Page 127 of Exposed

Iturn from where I’m sitting at the kitchen table scrolling on my phone out of pure boredom when a key rattles in the front door.

Brax is off the sofa in a flash and moves two strides when the door bursts open.

King stands in the doorway, and he does not look okay.

Confused, I start to move to him. “What’s wrong?”

He holds up a hand to stop me and turns to Brax. “Appreciate you. Tim just dropped me off and left. I’ve got it from here.”

Brax doesn’t look confused. He nods and picks up the remote off the coffee table to flip the TV off before grabbing his stuff. “If you need anything, let me know. Are you staying here tonight?”

King moves through the threshold but leaves the door open behind him. “Yeah, I think we’re going to stay here.”

I cross my arms. “We are? I thought you said we needed to be at my apartment?”

“I’ll check in tomorrow.” Brax moves around King before heturns back and sets his gaze on me. I can’t tell what that’s about. Everything seems to have changed in an instant. “See you soon, Goldie.”

He’s gone. King locks the door and flips the deadbolt, but stays there.

“What happened?” I demand. “Brax was fine all night, until he left. And why are we staying here when it was so important for you to be at my apartment in case Dex sent someone to check on us?”

King drags a hand down his face, and the simple movement bleeds exhaustion.

“King.” I raise my voice. “Answer me.”

He takes two steps toward me but stops and stares at the floor between us. He’s silent and withdrawn and seems like he’s contemplating … everything.

“You’re scaring me,” I whisper.

His blue eyes jump to me.

No. He’s contemplatingme.

I take a step back.

He lowers his voice. “I don’t want you to ever be afraid of me.”

I cross my arms but don’t lower my voice. “The sheer fact you felt the need to tell me that scares me even more.”

“I need you to be honest with me.” His tone is low and rough. It sounds like he’s been through the ringer, and it has nothing to do with taking a beating from Rand. This is different. Worse. “Do not hide shit from me, Goldie. When you found out what was going on at The Pink, you didn’t leave immediately. You stayed and did your best to make it work.”

“Are you accusing me of something?”

He shakes his head once and holds a hand out low. “I’m saying the drugs, it wasn’t what broke the camel’s back and made you leave, was it?”

“It was my inheritance,” I spit. “Doing what I do, owning anypart of The Pink was a dream that fell in my lap. Do you know how hard it was to walk away?”

“And that’s not why you walked away.”

“I was in over my head. I had no idea what to do. What is this about? Everything I told you is the truth.”

“You haven’t told me all of the truth.”

I take a step back again and hug myself tighter but say nothing.

“What did he do?” King demands. “What the fuck did he do to you?”

I shake my head. “I want to go home.”

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