Page 50 of Last Boy

“About forty-five minutes.”

“Hurry along. I don’t have all day,” he says. “Do you want me to break down the conditions of our agreement in front of this little piece of ass of yours? Or should we go over the details right now?”

I drop my head, balling my free hand up into a fist so tight that it actually hurts. “Go on. Let’s fucking hear it.”

“Well, first off, when you go pro, I’m going to need you to invite me to some events. For, you know, marketing reasons. But more importantly, you remember the Romano family, right?”

“Yep,” I utter, trying to push away the thought that I slept with Marco Romano’s daughter a while back when I was drunk. Because it meant nothing. Just like every other hookup.

Besides Poppy.

“Well, from what I hear, you’re quite familiar with Gia. Which is good because you’re going to marry her,” he says callously. “I need more pull in Italy with some of our…suppliers. And what better way to gain that than becoming family?” He’s more pepped up now, excited to break the news to me that my life is fucking over.

“You can’t be fucking serious, Beckett. That’s insane,” I growl, praying he’ll bark out one of his annoying laughs and tell me he’s kidding, but I know deep down that’s not how this is going to go. Far from it.

“Oh, I’m very serious. And before you even consider backing out, I’ll have you know I’ve already called Romano. And men like him? Well, you know as well as I do that people don’t change their minds on things.” Greed drips from his voice. He’s so impressed with himself for sealing this deal. “See you soon,” he says smugly.

I instantly feel sick.

What the fuck have I done?

I look over at Poppy, knowing that this is going to break her. She’s a girl who asks for nothing. She doesn’t expect anything, and she never wants to inconvenience anyone. She’s too stubborn for that.

What’s done is done. And even though I was scared and really fucking pissed when I called Beckett in the first place, I can’t turn back the clock and take the phone call back.

Even if I really, really wish that I could.

Poppy

The movement of being in a vehicle hits me before the pain of my entire body does. But when it does, holy shit, I’m freaking hurting.

When I finally open my eyes, I see Walker behind the wheel, and it all comes back to me—the attack. Walker finding me. Him going into Walgreens and getting me Tylenol and Motrin, plus every sort of hot and cold pack he could find.

And some sort of sleeping pills. Because I’d begged for something to knock me out. To take me out of this nightmare.

I’m regretting them now because I can hardly keep my eyes open.

I yawn, and the pain that sears through my stomach brings an uncontrollable wince from my mouth. Resting my hand over my abdomen, I suck in a few shaky breaths.

“Shit,” I whisper. “Shit. Shit.”

“We’re almost there,” Walker says, reaching over and resting his hand on mine.

“Where?” I utter, attempting to scooch up in my seat.

He never told me where he was going to take me. He asked me if I trusted him, and I told him yes. The truth is, as scared as I am that he’s going to leave again, aside from Jake, Walker is the only person I trust.

“To my uncle’s,” he says almost hesitantly. “He’s a doctor. And…he’ll be able to look you over.”

“Look me over?” I ask. “I…I don’t—”

“Poppy, it’s okay,” he answers softly, pulling up to a gate and putting his window down.

Reaching out, he types in a code on the keypad, and seconds later, the large gate slowly opens.

I stare straight ahead at the paved driveway with the manicured lawn on both sides of it. And up in the distance, I see one of the biggest houses I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Walker must sense my intimidation because he gives me a small, reassuring smile. “Trust me, it’s not as great inside of that house as it might look from the outside.”

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