Page 127 of Cruel Love

“No.” I shake my head. “But I get that a lot...”

“Oh, don’t you worry.” She mimes a key to her mouth in understanding. “I won’t tell anyone.”

I chuckle awkwardly.

“A girl like you...” she says, “hanging around a dirty place like this? Must be hiding from something.”

“No, I—”

“I don’t blame you at all!” She laughs. “Everywhere you go, everything you do. People just following you around, snapping photos. Must be an absolute nightmare. That’s no way for a young girl to live.”

I hold my breath, eying the door. “Right.”

“Though, I suppose, it has its perks. Beauty and wealth go a long way in this world.” Her head tilts. “But I don’t have to tell you that. You’re... oh, forgive me. Rocky? Robbie?”

“Roxie,” I answer.

“Yes.” She smiles. “Roxie Roberts. My son was utterly obsessed with you.”

I clear my throat and gesture to the bandages in her hand. “Speaking of, you should probably get those to him...”

“I told him it was just jealousy.” Her face hardens. “She’s nothing to get bent out of shape about but he couldn’t let you go. Just kept picking at it and picking at it until one day...”

I freeze as her eyes land on my cheek.

“He couldn’t let it go,” she says just above a whisper. “He couldn’t let him go...”

“Dani, get away from her.”

I twitch toward the open doorway to find Caleb standing there with a pistol aimed at the woman’s head.

“Caleb—”

The woman grabs my neck, her grip surprisingly tight and strong. She shoves me backward, pinning me against the dresser as my instincts spark to fight back. I try to shove her away, but I halt with dread as a cold knife digs into my throat.

“Come inside, Ms. Fawn,” the woman says, her voice steady and calm.

“Let her go,” Caleb barks with her finger on the trigger.

“I’d put that down if I were you. My agents are quite protective of me and you have very pretty eyes. I’d hate to see them splattered along the walls.”

I gasp as a man appears in the doorway behind Caleb and points a gun to the back of her head.

“No, wait, please...” I say, fearing the worst. “Please, she’s pregnant.”

“Dani.”

I ignore Caleb, trying to keep the woman’s violent focus on me instead. “Don’t hurt her, please,” I beg. “Please…”

Her hard face never shifts as she eyes Caleb. “Put the gun down, Ms. Fawn,” she says slowly. “I hadn’t planned on killing two people today, but I won’t hesitate to kill three... if I have to.”

Caleb’s stance falters as she hesitates. We make eye contact and I urge her to do as the woman says. She slowly lowers the gun to her side and the man behind her snatches it from her hand.

“Now…” the woman smiles, “do close the door and take a seat in the chair. This won’t take long.”

I shake with fear as Caleb slowly walks inside, followed closely by the man in black. He closes the door behind them and puts his back to it.

The blade grazes my skin. “Just so we’re all on the same page here,” the woman says. “Ms. Fawn, would you kindly inform Ms. Roberts who I am?”

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