Page 151 of Saving Serena

It went to voicemail again.

I couldn’t handle not knowing how he was.

An hour or so later,Dad had left, and Constance and I were prepping a simple dinner for the Hawk team as we all awaited news of Duke.

I still hadn’t heard a response from him when Lucas came in to show me another message.

JORDY: On the way

“See?” Constance said. “He’s too ornery to stay in a hospital for long.”

I nodded, and then it struck me that I’d been stupid. Duke probably hadn’t responded because he didn’t have his phone on him. That put a smile on my face.

Then more lines of messaging showed on the phone.

JORDY: Johnson Spinelli boarded a flight to Phoenix. Rented a car. Headed east after that. I haven’t located him yet.

“Shit,” Lucas swore. “I really wanted him to stick around so we could nail him.”

“This means it’s over, right? There aren’t any more goons after me?”

Lucas nodded. “Apparently. But I’ll feel better when the FBI or whoever catches the bastard.”

A half-hour later, I looked over Lucas’s shoulder when another message arrived.

JORDY: Dropped Duke off at home

“I’m going over there,” I announced and grabbed my purse without waiting for any damned permission.Shit.“I need a car.” Mine was a burned-out hulk in a junkyard.

When the guys looked at each other, Constance fished keys out of her bag and threw them. “Take mine.”

The driveover felt like it took forever. Liquid heat pooled between my legs as I considered how to bang Duke’s brains out for all he’d done for me. I also needed to come clean and tell him I’d fallen totally in love with him—right after giving him one hell of an orgasm. It was a good plan.

What would be best for him? Doggy? Bent over the couch? Me on top cupping his balls? Should I turn around and bring my vibrator?

Shit, what was I thinking? He’d been shot and knifed badly enough to need surgery. The bangfest might have to wait until he was well.

In the meantime, I’d have to settle for blowing his mind by explaining in excruciating detail all the things I intended to do to him and let him do to me. Maybe he couldn’t do any of the work, and I’d have to give him the world’s best blowjob while he stayed still.

I parked and power walked—jittery with excitement—into the lobby of Duke’s tall building. Oliver, the doorman, was as pleasant as ever as I scooted past him.

I punched the button for his floor and butterflies filled my stomach. How had I gotten so lucky to find a man willing to go all out in my defense, including taking bullets for me? As the floors dinged by, I had to hug myself to make sure this wasn’t a dream. I couldn’t have imagined a better place to end up in life than as Duke Hawk’s girl.

Finally at his floor, I pressed the buzzer to his unit.

Nothing.

I knocked on the door. “Duke? Duke?” When I didn’t hear anything, I upped my game to banging my fist on the door. What if he’d fallen or started bleeding and passed out?

I was about to go down to get Oliver when, “Hold on,” came through the door.

Duke

Serena wouldn’t stop bangingon my door.

She wouldn’t like the words I was going to force myself to say, but I knew it was the right thing for her, for her long-term happiness. Everything was so much clearer now.

I shuffled gingerly to the door. “Coming.” I wished I could put it off until tomorrow, give me some time to come up with the right words—the least-hurtful words to explain it to her.

---