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“Eve—” I plead.
“No, you listen, Cindy. I love you. But you’re crazy. The shit you do, the stunts you pull… You need to take responsibility for yourself. This isn’t a joke. These men don’t play nice. They’re dangerous. Think, for fuck’s sake.”
“Iamthinking. I can’t go back to my father. You don’t know what he is capable of—”
“You said this Cade thinks he loves you,” Eve reminds me, her voice softer this time. “Why would he make you go someplace you’re not safe?”
“Cade would never let anyone hurt you. Have you met him?” Kitty gently teases. “He’s still feeling guilty over something that happened when he was a teenager and that had nothing to do with him. I-I don’t know why you think he’s going to take you to your father, but he’ll never let you get hurt.”
Frowning at her, I bite my lip. Eve’s hard talk and Kitty’s gentle reassurances are such a contrast that they spear through my panic like nothing else could.
But I barely know Kitty, and I trust Eve with my life.
“What should I do, Eve?” I whisper, voice cracking.
“Do you love him?”
“I-I thought I did. It was crazy fast, but it felt right…”
“Everything you do is crazy fast,” she grumbles. “But you need to talk to him, and if he isn’t the man you think he is, thenI’llcome and rescue you.”
My throat closes at her words because Eve has the guts to do that.
“And the mood I’m in,” she continues, “I can take on the entire mob.”
I’ve gone from feeling like a burden to feeling loved. “Thank you, Eve,” I whisper, knowing she means it and that she probably could take on the Irish. “Tell Charlie not to worry. I-I’ll check in soon.”
I shoot a blind look at Kitty, who watches me slip my phone into my pocket.
“If you’re really scared, I’ll help you get away.”
Taken aback by the offer, I mutter, “You shouldn’t get involved.”
She sniffs. “I’m not the kind of person who stands by and let’s people get hurt, Belle. If you don’t want to talk to Cade, you don’t have to. You can stay with me until you find your feet. A-Are you actively in danger?”
Maybe? If my father is looking for me, if he knows I’m in the city, then yeah, I guess I am.
Weighing my options, I rasp, “Cade is the one who put me in danger.”
That makes her frown. “You know, I don’t think the sun shines out of his ass, Belle. So, when I say this, I mean it—Cade would never willingly do that. You might only have known him a short while, but I have no horse in this race, and I can tell you that whatever he’s done to fuck this up, it’s not because he wants to leverage your safety.”
Am I a moron for believing her?
I rub my hands over my face, wishing that the sun were shining today instead of these miserable gray clouds. How is it only a week ago, that I was in L.A., at the diner, being jealous of Juliana? How is it that the only man I wanted to kiss me was Ryder?
Everything between Cade and me has been so fast and intense but… right. Is that a lie? Is he stringing me along? But if he was, why would he say he loved me?
None of this makes sense.
“Do you believe in God?” I ask Kitty, who laughs.
She arches a brow at me, clearly wondering where I’m going with this. “Of course not. I was raised a good Catholic girl.”
Despite my situation, her words reassure me. Kitty is a “no bullshit,” “take no prisoners” kind of person and her earnestness about her brother makes me feel better.
“I was just wondering if I should pray that I’m not making a mistake.”
She snorts. “He’s a man. Of course, you’re making a mistake. But hey, he’s pretty, and I’ll bet you can make him miserable enough that he begs for your forgiveness.”
