Page 126 of Exposed

“I appreciate that, Goldie, but King will take out any frustration he has on me for leaving you alone. I can hold my own, but I wasn’t a Ranger.”

I give him a small smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

He nods and turns back to the game.

I head back to the laundry room.

King

The room stills.

And my chest … I don’t even recognize it.

This—this feeling.

My heart fucking freezes.

Right before it cracks.

And then I snap.

The closest thing to me flies through the air and smashes into the closed door. And I’m the one who threw it.

“Whoa!” Tim yells. “I get it, but calm the fuck down.”

Micah pushes the door open and the chair scrapes on its side across the floor. “What the hell was that?”

I drag my hands through my hair and turn away from the men who just saw me lose my shit.

I can’t focus on anything but my own damn heartbeat echoing in my ears.

“King.” Micah demands my attention. “What happened?”

When I ignore him because I cannot fucking focus on anything other than what I just heard, Tim answers for me. “He needs a minute.”

Fuck that.

I need a year.

No.

I need to turn back time to the moment I met GoldieCarter.

What have I done?

“Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened?” Micah asks.

I turn to the men in the control room where we replayed the transcript because reading it wasn’t enough.

I had to fucking hear it. I needed to listen to it leak from their mouths like poison. I’ve lost all control, and I don’t even have a car of my own to tear out of here the way I want to.

“Get me the hell home.”

26

PAIN

Goldie

---