Page 8 of Ruthless Game

I also refused to think about the box of yellow Starbursts I’d found outside my door this morning. There’d been no note, no return address. It had to be from my parents. Had to.

“Emma, darling.” James was trying to get my attention. “Do you know that man? He’s staring at us, and he looks rough.”

I turned to look at whoever he was talking about, and in that moment, my heart stopped. My lungs stopped. The whole entire universe came to a crashing halt.

He was here.

He was here.

The last time I’d seen Lawson up close, he’d been cute—even pretty. Now, he was beautiful; with a square, chiseled face, high cheekbones, thick eyebrows and big, sexy, sultry lips I used to spend hours worshipping. His lips were framed by facial hair, which only made his masculine beauty feel rugged and dangerous. I’d never been attracted to a man with a mustache before, but I had to admit on him, it looked good.

He’d been a boy the last time I’d seen him. Now, with broader shoulders, a lean, muscular frame, and so much intensity in his blue eyes it almost hurt to look at him, he was a man.

I shut my own eyes. I wasn’t prepared for this. For him. But even with my eyes closed, I could still see him.

He couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be real. I had to be dreaming.

But when I opened my eyes again, he was still real. Still there. And when I pinched myself, it hurt.

He was leaning against the door to the pub, arms crossed over his defined chest, a scowl highlighting his beautiful, cruel mouth.

I didn’t know why he was here. Didn’t want him here. Told myself I didn’t care enough to find out what he was doing on this side of the Atlantic. Lawson hated flying, had never left the continent. So why now?

I swallowed my questions, mouthing leave.

He jerked his head, once.

No.

Turning his gaze to my date, he lifted his hand to his neck and moved it in a slicing motion. The threat to James was obvious, even though there was no reason for Lawson to care.

Get him out of here, he mouthed.

Once upon a time, I would’ve done what he told me. What anyone would have told me.

It wasn’t once upon a time.

So I also jerked my head to the side, once.

No.

Even from feet away, I could see Lawson’s eyes narrow. The air in the pub grew hot, oppressive, pressure descending on me, like Lawson controlled it. He didn’t. But that didn’t stop me from choking on his presence.

Straightening, he slowly made his way toward us, ignoring the whispers from the other students in the pub. I wasn’t surprised. Lawson had always drawn attention, even when we were teens. Now, with the man he’d become? I was surprised no one swooned.

“What’s he doing now? Emma, do you know him?” James whispered, sounding worried. “Do I need to call for security?”

I shook my head. “Someone from my past. He’ll say something cutting, and then he’ll go away. I promise.”

“You’ve never been good at keeping promises,” said a deep voice.

Lawson was here, looming over us—over me. I was lost in the darkness of his shadow, melting in the heat his body threw off. I straightened my spine until it practically cracked from the strain, but I wasn’t going to back down or bend over for him. Once, I’d been the kind of girl who couldn’t protect herself. It hadn’t mattered then, because I’d had Max—Lawson—to do it. But in the years since I’d left, I’d learned to stand up for myself. I didn’t let bullies win.

“Lawson, why are you here?”

“What, no time for an old friend?” He stressed the word friend like a taunt.

“No time for an old enemy,” I clarified. “Whatever you’re here for, just tell me and get it over with so we can both get on with our lives.”