Page 24 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

He turns, his expression unreadable before his lips quirk up at the corner. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

I cross my arms. "I would, actually. I didn’t ask you to go digging."

"No, but you needed me to." His voice is softer now, but his gaze holds steady. "You just don’t want to admit it."

Damn him. I huff, reaching for a mug and pouring myself coffee. "So? Any leads?"

"Not yet. But we’ll find out. And when we do, whoever helped Liam won’t like what happens next."

Something in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. I’ve never known Grayson to be truly ruthless outside of business negotiations, but the way he says it? He’s not messing around.

I take a sip of coffee, watching him over the rim. "You don’t have to do this, you know." He steps closer, close enough that I can see the faint shadow of stubble on his jaw. "Yeah, Evans, I do."

I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. This is dangerous for so many reasons. But the biggest danger… Before I can say anything else, Grayson's phone buzzes again. He glances down at the screen, and whatever he sees makes his entire expression darken. I watch as his grip tightens around the device, knuckles turning white. He exhales sharply through his nose, jaw flexing before he finally meets my gaze.

"What?" I ask, my stomach twisting at the look in his eyes.

He hands me the phone, his voice low, controlled, but laced with something lethal. "You need to see this."

I take the phone, my breath stalling as I read the message on the screen:I warned you, Margot. You should’ve stayed where you belong.

A fresh wave of dread washes over me. But it’s the next part of the message that makes my blood run cold: Check your inbox. I left you something special. With shaking fingers, I grab my laptop and open my email. My heart pounds as I click on the newest message, the subject line alone making my stomach lurch.

Subject:Do you remember this night?

My chest tightens as I open the email. Attached is a series of photos, grainy but unmistakable. Me. Liam. A night I neverwanted to think about again. A night where he was whispering in my ear, his grip on my wrist too tight, his smile too sharp. The last time I saw him before I ended things for good. And then, at the bottom of the email, a single line of text: I never forget what's mine.

Grayson doesn’t hesitate, he’s already moving, grabbing his laptop from the counter, opening it with precise, deadly focus.

I force myself to breathe, but I already know. Liam isn’t done playing games, and this time, he’s just getting started. I don’t want him to stop, because when Grayson fights for me, it does something to me, something I don’t want to name. He’s always been my rival, my competition, the one person who could challenge me at every turn. But now, he’s more than that. He’s stepping in when no one else has, protecting me in a way that’s both infuriating and intoxicating. I should push him away. I should remind him and myself, that I don’t need saving.But for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel alone. And that might be the most dangerous part of all.

19

GRAYSON

Margot’s face is pale, her knuckles white as she grips the phone. I’ve seen her furious. I’ve seen her triumphant. I’ve even seen her completely unfazed in situations that would make most people crumble. But this is fear, and I know it’s not just because he found her. It’s because of what he’s capable of. Margot never talked much about Liam when they were together. I only saw glimpses, him showing up at events uninvited, his hand tightening on her arm when he thought no one was looking. I remember the way she laughed it off when I asked if she was okay, the way she brushed me off like I was imagining things, but I wasn’t and neither was she.

Liam isn’t just a bitter ex. He’s calculated. Controlling. The kind of guy who doesn’t take no for an answer. And if he went through all this trouble to find her now, he’s not just here to talk, and I don’t like it.

I snatch the phone from her hand, scanning the message again, my pulse hammering in my ears:You can’t hide from me forever.

My jaw clenches as I inhale sharply through my nose. "Pack your things. We’re leaving."

Margot blinks at me. "What? No. We’re not running."

I look up, meeting her wide blue eyes. "I’m not suggesting we run. I’m making sure we control the situation before it controls us. If he knows you’re here, we need to be ahead of him, not waiting for his next move."

She hesitates, her throat bobbing as she swallows. "Where would we even go?"

"Somewhere he won’t expect." I pocket her phone and grab my keys. "Get what you need. We’re leaving in ten minutes."

For once, she doesn’t argue.

Twenty minutes later,we’re on the road, heading out of the city. Margot hasn’t said much since we left, her fingers twitching on her lap as she stares out the window.

"Where are we going?" she finally asks, her voice quiet.

"A friend’s place. Secluded, private, safe."

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