Page 81 of The Wicked Love

Keanu walks in, speaking into his watch. “Anything yet, Max?”

A second later, Max says, “Not yet. You’ll know when I do.”

He’s keeping a watch downstairs, so we know exactly when Austin’s here.

Stella jumps when someone knocks on the door, and I bite down on my cheek.

Suddenly, the door opens, and all air in my lungs dissipates.

I rise to my feet, walking to her before I even realize it. “You look incredible.”

Becca is dressed in leather pants that hug every beautiful curve of her legs with stiletto heels and a long-sleeved red V-neck that’s tucked into her pants. She looks sexy as hell. And I wish this were all for me and that I could sweep her away right now.

“Thank you.” She bites her plump red lip. “I just want to get this night over with.”

I take her hands, rubbing my thumbs over the backs of them. “I know. We’ll have eyes and ears on you guys at all times. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

Keanu installed cameras in every inch of Becca’s room, which will need to come down after this. And she has her earpiece, which transmits back to Keanu’s impressive setup of monitors and speakers.

“I know.” She stretches up on her toes, wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses my cheek.

“He just walked in, heading to the elevator now. Get ready,” Max announces through the watch.

Instinctively, I grab her face in my hands and kiss her forehead. “Be safe. I’m right here.”

She nods her head, and I can see the exact moment something shifts behind her eyes. One second, I could see her nerves, her fears, and the next, she is the Becca everyone else knows.

“Safe word?” Keanu asks as she opens the door.

“Apollo. So casual,” she jokes like this is a normal day and not like she’s about to be in a room with Austin since finding out who he really is.

When the door clicks shut behind her, my heart lodges itself perfectly in my throat, making it a little hard for me to breathe.

I walk over to where Keanu is standing, watching the ten monitors covering every inch of every room.

“If you can hear me, say,Keanu is the coolest person I know,” Keanu says into the microphone attached to one of the monitors.

“Fuck off.” Becca laughs.

Max’s voice comes through the watch again. “He’s on your floor. Heading to you.”

I look down to the camera that’s outside her door, pointed partially down the hallway. And there he is. The pathetic human who raped my best friend and is about to walk into the same room where my girl is.

I shake my hands, wishing I could throw off the bugs that seem to be burrowing in my skin right now.

“Becca, he’s in the hallway, five rooms down,” Keanu tells her. He counts down. “Three … two … one.”

I watch as Austin knocks on the door, and Becca walks up to it without stumbling.

“Fuck,” I breathe out.

Becca opens the door, and he immediately pulls her into a hug, kissing her neck. I force my gaze up to the ceiling, so I won’t put my fist through the screen.

“It’s him. It’s really him.” Stella’s voice cracks.

I turn, blocking her view of the screen. “Don’t watch. You don’t need to see this.”

Cade stands up and hooks his arms under her waist. “Your call.”