Page 5 of Tangled in Vows

Am I in the wrong place?

I shake my head.

Obviously not.

Holden barrels toward me, and a sudden, overwhelming dread almost brings me to my knees.

Stop him.

It’s probably crazy and downright laughable, but I ignore that.

My hand shoots up, covering Holden’s mouth just as he’s opening it.

His eyes widen in disbelief, and I’m not sure who’s more shocked at my sudden ninja skills.

But this keeps him out of sight, which is precisely what I want.

Just for a minute or two until I can figure out where my girl is.

The man on the bed—onmybed—chuckles softly. “There you are, babe. I thought you abandoned our plans.”

I have no idea who this guy is.

Yet, here he is, a complete stranger . . . inmybedof all places.

And he just called me babe.

Holden goes rigid next to me, slowly taking my hand off his mouth.

I’m sure he’s ready to play hero and barge in there, but I need to know what’s going on first. Knowing this asshole will pay soon helps me stay somewhat in control though.

“Hey.” I try to sound as nonchalant as possible. There’s a reason why I’m a singer and not an actress. I want to rip the grin off his face and shove it up his ass, and I’m sure part of that shows. “What . . . what are you doing here?”

The man’s eyes widen before he smiles. “Oh, is this how you want to play it? Like we’re strangers? A little role-play?”

The guy gets off the bed, and oh my God, he’s naked.

And if his hard dick is any indication, he enjoys the idea of role-play.

Trying to appear calm is getting more challenging by the second. I breathe through my mouth, as if that could keep my nausea at bay.

The audacity of this guy. Coming into my home. My safe place.

Anger spirals from the pit of my stomach, and I can hear the blood rushing through my head.

A shudder runs through me at his approach, and I instinctively step back, my left hand now clenching Holden’s shirt.

Despite our issues, I’m grateful I’m not alone.

And to think I was trying to ditch him in the garage. I’ve never been so appreciative of someone else’s stubbornness, even if that someone is on my shit list.

I hold up my right hand. “Stop. One second.” I add a small laugh, hoping it’s enough to lighten the mood. Calm the situation.

To my surprise, the guy listens.

I try to look anywhere but at his dick, only to catch sight of the gleaming knife in his hand.

Shit.

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