Page 19 of Meet Me In The Dark

Making her way across the motel room, she discovered her dress, dry and mostly clean, and pulled it back on over her head, before unlocking and opening the door to the outdoor walkway, even though Micah had made her swear not to unlock the door, ever. Maybe he’d gone out for provisions or was making a phone call. Neither of them had phones currently; Micah’s had fallen out when they’d escaped the sinking car, and Kara hadn’t touched a phone since she’d called Lola that night in Wyoming. What was that, about two weeks ago? Kara hadn’t needed a phone since, and there hadn’t been time to get one, but she wanted one now. Wanted to text him, and receive the reassurance that he was coming back soon.

But, since she wasn’t an idiot, she wasn’t entirely surprised to see a folded piece of paper on the chipped desk.

Baby, I’m sorry…

Anger and fear filled her. Sure, he’d left a note this time, but that didn’t make up for the fact that he was going to leave her. That he didn’t even bother to say goodbye.

Likely because he knew she’d be pissed and didn’t want to face the argument.

Would she ever see him again? Had she saved their lives for nothing? Was she destined to be protected in a gilded cage?

She slammed outside the room, hoping to catch her manipulative jackass of a lover, but almost knocking into Billy instead.

“You,” she accused.

Billy lifted his chin in acknowledgment. There was asharp, jagged scar running down his throat. She’d never noticed it before.

“Me.”

Her manipulative jackass of a lover had left her.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?”

Billy lifted his chin again. “I have orders to protect you, with my life if necessary. I’m taking you back to Marcus’s. You’ll be safe there.”

Safe.That word had so many meanings. Once upon a time, physical safety never registered. Her entire focus had been on keeping her heart safe. But once upon a time was gone, and she’d risked her heart for three men she might never see again.Fuck, that hurt.She’d tried to keep her heart safe from them at first—and it had been easy, when she’d felt like nothing more than a toy—but they’d proven to her how much she meant to them, and she’d begun to fall.

She should’ve known she’d hit skull-breaking cement on the way down.

Not because she thought they didn’t care about her—she knew they did—but because she didn’t think she’d survive losing them. She couldn’t go sit in Marcus’s house and twiddle her thumbs while she waited like a good damsel for Micah to rescue the others. She’d proven she was capable, damn it. Wasn’t she the one who’d deepthroated a gun for a distraction and then killed a man? Wasn’t she the one who’d talked down their contact at Vixen? Who’d gotten them out of the car as it sunk? Hadn't she survived Chris's torture? She was strong enough to help now. But she wasn't sure she was strong enough to be left behind.

He’s just protecting you,her inner voice pointed out.He wants to keep you safe.

But Kara was sick of being protected. She wanted her men. Herfamily.

“Billy, what would it take to convince you to take me to wherever Micah went?” she asked.

He shook his head. “There's nothing. And I'm not easily manipulated, even by women as beautiful as you.”

She straightened, shocked. “Are you hitting on me?”

He shook his head. “Nah, darling. I know better than that. Like my head where it's at.”

“If you don't take me to Micah, I'm telling him you hit on me. He'll believe me.”

“No, you won't.”

“Billy...”

“I have my orders. Made a promise. Don't believe on going back on my word.”

The thing about manipulating someone, Kara had learned, was that you had to know where that hole was in their heart.

Everyone had something missing from their life, something they wanted so desperately it was like a festering wound. Find the wound, and you could press on it in ways that could change the trajectory of their lives. Micah was the master at it. Kara was a novice, but she was learning.

But she hadn't spent enough time with Billy to know what his was.

“Come on,” he said. “We've got a long drive ahead of us.”

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