Page 29 of Lust

“Thank you,” she says, not looking at me.

I shake my head. “Blake will go with you to drop off your father’s things, then we will take you home,” I tell her.

“No need. I was planning to stay here for a while with Pa,” she says, avoiding looking at me, and climbs out before I can say more.

“For fuck’s sake,” I grumble, switching the engine off and get out. Blake slams the boot closed and joins Sydney. “Visiting hours are over, Sydney, and I don’t want you travelling home alone.”

Her eyes widen at my sharp tone, or maybe it’s the perceived authority. Either way, she’s not happy about it. Seeing she’s ready to argue, I step towards her, invading her space. Trapped between me in front and Blake behind her, she has nowhere to go.

“It’s not up for discussion. Drop your father’s things off, make sure he’s okay, then we will take you home.” Her eyes narrow, and I can see the fire she tries so hard to keep at bay. I like what I see, and I plan on pushing her over the edge—in more ways than one.

A second later, her shoulders slump and she sighs. “Fine.” She sidesteps from between the two of us and mutters a “thank you” as she heads for the entrance. Blake winks at me, and I know he saw what I did.

Sydney Kincaid is a woman restrained by her upbringing, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A woman ready to break the shackles and offer a big fuck you to the world.

As I watch them enter the hospital, my mind fills with all the ways I plan to set her free.

I don’t bother getting back in the car, despite the cold, and call Oz.

“Oz, I need you to go back over everything we know about Warren before he became Kincaid,” I tell him when he answers.

“What am I looking for?”

“Any woman Warren was friends with, knew, hooked up with. Anything. Do you have a copy of Sydney’s birth certificate?”

He grumbles down the line. “I’ll check again, but I already went through everyone he knew back then with a fine-toothed comb.”

“Not fine enough. We’re missing something when it comes to Sydney and who her mother is.”

“Okay, I’ll check again. And that’s a negative on Sydney’s birth certificate. We were never able to find one, or any details about her.”

I rub a hand over my lower face. “How the fuck is it possible for someone to have no birth certificate?” It’s a stupid question. One I already know the answer to.

“My guess is her real name isn’t Sydney Kincaid,” Oz says, mirroring my own thoughts.

“Then find out who the fuck she really is.” I end the call as my eyes catch on Blake and Sydney exiting the hospital.

The earlier fire I saw in Sydney has been damped down, and she looks exhausted. Blake is walking a few steps behind her and catches my eye as Sydney climbs into the back seat without a word.

As she closes the car door, Blake says, “He’s still hanging in there.”

I’m about to get in the car when my phone pings with a message. It’s an unknown number, but something tells me I need to read it.

I scan over the message, and my eyes widen when I read who it’s from.

“What is it?” Blake asks, half in half out of the passenger side.

“I need to take a piss. I’ll be back in ten.” Blake doesn’t question me, but I can see his confusion. I don’t turnaround as I enter the hospital, but I feel Sydney’s eyes burning a path along my back the whole time.

I quickly find the private room and slip inside unseen.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

BLAKE

Iget in the car and close the door, then turn in my seat to check on Sydney.

“You okay?”

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