Page 146 of Save Me

“I have to go soon,” she mutters.

“You’re tired,” I tell her. “I’ll wake you up in a little while.”

I should regret the words as they come out of my mouth, but I don’t.

She nods and, with her eyes still closed, pivots her face in my direction, silently beckoning a kiss. Like a moth to a flame, I let my lips find hers. I coat her lips with her wetness as I kiss her until her lips are swollen.

I force myself to pull away, knowing that if I keep this up, I won’t be able to stop. I move to stand at the side of the bed, watching her. It doesn’t take long before her breathing falls into a soft, slow rhythm.

When I’m sure she’s asleep, I brush one of her loose curls away from her face. Then I lean close to her ear to whisper, “I’m sorry, baby.”

As soundlessly as possible, I back out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, I head to the living room and grab the burner phone that she left downstairs last night.

I already took her regular cell from the nightstand, where she left it charging overnight.

When I pass the staircase, I give it one final look before grabbing my leather jacket and entering the new house security code. Once I close the door and input the code, the entire house will be locked down—from the inside and out. Only the person with the code can get in or out.

A unique feature I installed for just-in-case purposes.

This is that purpose.

Since Kennedy told me about this morning’s meeting, I had a bad feeling about it. I knew nothing I said or did would have convinced her to cancel the meeting or not go. She’s too wrapped up in this investigation.

I know she’s close to putting all of the pieces together and exposing Blackmon for the piece of garbage he is.

But his visit to her at her office wasn’t him being careless, as she believes. It was a warning. A threat.

I don’t doubt that since then, the exposure of his bribery when it comes to his high-end restaurant and the subsequent fallout, he’s even more desperate. He’s lost the partnership with the Global Group. But pieces of shit like him don’t go away on their own.

As I close the door behind me, securing the full implementation of the security system, I know what I’ve done will piss Kennedy off. But this is for her safety. I won’t let anyone take her away from me.

That’s my only thought as I drive to Walcott Park. When I pull into the main parking lot, I open Kennedy’s burner phone to get the exact location of the meeting spot.

Once I have it, I park and head toward a group of benches near a grouping of trees. A walking trail passes near the meeting spot.

Kennedy did her best to keep the meeting private yet still out in the open for safety purposes.

But it’s early. The sun is just beginning to keep out from behind the night sky, and there aren’t many people out on the trail yet.

As I scan my surroundings, I hear two male voices.

“She said she’d be here at six-thirty,” one of them says.

I don’t turn around as I use my hearing to pinpoint their exact location, somewhere in the grouping of trees. I make like I’m going toward the trail. Once at the trail, I spot the two men dressed in all black, using the trees for coverage. They’re facing the exact spot where Kennedy was supposed to meet with her source.

All I see is fucking red.

After doing a glance over my shoulder to make sure no one else is around, I pull the gun I brought with me out of the back waist of my jeans and make a beeline for the son of bitches.

“She’s late. The bitch said she would be here at six-thirty,” one of them says impatiently.

“She won’t be making that fucking meeting,” I growl out.

“Oh shit,” one of them startles and almost falls when he turns to see me with the gun pointed directly at him.

“Who the fuck—”

“I’m the motherfucker who’s going to put a hole in your chest if you don’t tell me what the hell you’re doing here and who sent you.”

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