Page 25 of Lost & Found

Aiden made his way toward the studio next door. Our eyes met, and a question formed in his eyes. He shook his head and disappeared inside. Lucky fucker.

“As I said earlier, I’ll text Chase about the wedding.”

“No, that’s not good enough. Answer the question. Look me in the face and tell me what we had meant nothing.”

“I’m not doing this with you. What we had was in the past.”

“Don’t brush me off like that. Answer the question, Pavel,” she sneered. She planted her hands on her hips. “I thought this was a small break?”

Was she fucking insane?

Our taking a break was forever ago. We hadn’t done the on again, off again for months. Was she losing her mind? Living in a delusion? I couldn’t count how many times I’d said or texted the actual words ‘we’re over’.

“Well, let me make this clear. If you want to think of it as a break, go ahead, but do me a favor and consider it a permanent one. I am done.”

She closed the space between us and looped her arms around my neck.

“And if I don’t accept that answer?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to tell you,” I snapped, disentangling her and trying to hold her at a distance.

Striving for patience, I reminded myself that it was pointless to continue the conversation. I wanted to avoid the mind-fucking shit-storm that she was. Inhaling deeply, I calmed my breathing, and then exhaled.

“I get this is difficult for you. I wish you nothing but the best in your life. I’ve got a client waiting. I’m tired of going around in circles with you. I have work to do. The best thing you can do is move on, trust me.” I moved to step away, but she grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

“Wait—did you lie about earlier? Is that why you’ve gone so cold? Are you with that girl? I deserve to know,” she demanded.

My frustration reached a whole new level.

“You are, aren’t you? I can’t believe it.”

“I’ll repeat myself only once more, Hannah. I’m not doing this with you, not anymore. You need to leave.”

“And you need to stop stalling and tell me the truth,” she hissed. “If you’ve moved on, I deserve the right to know.”

“You’ve asked this and I’ve answered it. Perhaps you need to learn how to listen better. Another one of our issues that bled into our bedroom more times than I care to admit.”

“You’re lying though. I know, I was with you for far too long,” she screamed. Heads turned up and down the street. “What is her name?”

“Get a fucking grip. Talk about being a disappointment. You need to get control of yourself. You’re making a scene.”

“It’s Kinsley, isn’t it?” She smiled like she’d uncovered a dark secret. “Is she inside? I’ll bet she will admit it. I’ll ask her directly.”

“No, what you’ll do is stay the hell away from her,” I said low enough only she could hear. “If you know what’s good for you, that is.”

“Is that a threat? Are you afraid for the world to know you’re another one of her fuck boys?”

“I mean it, Hannah,” I roared, feeling a surge of anger inside me. “I’m not playing around. Keep away from Kinsley.”

The realization that the woman I had planned to spend my life with was a complete stranger hit me hard, and the crazed look in her eyes made me nervous for the first time. If she so much as pulled a strand of Kinsley’s hair, I wouldn’t be able to contain her men.

While I’d never seen them deal with a woman in our Death Squad business, I had asked one time where the limit was as far as men and women were concerned. Their resounding answer was there wasn’t one.

And while Kinsley wasn’t a delicate flower, she was naïve and trusting. If Hannah were to lure her, the thought twisted foreign and ugly in my gut. Kinsley had been through enough in her lifetime. This was the last thing she needed.

In five years together, I’d never seen this side of Hannah. Or maybe I had and simply failed to recognize it for what it was. Unease consumed me in the span of seconds. I flattened my hands against my legs to keep them from curling into fists.

Without thinking it through, I lied. “I am seeing someone. It’s not Kinsley. Not that you’ve ever believed me anyway.”