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She opened her mouth to argue but then closed it. “I’ll be back soon,” she told Bethany.
You hope.
I hustled her into the bedroom and tossed her phone to the bed, pointing at it. “What. The. Fuck.”
“I’m guessing you read the text from Li Na.” She started pacing. “I got it earlier today. I was going to tell you. I’d already made up my mind to—”
“But you didn’t!” I ran my hands through my hair. “You hid it from me! What were you going to do? Tell me when you were on your way to fucking China?”
She whirled on me. “Stop! This is Hannah we’re talking about! What are my options? Tell Li Na: ‘Sorry, I changed my mind—go ahead and execute my sister?’”
“No! But you can’t sacrifice yourself, and you can’t lie to me, goddamn it!”
Lauren suddenly sat down on the bed, as if all the fight had left her. “I was going to tell you tonight. I swear.” She raised her eyes to meet mine—she looked hollowed out.
“How can I trust you when you kept this from me?”
“How can I trust you when you snooped through my messages?”
The muscle in my jaw popped. “You should’ve told me.”
“I didn’t want to tell you because then it would be real. And I don’t want it to be real. I don’t want any of this to be real. You think I want to lose everything?” She looked near tears. “You think I want to leave you?”
I melted a little, but I stayed on the other side of the room. “Then you have to let me help. Between the two of us and my brothers, we’ll figure out how to make this work. You’re so much safer if you let us in. If you go off on your own, you’re dead.”
I waited until she looked at me. “It’s fucking crazy, Lauren. No one wants you dead. Especially not Hannah. If you want to save her, you have to give her a reason to live!”
Lauren jumped up and started pacing again, possessed by another round of anxious energy. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve gone over it and over it, and I don’t know how I can circumvent Li Na. How I can get out of this with Hannah alive, without me having to go in her place.”
“Stop pacing.” I reached for her, dragging her to a halt. “You’re exhausted. Go wrap things up with Bethany and then tell her you’re going to bed.”
She shook her head. “I can’t stop working—”
I lowered my face to hers. “You are going to bed. With me. You need to sleep and get your head on straight. No wonder you can’t figure out what to do with Li Na—she’s got you exhausted and running in circles. Bethany can finish the paperwork.”
I ushered her out. “If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m coming for you.”
I would pick her up and throw her over my shoulder if I had to. Lauren and I needed to work a few things out. Between her and my brothers and everything spiraling out of control, I was about to lose it.
But amid all the craziness, it was still her and me. If we didn’t make sense, nothing made sense.
I’d calmed down and was ready for her when she came back, ten minutes later.
“You’re late.” I handed her another glass of wine. “And you look like you need that.”
She took a sip, sighing. “You’re right about that last part, at least.”
“I’m going to show you exactly how right I am.” I could feel myself getting hard. “I’m going to take a shower. Once you’ve relaxed a little with your wine, take off your clothes. When I get back, I want you ready for me. Naked. On the bed, with your legs open and your mouth closed.”
“Seriously? Right now?”
I glared at her. “I don’t think there’s a better time for us to work this shit out. Time is of the essence. You’re going to start listening to me—once and for all. Now, do what I say. Clothes off. On the bed. Legs open and most importantly—mouth closed.”
“You can’t always boss me around.” She sounded defiant, but her eyes glittered.
“The hell I can’t!”
She crossed her arms. “If I do it, it’s only because I’m trying to forget what’s happening for a little while—not because you’re my boss or because I approve of you going through my messages. You’re not, and I don’t. Are we clear?”
