I frowned, pulling back from him. “What? No. I can’t leave now, I’ll get fired. What are you so worked up about anyway? I’ve made it this far, I can handle a few morehours.”
He brushed his hand against my cheek so gently then, and my protests died at the way he looked at me, with devotion and regret so pained it took my breath away. I didn’t understand why he was so upset, but that look in his eyes was impossible to arguewith.
“Trust me, love. Just thisonce.”
Dazedly, Inodded.
He touched his fingertips to my cheek again. “I’ll be back in a moment. Wait for me here. Don’t go anywhere without me,okay?”
I stared silently at his retreating back before he disappeared in through the side door, leaving me alone among the parked cars next to the old warehouse. His absence left an odd sort of chill that surpassed the mild evening breeze. I shuddered and folded my arms across my midriff at the prickling awareness against my skin. Something was obviously not right, the way Liam was acting, but for the life of me I couldn’t understand what had him so onedge.
But I trusted him, and right now, that was all thatmattered.
“Audrey!”
I jolted at the sound of my name and peered out among the parked cars. Liam’s flaming hair and smiling face came into view just as he rounded a parkedAudi.
“My God, woman. You look fuckingfantastic.”
I stared at him as he crossed the last few meters of tarmac and wrapped his arms around my body, instantly shielding me against thechill.
“I’m really sorry I’m late. I hope you saw my text—I had to run a last-minute errand.” The ginger man bent and pressed a kiss to my stunned lips, teasing his tongue across them before he realized I wasn’t responding properly. “Love, is something the matter?” His smile was gone once more, replaced by a concernedfrown.
“You—how did you get around there?” I blurted, too confused by his magical appearance at the exact opposite way he’d disappeared only moments before to ask what the hell he meant by beinglate.
His frown eased a little, a teasing smirk slipping over his devious lips. “I drove, love. You doing okay? Need me to help you with some stress relief? I’m sure we can pull a quickie in my backseat before this nightmare client of yours missesyou.”
“W-what? Didn’t you just…?” What the hell had happened to his apparent rush to get me out of there not momentsago?
My question got cut short when the back door opened once again—and Liam steppedout.
24
Audrey
The manby the door looked up and our eyes met—and his entire body gave an odd sort ofjolt.
I stared at him for two long seconds before I looked up at the man who still had his arms around me. They wereidentical.
“L-Liam?” Iwhispered.
It was an odd sort of sensation—like I was halfway floating above my own body, looking down at myself and the two men who looked so much alike that for a moment I thought I was seeingdouble.
The man whose grasp I was in turned halfway to see what I’d spotted—and froze, the color in his fazedraining.
“Louis?” the redhead by the door asked, his brows locked in a frown that suggested he, too, wasn’t quite comprehending the situation. “What are you—” His eyes slid over me again, and his voice brokeoff.
“W-what… what’s going on?” I didn’t recognize my own voice—it was too high-pitched and tense.Louis. Not Liam.Louis.
It was the sound of that name—the name that wasn’t Liam—that finally made itclick.
“You’re twins.” Numbly, I fumbled for his hand. He let me lift it up so I could see his thumb. His scarless thumb. I’d known something was off about his explanation at the time, but I’d brushed it off. Because I’d trusted him, and I’d neverthought…
“You’retwins,”I said again. The numb shock in my chest threatened to crack and crumble away when hot, painful understanding lanced through my abdomen like a knife. They’d… shared me? Taken turns. Like I was a damn amusementride.
Never bothering to tell me I was losing my heart to someone who wasn’treal.
“Audrey…” It was the man without a scar—Louis. He reached for my cheek, but I backed away from him. From both of them. I stuck my finger up between us like a weapon and pointed it first at him, and then at Liam by thedoor.