Page 80 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

She drummed her fingers on her rounded belly and studied me. “Would you tell us if something was wrong?”

“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “And I appreciate your concern. I... I don’t have many friends here, but I’m glad you two came over. Honestly, I’m not sure what the hell is going on. It’s all so... confusing.”

Jules gestured between herself and Mia. “If you ever want to talk, you never have to worry about us saying anything. Not unless you want us to. Eric and Jack can help, too, if you need it.”

I nodded slowly, my heart heavy. “I think I’m falling for him.”

The women traded sympathetic glances, and Jules turned to me. “Have you told him?”

I shook my head. “It wouldn’t matter anyway. He’s going to leave.”

“Maybe you can convince him to stay,” Mia said slowly. “If you can prove to him that it’s safe, maybe he’ll reconsider.”

Was it possible? If the man showing up at my shop was just a fluke, and there was no real danger… Would he stay?

He seemed convinced there was no future for us. I was just going to have to change his mind.

Twenty-One

RODRIGO

It was a waste of a day. There’d been no sign of Araña’s men anywhere, and I was furious that it had cost me precious time with Lily.

I’d been so certain the man I’d seen would turn up again. Maybe Lily was right; maybe I was seeing trouble where there was none.

I headed through the lobby of Briarleigh at a fast clip, anxious to get back to her. I wanted to see her, make sure she was okay. But more than that, I needed to feel her in my arms, taste her sweet lips as I pulled her under me.

Two men stood in the hallway near the elevators, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled in alarm. My gaze swept over them, and I quickly assessed the situation. One man had dark hair and eyes, but I’d never seen him before.

The second man... I studied him surreptitiously, taking in his dark features and the long scar that split the left side of his face. Lily had called him John, but I knew almost nothing about him, least of all what had brought him to Pine Ridge.

The men turned and started toward me, drawing closer with every second that passed. There was nowhere to go. My only option was to pretend I was unaware of them and let things play out.

Unfortunately, they weren’t inclined to do the same. Their gazes zeroed in on me, and I drew to a halt several feet away. My pulse thrummed wildly, and I balanced on the balls of my feet as I kept my limbs loose, ready for anything.

The man I didn’t recognize stared at me, his assessing gaze sweeping from the top of my head down to my feet, then back up again. He met my gaze and cocked a brow, an insolent smile lighting his eyes even as his face remained impassive.

The man with the scar studied me intently, brows drawn slightly together. He didn’t beat around the bush. “What are you doing here?”

So much for playing dumb. Did he recognize me, or was his hostility due to the fact that he was protecting Lily? I met his gaze and forced myself to keep my tone polite. “I’m here with a friend. Lily Anderson.”

The man on the left snorted. “At least try to come up with something believable.”

I switched my gaze to his. “I’ve been staying at her house for the past week. You can ask her.”

He nodded slowly, disbelief etched in his expression. “And just how do you know Lily?”

I debated what to tell them. I couldn’t lie and claim I was a friend because, as Lily herself had stated, she kept to herself and didn’t have any close acquaintances. Even though we’d slept together, I couldn’t claim to be a boyfriend or lover.

I decided on a half truth. “I was working my way west and came across this place. I had an accident, and Lily helped me out.”

“Why not call the cops?” the man on the left challenged.

I shrugged. I still wasn’t sure of that myself. “You’d have to ask her.”

John rubbed his chin. “Why aren’t you with Fox?”

So he did recognize me. My muscles went rigid. Clearly he didn’t know about the incident involving Eva’s disappearance. “We went our separate ways.”

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