Page 137 of Slaughter

“And …”

A knock on the other side of the door makes me jump, but Avery stays put, pinning me against it. “What?” he snaps.

“I need to talk to you.” Tristan announces.

“Can’t it wait?” he demands.

“No.” There’s a long pause. “It’s about Vaughn.”

Avery pulls away from me and slides on his pants. “Put that blanket around you.” He gestures to the one over by the fireplace. I sit down on the couch and drape it over my legs since I’m not wearing any pants but have his shirt on.

Once Avery has his pants buttoned, he looks at me to make sure I’m presentable and then opens the door, sans shirt. “What is it?”

Tristan comes walking in, and I bite my lower lip nervously. It smells like sex in here. Not like he didn’t already know what we were doing, but still. “We found him.”

“Where?” Avery demands.

Tristan looks over at me and then back at Avery. “Manhattan.”

Avery runs a hand through his hair, letting out a long breath. His shoulders are now tense. The gorgeous features on his face hardening. He turns to face me, and I push myself back into the couch at the look in his eyes. “Well, Bunny, looks like you get your wish after all.”

“What wish?” Tristan asks, and I frown.

Yeah, what wish?

“We’re going to New York.”

“What?” I ask, sitting up straighter. “All of us?”

“Yes,” Avery answers.

“No.” Tristan shakes his head. “She can stay here with Chloe.”

“No. She won’t,” Avery snaps.

“Yes,” he argues. “I will leave some men here—”

“Absolutely not!” Avery interrupts him. “I’m not letting her out of my sight again. Bring the men with us. We’ll need them.” Then he looks at me. “Go upstairs and pack a bag.”

_______________

Less than an hour later, we are in an Escalade SUV on the way to the airport. I bounce my right knee and bite my bottom lip nervously. I keep waiting for Avery to pull out the syringe to drug me. I can’t get on his plane without it.

I’ll freak.

The car comes to a stop, and he opens the door. “Wait,” I say in a high-pitch tone. Four sets of eyes turn to face me. Avery, Tristan, Kayn, and Chloe. I lock on Avery’s. “Aren’t you going to drug me first?”

He opens his mouth, but Chloe beats him to it. “Drug you?” she snaps and looks at him. “You drug her?”

Avery ignores her. “Not this time, Bunny.”

“But …”

“Come on.” He reaches out and takes my hand, pulling me out of the SUV. And then we are walking toward his private jet.

“He fucking drugs her?” I hear Chloe shout from behind us while she talks to Tristan, but I tune them out.

I’m shaking. My legs feel heavy, and my throat tightens.

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