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“Is it that she doesn’t, or you?”
“Both of us. It’s hard to trust anyone after the things we’ve been through.”
“Wait, you said I was shot.” Suddenly, what she said sinks in. “How do you know that?”
“Because I saw it happen when I was coming out of the bathroom. The guy was standing right behind you. If I hadn’t pushed you down, he would have shot you again.”
In my mind’s eye, I’m going over the fragmented memory of what happened. Yes, I recall seeing her standing near the bathrooms. Then, the crack through the air that sounded different than the others. A gunshot.
“You saw the man that did this?” I touch the bandage. “What did he look like?”
She shakes her head. “It was so smoky. He had dark hair. Maybe tall. Skinny. It was really hard to see. Do you have any idea who it was?”
Instantly the image of a tall, dark haired man with an annoying grin comes to mind. “Yes.”
My attention shifts from my inner thoughts, to the bandage over Andie’s temple. “Did your friend take care of that too, or did you have the luxury of actual medical care?”
“I’m so tempted to take you to the hospital just to see what happens to you,” she hisses.
She might be right. Being tied up to this bed with an angry female might be dangerous, but she doesn’t want me dead. Gideon Black does. And there is no doubt in my mind he’s behind all this.
“So this is revenge for giving you a way out after you stole from me?”
The lines of her face harden and her nostrils flare. “A way out? I told you I was putting the money back. You kept me there because that’s what you wanted, period. And that’s what men like you do. You take what you want without caring about the damage you’re inflicting on someone’s life.”
“Was it so awful being with me? Because I’m positive you wanted me too. I saw it in your eyes every time you looked at me,” I toss at her, unable to stand being the only villain in this story. Not when what she did set the ball in motion.
Quickly, she glances away, as if she’s afraid I’ll glimpse the heat always present in her gaze. “If it were just me, I’d have enjoyed this game as much as you did, and moved on. Moved on to a different job. But it’s not just me. I have Lola. And one stupid mistake…” She sighs and her shoulders drop. “You made me feel powerless. I’m so sick of feeling powerless.”
I stare at her profile, the way she rapidly blinks as if she’s trying not to cry. I’ve never done well with weeping women. It’s probably because I was never around them as a child that I’ve avoided them as an adult, running as far away as possible the moment the waterworks begin.
There’s no avoiding it now, being tied up as I am. Instead, I’m forced to watch the myriad of emotions that cross her face, the way she goes from resignation and despair, wiping at a tear that rolls down her cheek, to frustration as she grits her teeth. Then, to my surprise, she straightens her spine and seems filled with a renewed sense of determination.
She turns to me. “What am I going to do with you?”
A chuckle escapes me, one of disbelief at how quickly she gathered strength from somewhere inside her. “For starters, I have to pee. Does my nurse have a bedpan I can use?”
“Better.” A woman enters the room, a pair of handcuffs dangling from her index finger. “Lucky for you, I’m always prepared for the worst.”
“Nurse Miri, I presume.”
“That’s me.” She flashes me a huge smile. Arching a brow, she says to Andie, “You want me to do this? I don’t mind.”
Andie gets up and takes the cuffs from her. “He’s my problem. I’ll do it.”
She places a knee beside me and snaps one of the bracelets around my right wrist. Once it’s secured, she loops it around the other. As she does, I inhale deeply, taking in her scent. It’s a habit of mine now. A fucking vice. Damn she smells so sweet even when she’s being vindictive.
Her breast comes near my face and I fight the urge to bite it, just a little. But she must sense it because she peers down at me. Our eyes lock for just a moment, long enough that the air between us becomes electrically charged, and she moves closer.
Then, she abruptly shoves away from me and motions to one of the trophies. “Grab that, Miri. If he tries anything, whack him.”
17
ANDIE
I knew it was coming. In fact, I mentally walked through every step of helping Gavin to the bathroom. I’d make sure he remained handcuffed. Of course, he wouldn’t be allowed to go alone.
That lasted two seconds.
