Page 111 of Crave Me

Chapter Forty

Dallas

The last few weeks have been the most miserable of my life. I can’t remember a time when I’ve felt this helpless. I need control. Blaire still hasn’t flat-out told me that we’re done, that she doesn’t love or want me, so I haven’t given up on her. But it’s worn me down and my patience is almost nonexistent now. Nothing is the same without her. My fear over her foster father coming after her again has made sleep and focus near impossible while I wait for Reid to handle this shit as discreetly as possible. Andrew Cain won’t get another opportunity to hurt her again.

“Are you listening?” Carter asks from across my desk, where we were supposed to be discussing the feature we’re getting in a travel magazine.

“Sorry, man. I’m just not with it.”

“Look, I get it, Dal. I do. But we’ve got to iron out these details.”

“I think we should go with your ideas. You know the PR side better than I do. I trust you not to fuck things up for us.”

His head snaps back slightly, his facial expression jarred.

“Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

“I’m serious. You know what you’re doing. I’ll shut my mouth and follow your lead.”

“Well, shit. Okay. By the way, I met with Sawyer and Lorelei, we all agreed with Blaire’s proposal and your amendment to it. It’s brilliant. But act surprised whenever Sawyer tells you.”

Fuck yes. She’s going to be so happy.

“And Liam?”

Carter scratches behind his neck nervously.

“He’s, uhh, been a little preoccupied.”

My phone goes off, and worried that it’s Blaire, I snatch it up off my desk. She moved back into her apartment, and it’s made me so uneasy, even if I’m finding reasons to show up and make sure she’s safe, just needing to lay eyes on her. She hasn’t realized it yet, but I’ve been sleeping in my car outside of Rogue. Sleeping being a relative term, more like watching. I may not be able to hold her through the night anymore, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to watch over my woman.

Reid:

She’s safe.

I breathe a huge sigh of relief, the weight of the world lifting off my shoulders from those two words. At least we gave her this. She’ll never have to worry about him coming after her again. Instead of texting Sawyer, I leave Carter and walk down the hallway to his office, knocking twice before opening the door.

“Get the fuck OUT!” Sawyer roars, before the door is open enough for me to walk through. I pull it closed and laugh, waiting outside for Ivy to leave. The door opens and Sawyer kisses Ivy before she walks away. I face my brother with a smug, shit-eating grin plastered to my face.

“Well, hello pot, meet kettle. I love a day when I get to shove shit in your face. Today, my brother, you are a hypocrite of epic proportions.”

He grabs my shirt with his fist and pushes me against the wall. I let him, giving him a toothy smile the entire time.

“You ever walk into my office again without waiting for an invitation, I’ll knock your teeth down your throat.”

“Shivering in my boots, shithead. Isn’t sex supposed to chill us out?”

“Not when it’s interrupted by asshole twin brothers. What the hell did you need?”

“Besides giving you an instructional manual on how to lock your door?”

“Get to the point, Dal.”

“Everything with Blaire has been taken care of.”

He lifts his eyes to me in question.

“Reid?”

---