Page 85 of Sworn to Protect

“That’s what old friends are for.”

“Even though I’ve been a pretty shitty friend?”

Her face softens. “It’s hard keeping in touch when people move away. I never once blamed you.” She reaches under the counter. “Here, bring these rolls to Liam. I know they’re his favorites.”

I smile. “I can pay for them.”

“No, they’re on the house.”

“Not happening. Actually, get me a dozen. I’ll surprise the family. Stan loves them too.”

Jill bags the goodies while I pull out my debit card, relieved that I can finally afford little luxuries. It’s nice to have some breathing room for once.

“There seems to be a problem with your card.”

I freeze. “What?”

Jill frowns. “It’s declined.”

My stomach drops. “That’s impossible.”

“I ran it through three times.”

My hands shake as I fumble for the phone and dial the bank. I press the phone to my ear, my pulse pounding.

After a few agonizing moments, the robotic voice delivers the news:

Zero balance.

I barely hear the bank representative explain the withdrawal details. The words blur together, my brain refusing to process what I already know.

“It’s all gone.”

A choked sound escapes me. Jill gasps. She says something about calling Caleb Stubbs, but I’m in a daze. It can’t be true.

He wouldn’t.

My breath hitches as my mind races. Who else could have drained my account?

CHAPTER FORTY

NATE

“So,why didn’t you tell her the truth again?” Mark eyes me over his ridiculous stack of pancakes.

Instead, I just spent twenty minutes explaining my entireDear Johnmess, and based on the way Mark’s smirking at me, I can already tell he’s confirmed what I already knew.

I’m a dumbass.

“I was carrying out Ethan’s wishes.” My voice is low as I push my eggs around the plate. “He gave me specific instructions not to tell her about our connection. At first, I thought I was doing the honorable thing.”

Now, I realize how much of a mistake that was.

Mark’s shoulders shake as he spears a sausage link and dunks it in the syrup. “Ethan was always a sadistic son of a bitch.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

He shoves the sausage in his mouth, still laughing, and shakes his head. “Don’t you get it?”

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