Page 213 of Irreversible

After another glance around, likely searching for someone to step in and protect him, the window finally slides down. “Something you need,Detective?”

“Yeah, I need you to turn this car around and drive the fuck back to Los Angeles.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but we’ve got a runway show to attend.”

I catch the way his fingers twitch around his phone.

False bravado.

Definitely pissing himself.

I lean an elbow on the roof of his car and look straight down at him. A layer of product glistens in his hair. “She’s not going with you.”

“Try telling her that.” He scoffs. “See how far it gets you.”

“Don’t worry, I—” When his eyes shift to the left of the parking lot, I follow, my gaze snagging on movement at the front door. Everly steps out, her hair piled on her head in a messy bun. A tightness compresses my ribcage. Every time I see her, it’s like being struck with a revelation. I can always find something new to obsess over. Currently, it’s the way she wets her lips with the tip of her tongue as she rifles through an oversized purse, barely looking up enough to make sure she doesn’t trip over anything.

Damn, she’s adorable.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I take a couple steps in her direction, barely processing the sound of the car door opening behind me. When she’s nearly on top of me, she looks up. Stops short.

“Hey.” Crossing the distance between us, I wrap my hands around her biceps and lean down to press my lips to the top of her hair. I’m still pissed off, and I hate her ex-husband with a burning fucking passion, but something about seeing her now,wide-eyed and speechless at my appearance, deflates me a little. I can’t keep myself from touching her. I need it too much.

I’m not sure when this happened, or whatthiseven is, but here I am.

“Isaac, what are you…” Her gaze flits between me and Jasper, who has magically become brave enough to leave his car now that Everly is here as a buffer.

“You can text from the car, Ev, but we need to go.”

She’s visibly flustered—from Jasper and me being in such close proximity, or from my string of unanswered texts last night, I don’t know.

“I’m so sorry.” Her warmth soaks into my chest as she lays her hand there, addressing the man behind me. “I took a sleeping pill later than I should have and didn’t wake up until a few minutes ago.” She looks into my eyes, wary and apologetic. “I didn’t know you were coming back already—I haven’t even had time to check my phone. I’ll message you from the car, okay?”

Jasper taps on the car.

Lifting on her toes, she gives me a quick peck on the lips. “I’m so glad you’re back safe. I’ll head home right after the event, and we can?—”

She’s backing away as she speaks, but as she turns, I grab hold of her wrist. “You aren’t leaving.”

She recoils, caught off guard. “What?”

“Everly.” Jasper’s voice rises with a tinge of distress.

If he thinks he’s taking her away from me…

I shake my head. “Please. You can’t go.” This is when I should tell her that I’m only trying to ensure her safety and can’t do that at an impromptu modeling show I have no details about. That thinking about anything happening to her makes me want to burn down the world. But my defenses overpower my emotions, and I say, “You should have checked with me first.”

Her eyes narrow. “And you would have said…”

“No.”

Her eyebrows arch. She shakes out of my grip.

Jasper huffs a laugh. “Well, now you’ve done it.”

I’m losing control here. It’s crumbling right in front of me, but I keep making it worse. And I’m about to take it to the next level by pummeling this jackass into the ground. “It’s in your best interest to shut the fuck up,” I growl through my teeth, pitching my voice low.

“Fine.” He throws his hands in the air in resignation. “If you think throwing this barbarian attitude around is going to win her over, then by all means?—”

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