Page 27 of Kept By the Loan Shark

I shook my head.

“Cassie, this is going to take forever if you make me keep guessing.”

I blinked back tears. “We had a fight last night.”

“A fight? Here? While you’re in a fucking hospital bed with a hole in your head? What the hell is wrong with him?”

“It wasn’t just him. I accused him of something awful, and he got upset.” I rubbed my forehead and sighed. “It was a mess.”

“And he hasn’t come back since he left last night?”

“No.”

“He didn’t call or text or anything?” She picked up my phone as if to check for herself.

“No.”

“Asshole,” she muttered. “Do you want me to go find him and drag him back here? Because I will. I may have to get Danny to help because Hagen is such a giant, but I’ll get him in here if you want him.”

“No, if he needs time, I should let him have it.”

“What about what you need?”

Her question broke the dam holding back my tears. Even though it made my head pound to cry, I couldn’t stop. I sobbed as Taylor hugged me close and soothingly rubbed my back. What I needed and wanted was Hagen.

And I seemed to have pushed him away, maybe for good.

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