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“You’re a tough girl, but I’ll never leave you unprotected like that again.”
“The power is on, boss,” the man from before said, barely sticking his head into the room. I sensed he was concerned that he’d be blamed for what happened. “Do you want me to turn on the bathroom light for you?”
“No,” I answered. “Not yet.”
“Thanks, Mark. How long until the others get here?” Kendrick asked, his tone gruff.
“Fifteen minutes.”
“Check for any identification. When the others arrive, head to the parking lot to see if you can determine how they got here. I’ll be there in a little while.”
“Yes, sir. Do you want me to contact Grayson?” Mark asked.
Kendrick exhaled. “No. I’ll call him later. He’s on assignment. Just do your job as I ordered you to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
“No. He needs to get to the hospital,” I told them both. “Mark has been shot. You have to care about him.”
“I’m just fine, miss. The bastard knocked me out. The bullet went straight through. I’ll be out in the living room if you need me.”
I noticed he closed the door before leaving. “Don’t blame him, Kendrick. The assailant managed to pick the lock. I double checked I locked it when you left. Then he cut the power. I tried to escape.”
“Sshhh…” He placed his finger across my lips. “Perhaps he was given a key.”
I hadn’t thought about that possibility. My mind drifted into the black zone as I realized I could have been betrayed by someone I’d trusted my entire life. “No. No. That’s not possible. You don’t think Jose is responsible. Do you?”
“Right now, I can’t put anything aside. But first things first.Podbayte pro te, shcho dlya vas nayvazhlyvishe.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s advice my grandmother used to give me. Take care of what’s most important to you. You are definitely what’s most important right now. The rest can wait. The sons of bitches won’t be going anywhere.”
“Wise words from someone who sounded like a formidable woman.”
He cupped my chin, tilting my head with his thumb. “As I said before. Just like you. The thought of losing you just about killed me, baby. Fuck. This is getting out of hand.”
“I’m here. I’m safe. Because of you. The man I’ve fallen hard for.” I leaned forward, wrapping my fingers around his shirt and tugging him closer.
“And here I thought you hated me.”
“My grandmother was a sour old bitch who hated almost everyone. Yet one piece of her advice suddenly sticks out in my mind. She said hate and love were two sides of the same coin. The feelings of adoration and passion could easily flip to an anguish and loathing that fed off the force of the prior.” I brushed my lips across his, inhaling the rich scent of his testosterone.
“Very profound,” he breathed. “And very sad.”
“Not necessarily.” I darted out my tongue, tasting his mouth as if he was the only person who could quench my thirst.
I was desperately thirsty.
“How so?”
“Just think about where we’d be if we’d allowed our first impressions to stand.”
“I would have fucked you anyway.”
I burst into laughter then suddenly a wave of nerves rushed through me so shockingly intense that tears started to fall, sobbing sounds racking my system. “What’s… wrong with me? I mean… I’m alive and…” Another series of gasps erupted from my throat.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, baby. Except you took the wrong plane.”
