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“Of course I do. We’re together.”
“Come on, Waverley. You’re not that delusional, are you? You don’t really buy that that guy is into you.” He tilted his head as he studied her. She lifted her chin higher, not going to be bullied by him anymore. “Huh. Maybe you do know who he is. Reynolds Cavanaugh, private investigator, right?”
Where was Reynolds? She turned her head, seeing people passing by on the sidewalk but no one even looking in their direction, probably not aware this tiny space existed.
“So what was the plan?” Spencer asked. “To lead him and the authorities to me? You’ve got to give me more credit than that. Did you two think I wouldn’t recognize him the moment I saw him last night out on the beach with you? You know he’s the guy who jumped me last June? Bruised me up some, but no more than I did to him. The guy is a menace.”
Okay, that was something she wasn’t aware of. She remembered Spencer coming home after a weekend trip with a split lip and bruises on his face, but he’d refused to tell her what happened. Then the revelation about his affair soon after made it almost forgotten.
“If you know who he is and what his intentions are, then why risk coming here?”
“I have some business to attend to. And I’ll admit, I was curious to see you again.”
“Why?”
His gaze softened. “Contrary to what you might believe of me, Wave, we once really had something. And even after everything that’s happened, I still have feelings for you and would hate to see you humiliated by that phony.” He paused to look her over, his lips twisting in a smirk. “It’s really too bad you let yourself go like you have, though. Your one true asset outside of the Abbott money was your beauty. Do yourself a favor and dig down and find some self-respect and self-control. Maybe then you’ll have a chance to find someone who really wants to be with you.”
In an instant, she had a flashback to all the smirks and insults that he’d leveled on her during their marriage. How she wasn’t smart enough or skinny enough or likable enough to suit him and his ever-changing needs. And the white-hot fury swelled over her in waves, and before she realized what she was going to do, her knee was up and landing in his crotch, earning a grunt as he went down to his knees.
“You’re not worth it, Spencer. You never were.”
She underestimated him. Because he suddenly roared to his feet and, in a quick flash of movement, cracked his hand across her face, the shattering pain as it connected making her see complete blackness for a few seconds.
“Waverley,” she heard someone calling, and she turned her head in time to see a shape coming fast in her direction.
Then she was crumbling to the ground, certain that, from the voice calling her name over and over again, she was going to be okay.
She was going to be safe.
Chapter 20
It was close to two in the morning and once again he was wide awake.
He couldn’t believe that he’d let Spencer get the best of him tonight. Even worse, he’d left Waverley behind to face possible danger alone.
His gut wrenched every time he remembered Spencer’s hand connecting with her face and how she’d fallen to the ground. His rage at Spencer was only eclipsed by his terror that Waverley had been seriously injured. It the only thing that had stopped him from racing after Spencer and pummeling him. But there’d been no way he could leave Waverley there in that alley, defenseless and hurt, even if she probably would have told him to do so had she been conscious.
And so Spencer had slipped away. Again.
But this time he’d had a visual on the guy, and once Waverley had been checked out by paramedics and been questioned by the police, she’d confirmed that same visual with a photo.
Spencer was here in the Keys, or at least had been, since no one could say if he’d already fled. Including his old pals Ronnie and Greg, both of whom denied having any contact with or knowledge of why Spencer was here. Greg claimed to be as surprised as the rest of them when Spencer showed up at the bar. And there wasn’t any other reason or evidence to believe otherwise, which was probably why they were all ultimately released from custody.
At least no one seemed to question why Waverley had chased after him, probably guessing she had a pretty good reason for wanting to confront her former husband who’d taken all their money.
Meaning their cover was still intact.
There was a rustle from the bed as Waverley rolled over, muttering something under her breath he couldn’t quite make out.
She had barely said anything to him since she finally came to, and when he tried to ask her about it once they reached their room, she’d shut down and pleaded for rest. The shock and exhaustion had clearly taken their toll on her as she’d fallen to sleep almost immediately after getting into bed.
He, on the other, hand, wouldn’t be getting much sleep. He couldn’t, not just because physically he was too wired but because he still felt like there was an element of danger that remained, knowing that Spencer was out there and close by.
Waverley started to thrash around, and she whimpered, a sound that hit him hard in his gut and had him rushing over to her side. He leaned down, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Waverley. It’s just a dream. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
She gasped and her eyes flew open, staring almost blindly up at him, despite the moonlight that softly lit the room. “Hey. It’s just me,” he tried again. “Reynolds.”
She sat up, blinking, and looked around the room. Her shoulders sagged and her breathing slowed as she started to recognize where they were.
