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“Laura, you even think about trying to run from me again, and this time, when I hunt you down, I’ll turn your ass red before I fuck you so hard, you won’t be able to walk, never mind run from me again.”
“I’m sorry. I have no choice,” I said, opening the bathroom door. I felt his eyes on my naked body as I backed out of the room. “Forgive me.”
“Don’t you dare,” he warned, his eyes flashing with anger.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, before turning to the bedroom and grabbing my clothes off the floor. I checked Bennet’s jacket pockets, lying on the bed, and was relieved to find the cuff key in the pocket. He’d be annoyed about that mistake, but it wasn’t my problem. I woke Benji up and got him dressed and stuffed our things in a backpack.
Heading toward the door, I stopped for a moment in the bathroom and peered around the edge of the door.
“Laura, you can’t do this alone. Let me help you,” Bennet said quietly. I shook my head. I couldn’t trust anyone but myself, and besides, this could ruin his life.
“I’m sorry.”
His eyes hardened at my last words. He shook his head, letting out an annoyed snarl and a disbelieving laugh all at once.
“Oh, sweetheart, you will be. You better run fast.”
CHAPTER10
Bennet
Igave Laura an hour headstart, before I got out of the handcuffs, broke the wall, paid the clerk for the damage, and to watched the little dot on my phone screen move further across town.
Of course, I put a tracker in her bag as soon as I got into the room. She hadn't expected that. But I knew how to do my job. And I knew it well. The anger I felt in my veins wasn't because she'd escaped me and I'd been unprepared. It was because she made me think for one second that the heat between us wasn't just on my end. She’d played me good. And I wasn't joking when I caught up to her. I would make my displeasure known. She'd beg me and I would show no mercy.
They seem to hold up at a diner across town. I could just picture them now. Benji sleeping on the vinyl seat, Laura forcing herself to stay awake with endless amounts of visceral black coffee, and nerves. I felt bad that I had pushed her out of the one place she came to rest since she'd taken flight, but I didn't want to drag her back. I wanted her to trust me. It looked like I was going to have to force her.
Whether that could work, we'd see, but I knew in my gut I wouldn't do anything to hurt Laura Lavin. I would never.
I pulled out my phone.
I hit up an all-night coffee place, a few blocks over from the diner, and called Emily. She answered with a long groan, but quickly sobered when she heard my voice.
“What is it? Did you find her? Have you got her?”
I ground my teeth. “Not yet, but soon. I'm on a trail. She won't get too far. In the meantime, though, I need you to ramp up Brian’s investigation. Something's not right there, and I want to know what happened that night. I want to understand why Laura did what she did.”
Emily was silent. “You’ve got a soft spot for her, huh?”
“So what if I do? It's not a crime.”
Emily sighed. “No, it certainly isn't, but it sure is complicated. You’ve barely looked at an eligible woman in months, if not longer. And now when you fall for someone, you fall for not only a client but a girl about to go down for attempted murder. You can pick them, Ben. You really can.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift. How about you? How was your date last night?”
Emily gave an even longer sigh. “You know, same old, same old. Work was more interesting, so I did that instead. I don't think I'll see him again.”
The resignation in her tone hurt something in my chest. “Well, one of these days, you'll find someone who wants to stick around.”
She simply huffed, and I heard her laptop keys clicking. “Well, I better get to work since you've given me a job at this ungodly hour.”
“Okay, thank you, sis. I’m depending on you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I don't need a guilt trip. I'll do it. I'll figure it out.” Just like that, she hung up.
I set my phone down and watched the first rays of sunshine over the buildings of downtown of this tiny little blip of a city and then headed out. If I knew Laura like I was starting to, she'd be on the move early.
I approached the diner just as Laura and Benji stepped down. They were wrapped up. Laura had her wig on again, the one that had initially thrown me, and Ben was pale and quiet. She held his hand as they walked toward the bus station.
