Page 22 of Secret Love

Chapter 10

Dani

“Wait here.”

I roll my eyes and lean against the wall as Smith enters my apartment alone. “I’ll bet you a thousand dollars there’s no one in there!” I call out.

He passes by the door, traveling in and out of rooms with his pistol locked and loaded at his side. I heave a sigh of impatience. All I want to do is get in there, strip naked, and soak myself in a bath for two days.

Fox. He’s alive. He’s home. And he’s even more handsome than he was when we were younger.

I shove the thought away. He’s also bat-shit crazy.

Snake Eyes?What the hell is that supposed to mean? They hurt me to send him a message? It’s a fucking cut. The guy turned around, recognized me, and thought it would be funny to mark up my face. That’s all. And what kind of name is Mercer Black anyway?

“All good, Roxie.”

I push off the wall and walk inside. “See?” I say, kicking the door closed. “I told you. Now gimme.” I hold out my hand for the money he owes.

“I never agreed to that,” he says. He slides his gun back into the holster and pulls his jacket around to conceal it.

“Lame,” I say. “Whatever — you probably don’t even have a thousand on you right now.”

“Honey, no one has that kind of money on them at all times.” He raises an eyebrow. “Except entitled rich kids, of course.”

I laugh. “Because I’ve never heard that one before.”

Smith steps around me into the kitchen and plants himself at the table. I wait for a few moments, hoping it’s just a temporary rest of his feet, but he leans back with his phone in his hand.

“What are you doing?” I ask him.

“Go about your business…”

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

He barely glances up. “Because your father is paying me to be here.”

“You’re staying the night?!”

“Yep.”

“No, you’re not.”

He sets the phone down. “Look, kid. I don’t like this either. I got a family, too, ya know. But mine doesn’t have a crazy, bearded, dead guy running around who’s obsessed with me.”

“He’s not…” I pause, realizing that I have no reason to defend Fox. “He’s just a little confused.”

“Well, pretty starlet found strangled in her own bed is the last thing I want to read about in the morning, so I’m staying here. Daddy’s orders.”

I sigh. “Fine. I’m sure there’s plenty to eat in there.” I point at the fridge. “Just stay in this area. I’m going to take a bath.”

“Don’t take too long.”

I pause in the door frame. “Why not?”

“Because you’ll get all pruney.” He peeks at me once before his eyes fall back to his phone.

I walk away and I feel my stress spike a little more. Great. Not only is my hot stepbrother back from the dead, I now have to spend my evening alone with a middle-aged man haunting my apartment.

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