Page 14 of Vengeful Secret

“Sutton!” I call out, and she freezes.

After what seems like the longest moment, she turns, having just stepped off the curb, and something on her face seems almost… resigned.

I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, but my heart is beating in my ears, and all I want to do is get her inside.

She takes a couple of steps back toward me, and I drape my jacket back around her shoulders. She looks up at me, huffing out a breath, and I can’t help but smile down at her.

“Come inside. Let’s talk,” I suggest in a low tone.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Please? I just want to catch up, I promise. No expectations.”

She looks up at me, biting her lip, conflict evident in her expression.

My heart sinks.

She’s not going to say yes.

But this time, she doesn’t wrench the jacket off and throw it at me, so I guess that’s a good sign. I’m not sure what changed her mind, but I’m glad that she’s come back.

I take her over to the corner of the bar where there are two empty stools.

She slides onto one, and I sit down next to her, hailing Nessa.

“Just a single this time,” I tell her. “

“And for the lady?” She raises an eyebrow at me, but I ignore her.

“A cosmopolitan. House vodka is fine.”

I frown. “Give her top-shelf.”

Sutton sighs. “You don’t have to buy the expensive stuff, Gray. It all tastes the same with all that juice.”

I chuckle. “Maybe so, but the top-shelf will stop you from having such a headache tomorrow.”

She hums. “Maybe you’re right. I can’t afford to have much of a headache.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Do you have work?”

“Always. I’m a single mom.”

“O-oh.”

I knew there was a chance she might be married, divorced, have kids, but I guess I hadn’t really thought that’d be true.

Still, I'm grateful that she said single mom instead of just saying she had a kid, because I probably would have had an aneurysm trying to figure out if she’s married or not. “Boy or girl?”

Her smile widens. “Girl. Her name is Ciara.”

“That’s a beautiful name, Sutton.”

“Thank you. What about you? Married? Kids?”

I scoff. “Nothing like that. I’ve got a new niece, though.”

Her eyes widen. “One of your sisters? Not Lara, surely!”

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