Page 30 of Hot & Bothered

“Don’t play stupid,” he barked, making her jump.

Fear made hot steps through her. Her hands shook, but she just squeezed the pepper spray and her keys tighter to stave off the trembling. Her heart beat wildly, her chest hurt.

“I was the only person my sister had to protect her, you know?”

“I … I …”

But he wasn’t listening to her. He came there to send a message. That was it. “And when I went away, she had nobody. They got her addicted to heroin. Then sold her. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive. And all because thatpigwhose dick you’re sucking wanted to pop his arrest cherry and put me away.”

The hair on Peyton’s arms and the back of her neck lifted, and her knees wobbled. She was scared of this man, but the pain in his eyes, the worry and love for his sister pulled at a string of her heart and she wasn’t prepared for it. Swallowing, she nodded. “I’m so sorry about your sister.”

Tiberius grunted.

“Wh-what was … whatisher name?”

“Huh?” he barked again.

“Y-your sister. Whatisher name?”

“Michaela. Michaela Mackinley.”

Peyton nodded. “Okay. I … I will see if I can find out where your sister is.”

He obviously wasn’t expecting her to say that and shock flicked into his blue eyes. But they turned hard again a moment later. “Don’t think yourpigwould like it too much if I hurt someone he cares about, huh?”

“No, he wouldn’t. He never intended for Michaela to get hurt, though. That was an unfortunate side-effect of your incarceration.”

Tiberius scoffed. “An unfortunate side-effect? Fuck you, bitch. I was wrongly accused and put away for eighteen fucking months because of your pig.”

And where had he been for the last eighteen months? Because Jace said Tiberius was arrested three years ago.

“L-let me look into your sister. Nobody else needs to get hurt, okay?”

What the hell was she doing? She had no way to look into Michaela’s whereabouts. Not if the woman was over eighteen. Peyton worked with children in the system, not adults.

But she needed to give Tiberius hope. Hope would keep him from hurting Peyton. At least long enough for her to get away.

He jerked his chin. “Just know, lady, if you don’t find her, I’ve got nothing to lose.” Then he disappeared back into the shadows like an ethereal demon.

She booked it up the stairs into daylight, careful not to trip. She was out of breath and a little dizzy when she finally reached the street. She was going to immediately call Jace, but Tiberius could still be watching her. She needed to keep all her senses on high alert. She couldn’t be distracted by her phone.

So she waited until she was in her office building and at her desk. She closed her office door and took five deep, calming breaths. Her nerves were shot.

And she still had the pepper spray and her keys clenched tightly in her fists. Her hands ached from how tight she squeezed them. It took a couple of minutes of wiggling her fingers to bring life back into them and keep them from cramping. Then she dug out the chocolate in her purse—the salted caramel flavored one—and brought up Jace’s number. He was on his second day off, so hopefully he wasn’t already at the gym.

Even if he was, she hoped he picked up when he saw it was her calling.

“Hey, babe,” he greeted.

“Tiberius cornered me in the parking garage.”

A chair skidded in the background. “He what? Are you okay?”

“He didn’t want to hurt me. At least, I don’t think. He didn’t touch me, anyway. I think he came so I could deliver a message to you.”

“And?”

“When you put him away, you removed the only protector his sister had.They,whoever that is, got her hooked on heroin and then she was sold. Tiberius can’t find her. He’s worried she’s dead. He holds you responsible. Says he was your first arrest ever, and that he was wrongly convicted.”

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