“You’re still thinking you want to get it canceled.”
“The contract? I’m notthinkinganything. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“You know that’s risky. I take it you haven’t found anything to suggest it’s got legs?”
“I have found nothing to suggest it’s got any limbs at all, Ray. Far as I can tell, it’s bullshit. At least as far as my criteria go.”
He’s quiet again. “You fucking this kid or something?”
A bizarrely out-of-place house pops up in the middle of what looks like a cow pasture. A new-looking sign announces the “Elizabeth Wilde Haunted Bed and Breakfast.”
Oh hell. Jalen was being literal. We are pulling up to a haunted bed and breakfast in the middle of the night. On purpose. This is an official sign that I should’ve let that psychopath handle my job for me, turned right around, and gotten on a plane.
You were never going to let that man kill Rowan.
“Oh, look,” I chirp with forced cheer, “found my turn. Gotta go, Ray. Let me know if you have any other information.”
“Milo, wait—”
As quickly as possible, I hang up the phone and take the turn down the gravel drive. I’m trying to force my shoulders away from my ears when Rowan finally speaks.
“More people are trying to kill me?” He’s quiet and unsure. The tone of the question doesn’t match the asker. The grumpy, sexy young man who stood in front of me and offered his body in exchange for protection is nowhere to be found.
Fine, I probably would’ve tried to help him anyway. I don’t think I could’ve not done it, all the should in the world be damned. I’m also selfish enough to take advantage of his body if he’s offering. That, I won’t deny.
Comforting him still makes me squirm, though.
“We already knew that was the case,” I nearly whisper.
“We suspected. Now we know for sure.”
I nod. “Changes nothing.”
“Doesn’t it?” There’s a thread of panic in his voice. “I don’t even know who I pissed off. Seriously, I’ve hardly gone anywhere or done anything since I moved out of my ex’s house. I’ve only had a handful of clients, and they were all fine, except for the one you… You know.”
It’s a foggy night. I’m silent for a while under the guise of navigating the long-ass driveway. Also, what can I say here that’s helpful?
“Babe, I’ve seen people kill for the stupidest reasons. Heard a story one time about a psychopath who murdered his entire household because he thought getting divorced would be a bigger hassle. Another one about a guy who, instead of breaking up with his girlfriend, drove her to an active train track and tried to leave her there locked in the car. The list goes on.”
“Jesus Christ.”
Now that I think of it, neither of those stories is probably helpful.
I pat him on the knee. “The second one turned out okay. The girl got out of the car and ran. When the train hit the car, it spun into the boyfriend at, like, sixty miles per hour and turned him into hamburger.”
The story makes me chuckle every time I think about it. Fucking Darwin Award winner if you ask me. Piece of shit deserved exactly what he got.
Rowan swallows hard next to me. “That’s… Um…”
Okay, obviously Rowan doesn’t think dying in dumb ways is as funny as I do. This relationship is doomed to fail, in case we didn’t already know for sure.
Pulling the stolen car into a cutout at the end of the drive, I turn it around so we can leave quickly if we need to and then nod toward the house. Three serious-looking men stand there, staring from under the porch light. All three are rumpled and clearly displeased that someone dragged them out of bed at such a ridiculous time of night.
“Evening.” I wave as cheerfully as possible, given the hour. “Sorry to drag you guys out so late. Jalen said it would be okay for us to stay here a night or two. We really appreciate it.”
The blond one rolls his eyes, but he quickly narrows them at me. He’s the shortest of the three, which is curious. He’s pressed against the tallest man with a protective grip on one arm. As we all size each other up, I realize both men on either side are actually looking pretty protective of the guy in the middle. He’s clearly the oldest and the largest, but the way the younger ones flanking him are glaring daggers tells an interesting story. I definitely have some questions, not that it’s a great time to get nosy about their relationship dynamic.
It’s the hard set of the blond one’s jaw that concerns me, a little. The tense lines of his body. He’s legitimately angry, and he’d better not try to take anything out on Rowan. Then Iwillhave something to say.
