Page 75 of Lawton

I glared into the shadows, feeling royally pissed off that Bishop had dragged me out here just to give me shit about something he didn't understand.

He was the one who needed to wise up. Not me.

Standing there, I let out a ragged breath and waited for the cold night air wash away the heat of my anger. But for some reason, it didn't. Like the scent of gunpowder, Bishop's words lingered in the quiet night.

Stop being stupid.

She's hiding something.

There's more to her story. There always is.

Asshole.

Someday, he'd eat those words. I'd make damn sure of it.

But now, Chloe was waiting. I turned and headed toward the nearest door, determined to shove aside any doubts. When the time was right, I'd just ask her. Maybe later on tonight. Until then, I wasn't going to let anyone ruin this for me.

But as it turned out, it was too late for that, because when I got back inside, I had a new surprise waiting.

Chloe was gone.

Chapter 34

I stood in the empty bathroom, trying to make sense of it. I spotted a damp towel draped over the side of the tub, along with the shirt that I'd given her at the fence. The room was scented with soap and misted with steam.

But there was no Chloe.

I'd returned from outside to find the bathroom door cracked open, but no sign of her anywhere. I glanced around. She was here somewhere. Shehadto be.

I strode through the house, going from room to room. The house was big, but not so big that I couldn’t figure it out soon enough.

She'd run out on me.

But why?

Before I knew it, I'd grabbed my car-keys and was heading out the front door. Whether by car or by foot, I'd find her. What I'd do then, I didn't know. For starters, an explanation would be nice.

Once outside, I spotted her right away. She was standing in profile just inside my front gate. Her hair was wet, and she wore the casual clothes I'd given her earlier, along with an oversized dark hoodie – mine, obviously – and a pair of red tennis shoes that could've only come from my front closet.

Nearby, the front gate was shut, and she was studying its keypad in obvious frustration.

What was this? An escape?

If she wanted to leave, I wasn't going to stop her. But I sure as hell wasn't going to let her go without first telling me why.

Silently, I stalked toward her, feeling my frustration rise with every step. In my line of sight, she looked twitchy and nervous, like a rabbit surrounded by a pack of wolves. She leaned closer to the keypad and reached her fingers along its side.

Looking for what? A secret lever? A switch? The code? Yeah, good luck with that.

Before I knew it, I was right behind her. "Looking for something?" I asked.

With a gasp, she whirled around to face me and blurted out, "I'm leaving."

I crossed my arms. "Obviously."

She glared up at me. "You can't keep me here."

What the hell? The statement felt like a kick to the gut. "Is that what you think? That I want toforceyou to stay?"