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I heard the words she said, but they didn’t make any sense. Maybe it was just a mother’s desire to see her son settled that prompted her rosy vision because Virgil had given me no indication we were more than a casual thing. And just because thoughts of him were the only thing keeping me from breaking down, didn’t mean he felt the same way.
“Thank you,” I finally said, my voice barely a whisper. “That means a lot to me.” It sounded lame, but I couldn’t come up with anything that sounded appropriate under the circumstances.
Sadie’s arms were strong for a small woman as she planted them in the middle of my back and guided me up the steps and into a room in the center of the wide hall, decorated in varying shades of gold. It was over the top but tasteful.
“Here we are. Do you need a doctor?” Her eyes missed nothing as she nodded to the ankle injury I’d been trying to hide.
I groaned and fell down on the bed, a sigh rushing out like it was being chased. “Nah, I think I just sprained it from jumping out of that window. Who knew the second story was that high up?”
“You jumped out of a window!” Bonnie’s screeching tears didn’t help my control, but I knew she was whatever word meant more than terrified as shit.
“Impressive.” Sadie’s lips quirked up into a smile along with one eyebrow. “Drink?”
I nodded at Sadie’s offer, hoping a stiff drink would warm up my body and stop my hands from shaking.
“I had to jump, Bonnie. It was the only way out and there was no way in hell I’d let him shoot me up again.”
A shiver ran down my spine just thinking of the weightlessness I’d felt, the euphoria. The lack of control. “No way in hell.”
Bonnie screeched again, repeating my words only at a much higher decibel.
“Bonnie,” Sadie snapped and it shut her right up or at least turned her tears down to a muffle, then she turned to me.
“What do you need Maisie?”
“Here’s an ice pack for her ankle.” A tall, well-dressed man appeared in the doorway. His shock of black hair had a dusting of silver at the temples. Of course, it did. His eyes fell to Sadie’s automatically before taking a quick glance around the room and handing me the ice pack, which I immediately placed on my ankle
“Thank you, Thomas,” Sadie said, with a bit more warmth in her voice than you would expect from an employer to her butler.
“I’ll warm up some food,” he said and walked off just as a woman with hair dark as night rushed in with a harried smile on her face. Was this Grand Central Station?
“I’ve got clothes for you,” she said as if she knew me. “Lingerie, sleepwear, casual wear and a few options for lounging. Toiletries too, the good stuff.”
Her blue eyes bounced around the room, giving disapproving looks to the family. “Let the woman take a shower, would you please? Relax. Process in private for fuck’s sake.”
I decided I liked this woman immediately.
She turned those penetrating eyes on me. “Kat Ashby, the girl Ashby,” she said and smiled as though she meant it.
“Maisie,” I accepted her offered hand. “The hot mess.” As I attempted to return her smile, I froze at the sight of Virgil looming in the doorway, big, intimidating. Beautiful. As fuck.
“Hey,” I managed to get out.
“Hey,” he said back as though he owned the room. Thick arms folded over his chest made him look pissed off, and I wondered if I’d been too hopeful earlier. “Everybody out,” he growled and a beat later the room started to clear out.
Kat dropped the bags from one of Glitz’s high-end boutiques on the floor and turned to Virgil with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. Sadie cupped both sides of his face, a tender maternal move I found unexpected for some reason. Both women left, waiting at the door for the lone holdout.
Virgil glared at Bonnie, but he never moved and when he spoke, his voice was gentle. “Please.”
I turned to Bonnie and put my hands on her shoulders, looking her right in the eyes.
“I need a hot shower and to ice my foot. After that I promise to find you.”
Bonnie blinked away tears, determined to be as strong as she could for me. She hugged me tight and stepped back with an overexaggerated nod.
“I’m glad you’re all right Maisie. I love you.”
“Love you too, Bonnie.”
As soon as we were alone, Virgil kicked the door shut and locked it, the heat and weight of his stare exactly what I needed despite the anger simmering just beneath the surface. He stalked over to me and I stayed where I was, perched on the edge of the bed when he yanked me up against his chest and hugged the breath out of me.
