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Parked across from each other, I watch Donavan lock his eyes on Alani, his jaw clenched angrily as his gaze follows her into the bank.
He keeps his eyes locked there, despite knowing I’m parked right across from him.
I argue with myself, knowing this is really none of my business, but at the same time, anything that has the power to hurt Ayla pisses me off. It’s very clear there’s more than just a goddamned quick abduction in play here.
I climb out of my truck, knowing full well that Donavan is a wild card. He could just as easily shoot me in this parking lot as he could drive off before I get to the driver’s side window.
He doesn’t drive off as I approach, and that leaves me wary of the first option.
He narrows his eyes at me when I block his view.
“Got a fucking problem?” he growls, after rolling his window down.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
He pulls his gaze from mine.
“Explain to me how a girl who you abducted feels comfortable enough to not only climb in your truck but slap you in the face without fear.”
“I don’t fucking hurt women,” he says, his voice low and filled with warning.
“You abducted her,” I argue.
“I tried other ways to keep an eye on her. It didn’t work.”
“You fucked her,” I surmise.
There’s a long beat of silence, but I don’t need a response from him to know it’s the truth.
“You took advantage, asshole. She’s like fucking eighteen. She—”
“She wasn’t a fucking virgin if that’s what you’re accusing me of,” he snaps, the bitterness in his tone making me think he’s upset that she wasn’t. “I didn’t drug her. I didn’t abuse her. In fact, I couldn’t keep her off my dick.”
“That’s enough,” I hiss, feeling dirty with the conversation even though they’re both adults. “Ayla’s going to be pissed that you’re doing the whole barely legal thing with her little sister.”
“I don’t fucking answer to Ayla, now do I?”
The tone he takes when saying her name makes me want to climb through the fucking window and rip his head off.
“Watch it,” I warn, despite knowing I have less of a chance of winning against this rabid motherfucker than I had if I chose to fight one of those leather-wearing pricks.
Thankfully, the man isn’t going to force me to find out because he snaps his jaw closed, his eyes locked across the parking lot.
I reposition, watching both Ayla and Alani walk out of the front of the bank. Ayla has an envelope in her hand, and I’m glad she has something. I imagine she was feeling anchorless with nothing to call her own. The money doesn’t solve anything, but I know it will help her on some level.
Alani doesn’t bother to look in this direction as she climbs into the back seat of my truck.
I head back in that direction, not bothering to say another word to Donavan. If we’re all lucky, this will be the last time we see his ass. Angel really needs to research who he’s working with, because the way he chose to handle this situation is beyond fucked up.
I try to meet Alani’s eyes as I climb inside, but she’s too busy looking down at her cell phone.
“Did that work out for you?” I ask Ayla, as I pull my seatbelt across my chest and click it into place.
“Yes,” she answers.
I feel awkward just sitting inside the truck, but I have no idea where she wants to go.
“Need to go back to the hotel?” I ask after no one offers any suggestions.
“Take me to my dorm,” Alani says.
“Please,” Ayla adds with a soft smile.
I back out of the parking lot, locking eyes with Donavan one last time, and I see the truth there. Whatever occurred between him and Alani isn’t over, and anyone would be a fool to get in the way of that.
“I’m going to have to go back to Plano. The hospital I worked at will have copies of everything I need. I’m going to use Alani’s computer to order a birth certificate,” Ayla says, as if she’s walking through her next steps to herself rather than informing me about her plans.
“The one to the right,” Alani says when we draw closer to the college.
I turn in the direction she points, knowing neither of these women are ready to be on their own in the world. Neither have said anything or mentioned noticing Donavan’s fucking dark truck following us from the bank. He could be anyone. He could be someone wanting to hurt them. As diligent as Ayla thinks she is, she’s fucking not.
Alani finally notices him when he parks in a restricted spot closest to the walkway she’ll have to pass to get into her dorm. She scoffs, but there’s a hint of something else on her face as she looks in my direction.
