why the fuck are you running around my house naked? Do you have any fucking idea how many men come and go from this place?” Lorenzo’s voice rises the closer he gets to me.