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“Sorry. I couldn’t lie when Gideon called. Especially if the bruise is as bad as he said,”Frank replied.
“I’m not mad at you, Frank. I never should have had to keep the secret in the first place. And I brought you into it. So, I’m sorry.”
The drive to the office was quiet and entirely too short. I was still seething over Aiden making his demands on me. What game was he even playing? I still didn’t know who the woman was and why she was on the owner’s level. The Knights didn’t just let anyone up there, so she was either business or pleasure. And Aiden had been too drunk for it to be business.
My heart constricted again at the thought of Aiden having sex with the small woman. I had tried to not feel too much forany of them too soon. But now I felt like I was drowning and everything hurt. I turned my face toward the window and leaned my forehead against the cool glass, trying to control myself before getting to my office.
Once inside the parking garage, Frank came around my side of the car and helped me out. I had my gym bag over my shoulder and he saw it, his eyes widening.
“You want to go to class today?”He asked.
“Seems I might as well. They all know about it now. And it’s what I want to do. That matters,”I replied.
Frank seemed to mull over my answer, but nodded and walked me to the elevator. On my office floor, he planted himself in reception and I went to my office alone. I immediately closed myself in, even though I didn’t have any morning calls. The silence I was met with was exactly what I needed for my chaotic thoughts.
I knew exactly what I needed to do, and it was going to hurt like hell. I picked up my cellphone and dialed Ash.
“Brooklyn Reeves, I demand to know how hot last night was after I left,”Ash’s singing voice came across the phone.
I couldn’t hold it back any longer and I choked on the tears that were starting to flow.
“Wait, what the fuck? Are you crying? Do I need to murder someone?”Ash demanded, her voice losing its happy quality.
I let everything pour out. Without a lot of description, I told her what had happened the night before. And then I admitted to her that I was taking the self-defense classes the guys had forbid. Ash didn’t say anything until I was struggling to take a deep breath at the end.
“What do you need, girl?”She asked quietly.
“Can I come stay with you for a bit?”I asked.
“You don’t even need to ask. Just come whenever you want. You could have my room. I know yours might upset you…”she said, her voice trailing off.
I knew what I would be facing if I went back to Ash’s apartment. Though we had wiped all evidence of the break-in from my room, I hadn’t been back since. I wasn’t sure the room wouldn’t still feel violated, but I didn’t have much choice. And I couldn’t kick Ash from her own room.
“No, that’s ok. You’re a good friend. I’ll sleep in my old room,”I said.
“What are the guys going to think about this?”She asked.
That was the big question, wasn’t it? I propped my elbow on my desk and let my forehead fall into my hand.
“Probably nothing great. But I can’t keep doing this with them. I appreciate the protection they’ve offered me, but I still need my freedom.”
“I understand.”
“I’m going to ask Frank to keep working with me. I have a feeling Gideon will want that and will keep him on payroll. I hate to ask to come back. I don’t want you in danger,”I said.
“Lyle has been pretty clear who his target is. You’re my best friend. I will do whatever I can to help you,”she replied.
“Thank you, Ash. I’ll come tonight after I pick up some stuff from the house.”
“Just avoid those guys before you get out the door, girl. I have a feeling they would lock you in if they knew you were taking a break from them,”she said.
Though the comment sounded like it could be a joke, there was no humor in Ash’s voice. I was sure she was more than half right about that. Gideon and Aiden would likely try to keep me in the house. Jaxon would try to reason with me, though when that failed, he’d probably agree with Gideon and Aiden and throw away the key.
Oliver was the one I focused on for a moment. When I had taken a break from them in the beginning, it was Oliver that was clear to me about how badly it hurt him. The look of hurt on his face was almost enough to make me fold, and not follow through with what I knew I needed to do. This wasn’t about hurting them or about me not having strong feelings for them, it was about them hearing me.
“Brooklyn? You still there?”Ash’s voice shook me from my thoughts.
“Yeah, sorry. I’ll see you tonight,”I said, with more strength than I felt.
