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My brothers would have yanked the phone away from their wives, would have wanted to fight her war for her, but that wasn’t what Star needed. Me running roughshod over her life was the last thing she required of me. But I’d never met anyone more in need of someone to have her back, and I’d be that for her until the day I fucking died.
When Maverick cut the call, she released a heavy breath and sagged into me as if that had drained her dry of every ounce of energy she possessed.
“We should eat,” I said, gently stroking my hand over her hair.
“I think I’d prefer a bottle of tequila.”
“That can be arranged,” I teased.
Her nose crinkled as she pulled back to look at me. “We can’t afford to have hangovers. We need to get started.”
“Technically, wehavestarted.”
“You and I both know that’s the tip of the iceberg.” She bit her lip. “Do you think he’s right?”
“To blame you?” I shook my head. “You were both in an untenable situation. And, to be frank, if you didn’t need to be here, I don’t think you would be. I think you’d be with her.”
“Of course, I would,” she whispered. “When I first started this, I did it for myself. I needed vengeance. I needed payback. But with every woman I uncovered who was forced into that way of life, it became about more than just me.” For the first time, she stepped away from me. Reaching up to rub her forehead, she mumbled, “So much suffering, Conor. I don’t want to sacrifice a moment away from my kid, but I have to because there are women out there who are still where I was.
“I got out but they weren’t so lucky, and I can’t handle that. The weight on my conscience is too much for me to bear.”
“We’ll bear the load together,” I told her simply. “We deal with this, we bring them down, and then, and only then, will we grab a bottle of tequila each and get hammered.”
Her lips quirked. “I can’t imagine you drunk.”
“I’ve been told I’m a happy drunk.”
“Why does that not surprise me? You’re always happy.”
I shook my head. “I’m not. You just bring it out in me.”
She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Thank you for being here.”
“You don’t have to keep on thanking me.”
“I do.” Her eyes narrowed. “Got it?”
“Got it,” I drawled, amused.
“Iwilleat but only because I need to get my strength back up. I didn’t trust that the food I was being served wasn’t poisoned.”
“Want breakfast for dinner?”
“Considering it’s dinner time here, sure. Why not? Let’s rebel,” she joked.
So, we ordered the works and a half-hour later, Edgar delivered the feast to the suite.
As we sank around the table again, I watched her stuff bacon between two slices of bread. “We forgot to ask for lettuce, tomato, and mayo.”
“Nah. I don’t need it.” At my look of surprise, she shrugged. “I spent a lot of time in London. They have bacon on its own with brown sauce. It’s like A1 sauce.”
“I’ll have to try it.”
“It’s the best.”
She finished stacking pieces of bacon into the sandwich, drizzled ketchup over it, then took a bite. Her sigh of repletion went straight to my cock, but I ignored it.
Being aroused around her was the standard now.
