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“Right at the end, last door on the right.”
I nod, taking a step back.
“He’s angry…” I say nervously. “W-what if he—”
“He won’t hurt you, Dove.”
“Because it would be so out of character for him?” I deadpan.
“I’m trying to do the right thing here. Keep arguing, and I will forget all about it and take what I need instead.”
As tempting as that is, I continue to move away from a tormented-looking JD. Something dark swirls in his usually bright eyes, making my stomach knot painfully.
“Will you be o—”
He forces a smile onto his lips. It’s fake, and I hate it.
“I’m fine, Dove.”
He holds my eyes, trying to prove his words are true. But I know they’re not.
With a nod, I turn away from him and walk to the door. At the very last minute, I turn around and look at him.
He’s no longer looking at me. Instead, he’s staring at a shard of glass he must have picked up from the other end of the counter.
My stomach tightens and my heart aches, but still, I do as I’m told and walk down the hall toward the angry beast that awaits.
My hand trembles almost as violently as it did before I told them the truth as I reach for the handle.
Get it together, Alana.
You’ve endured worse than an angry Reid Harris.
Slowly, I twist it, allowing the door to open and reveal exactly what I expected. A state-of-the-art, fully functioning gym. It’s a far cry from the makeshift one Mav has set up in our guest room.
One wall is covered in floor-to-ceiling mirrors, while another looks out into the woodland lining the back of the manor. But everything in the room blurs to nothing when my eyes land on the man with his back to me, his bloody palms resting on a wall with an upturned bike beside him.
His head hangs between his shoulders, his back rising and falling with his labored breathing. There’s a dangerous aura surrounding him that should be warning enough to stay away.
But for some reason, JD thinks I should be here right now, and as much as I want to say he’s crazy, that the last thing Reid wants is me encroaching on his moment, I can’t help but move closer. Drawn to him like two ends of a magnet.
As I get closer, his heaving breaths hit my ears, and my skin prickles.
This could be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done.
“Reid?” I whisper, my quiet voice sounding like a gunshot through the silent room.
But despite it sounding loud to me, he doesn’t so much as startle.
His scent fills my nostrils as I step up beside him.
“Big Man?” I whisper again.
This time his breathing falters, although he doesn’t move.
Without thinking about my actions, I press my trembling hand against his back.
He moves faster than I thought possible, and in a split second, I find myself pinned back against the wall with his hand wrapped around my throat.
