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“The people commenting do!”

“They’re a bunch of internet assholes hiding behind keyboards! Who cares what they say?”

“I care! This is my life! It’s my reputation! I worked hard to get where I am, and now Kiki is ruining my life all over again!”

“Hey,” Ten said tenderly and gathered me back in his arms. “It’s going to be okay, Nisha.”

“It’s not,” I protested, losing hope. “It’s not going to be okay.”

Both of our phones started to ring. We exchanged a worried glance and returned to the living room where our phones had fallen onto the floor when I ran to the bathroom. He picked them both up and studied the screens. His jaw tightened, and my heart skipped a beat.

“What?” I wrung my hands. “Is it Savannah? Is it Chess?”

“No. It’s not your friends.”

“What? What is it?” I held my breath, expecting the very worst.

“A small mob vandalized Allure.”

My breath rushed out of my lungs in a shocked gasp. “Vandalized?”

“Burned,” he clarified. “Kostya says the fire wasn’t big, but it caused damage before the fire department arrived.”

“Oh, my God!” Guilt swamped me, driving me to my knees. They buckled, and I tumbled forward. Ten wasn’t fast enough to catch me. He knelt and wrapped his arms around me, helping me back to my feet and speaking tender words. I couldn’t bear to hear them. I wanted to suffer. I deserved to suffer.

“Nisha, it’s not your fault.”

“It is my fault! Everything is my fault!” Realizing that I had nearly gotten two friends killed and burned down the business my two best friends had built, I shoved him. “Get away from me, Ten!”

“What?” His eyes widened. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? I’m a fucking curse! If you stay near me, you’re going to get hurt.” I glanced around in a panic. “I have to go. Right now.”

“What? No!” Ten snatched my hand, holding tight and preventing me from leaving. “You’re not going anywhere unless I’m right beside you.”

“Anton,” I pleaded. “Let me go.”

He dragged me into his arms and kissed my cheek. “Never.”

Chapter Twelve

TenclaspedNisha’shandas he barreled down the highway and out of Houston. He wasn’t giving her a chance to run away from him. She felt things so deeply, and she was raw and vulnerable right now. She would bolt if she got a chance.

Wilford yowled pitifully in the backseat, and Nisha glanced back at her cat. “Wilfy, I know you’re miserable in your crate, but we’ll let you out as soon as we get there.”

The cat let loose a howling whine and then hissed twice.

“The feeling is mutual,” Ten muttered. He eyed the angry scratches on his forearms. Wilford had been less than enthusiastic about going into his carrier for the second time in as many days.

“I’m so sorry about your arms.” Nisha leaned over and kissed the closest scratch.

His gaze softened, and he lifted her hand so he could kiss her knuckles. “Never thought I’d have someone kiss my boo-boos.”

She laughed. “I will happily smooch all your ouchies.”

“You would have been a good mother.” The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them. He swallowed hard, realizing too late what he had said, and glanced at her. There wasn’t very much light inside the SUV driving this late at night, and he couldn’t get a read on her face. “Nisha, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—.”

“Her name was Lorelai.”

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