Page 11 of Save Me

The headshake he gives me is immediate. “That discussion is off the table.”

He moves closer, sliding his hands back into his pockets. “But there’s a whole world of other discussions we can have over dinner, Kennedy.”

There goes that damn lump in my throat again.

“No, thank you.” My answer is as immovable as his previous response. “I didn’t come here looking for a date.”

“You came here looking for me.”

“I—” He’s not wrong, but it’s not how he’s making it sound. “Answers, Mr. Kim. I came here searching for answers.”

He moves closer. “What if I have different answers to give you?”

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what type of answers he wants to give. I look directly into his eyes. Those dark, penetrating orbs don’t flinch, they don’t blink, nor do they waver. Something pulses in my body from head to toe.

All I can think is … Absolutely not.

“No, thank you, Mr. Kim.” I take a step back and then another. By the third step, I spin on my heels and head for the door without looking back.

Even though my body burns with the knowledge that he’s watching every step.

But he doesn’t follow me.

I’m relieved when the door closes behind me. Knowing I’m no longer underneath his heavy stare frees me in a way I’ve never felt before.

The upbeat music of the club’s ground floor level greets me and, for a second, aids in taking my mind off of the stranger whose presence I just abandoned.

Yet, even as I stride toward the door, the memory of his eyes haunt me. It’s like that night months ago when I laid eyes on him for the first time.

Was it the first time?

That question drills in my head as I wait for the valet to bring my BMW SUV to the entrance. I would know if I’d ever met Dae Kim before. I have a good memory.

I shake the thought free as I climb behind the wheel of my car. I need to focus on my next step. Everything up until now has led to a dead end when it comes to finding out more about Sebastian Blackmon.

“What if I have a different set of answers to give you?”

I shake his question loose. The answers Dae Kim wants to give me aren’t the ones I’m looking for.

While I won't end up on a date with Dae Kim, my curious brain can’t help but wonder … What is his story?

CHAPTER 4

Dae

I ignore the buzzing from my phone as I keep a few cars’ distance between me and Kennedy.

It’s Jersey, the manager of the Black Opal, one of my business partners, and my cousin. She probably wants to discuss the employee I just had her fire.

I’ll respond to her later.

This is more pressing. Kennedy rarely uses her membership at the Black Opal.

It wasn’t until my now-former assistant informed me that she showed up, personally asking to see me, that I was told that she’d called multiple times over the week to get a meeting with me.

That’s when I had Jersey fire the motherfucker. Everyone on my staff knows there’s one person who gets immediate entrance, and all the security knows to keep an eye on her when she’s present.

Kennedy Townsend.

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