Page 55 of Ex-SEAL Bad Boy

It may be hard to believe, but it is perhaps the most intimate non-sexual contact I’ve ever had with a woman.

And yet, it seems so natural.

The pain meds appear to be wearing off, and my limp becomes more pronounced the farther we go.

She looks at me pitifully. “I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this.”

“No, it’s good,” I tell her. “If I don’t move, it'll stiffen up. I’ve been sitting most of the day. Need to get the blood flowing.

Recovering from a wound like this is always a double-edged sword. The doctors tell you to rest it, but with inactivity, the muscles that are mending tend to get tight. It’s up to you to know when enough is enough.

Fortunately, a bench is nearby, and we sit beneath the shade of a large moss-draped pin oak.

“I am sorry for dragging you into all this,” I say, propping my injured leg up on the bench, “but I’m not sorry I got to spend the time with you.”

“As I recall, you didn’t exactly drag me kicking and screaming; I came along willingly.”

“I lured you under false pretenses,” I countered.

“That is true, but you didn’t know it at the time. You wanted to do the right thing. In the end, maybe we did—if this all works out.”

I stare at her for a long moment. “For all these years, I thought you were just Liam’s bratty little sister, but it turns out that you are an intelligent, resourceful, and very sensual young woman.”

“I’m glad you think so,” she laughs.

Reluctantly, I drag my attention away from her lovely eyes, sparkling with life, dragging my phone out of my pocket to check the news.

I stare at the screen on my phone, and the headline screams out at me: Lena speaks.

22

SOPHIA

Well, fuck me.

I’ve been worried about Lena ever since the news started to break. She’s a liability to Whitmore.

One might think that the natural inclination would be for him to have her eliminated, but a pregnant girl with a possible connection to Harrison Whitmore is murdered? That might be a risk too far.

Of course, he could have just made her disappear, but somehow dead bodies, even those well hidden, sometimes just turn up.

Maybe he was just waiting for the appropriate time.

Whatever it was, it’s too late now.

Ethan reads the story to me, and it’s even more explosive than even what she told us.

“Police found her walking beside the highway in a confused state and took her to the station, where she gave authorities an account of what had been happening to her for the past several weeks,” read the article.

“I wonder how she got away,” I ponder. “Seems like she was pretty well guarded. Someone must have slipped up.”

“Or grew a conscience.”

“Seems like old Harry started coming on to her way before they hooked up. Wonder if Daddy knew about that?” he said, reading on silently.

“Hm, there’s stuff in here about him basically having a harem of young girls. Didn’t bother Lena too much because he was taking care of her financially.”

“Fucking pig,” I snort with disgust.

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