Page 26 of Play With Me

She sighed, and I could see the truth drowning in her eyes. I could tell that she was fighting against similar demons to mine.

“I’m only telling you this because I trust you. Xavier, Kate’s father, left specific instructions to Cross Enterprises, before he left on a hunt, to protect her. That’s why I’ve been looking out for her.”

“No matter what the consequences?” I asked.

“Kate is a good person. I did my job, and I’ll continue doing it until my directives change.”

Her job to protect a criminal had ruined my family. It exposed us. I decided on a different approach to get my answers, and I hoped I got them before we arrived at Cameron’s condo where I could strangle Kate myself.

“Her father was a bounty hunter?” I asked.

She gasped in surprise. She might have been good at her job, but I was also as good at mine.

“Yes, how…? Never mind. Look, that’s all I can say. My job is simple. Protect her no matter what. It’s been my only job for the past five years, and one I will continue until my directives change,” she repeated.

Her client blew up millions’ worth of mafia narcotics, and framed my brother and my family. We watched everything we owned go up in flames. I was forced to move out of our family home where I lived with my brothers, my father, and Sophie. We moved in with my mother, something I’d promised myself I’d never do, and it was all because of Kate. Our lives had been in chaos for the past year because of Lola’s client.

“You must know how everything is connected, though. Our reason for coming to Pace, and your client, Kate?”

I wanted her to tell me about the warehouse on her own. I wanted to hold on to that ounce of hope that Lola would trust me. I needed her to be honest, but Lola didn’t budge.

“Are you close with Emma Cross?”

“Sort of. What’s with all the questions, Madman? Why are you looking at me that way?”

My hands shook. I clasped my palms together, holding them steady.

“Because I’m jumping to conclusions, and frankly, you’re too important to me to do that. George, can you stop?” I called to the front. “I’ll walk rest of the way.”

“Brook, what are you doing? Did something happen back at the office?” she asked.

“Just let it go, Lola. I need a few minutes to myself. I don’t want to say anything or do anything that I’ll regret, and I have plenty to say.”

Her mouth opened a fraction, then hardened, and I already regretted the few harsh words I spoke.

“Suit yourself.”

She was driving me crazy. Why wouldn’t she tell me? I was livid, and when I looked at her, all that anger managed to do was make me hard for her.

“George?” I called out again, very well knowing that if George could have, he would have stopped already.

The limo finally rolled to the curb, and I opened the door, not bothering to look back at Lola. I was afraid that if I did, I’d storm back into that limo and spread her legs wide enough so that I could freely fuck all that anger inside me, out of her.

I heard the door close, and moments later George pulled away.

It would take me thirty minutes to walk to Cameron’s condo from here. The late fall air was chilly but I needed the time to calm down, though the more I tried, the more I failed. Lola was right. I must have been a mad man to get involved with a woman who not only hated kids but had also worked on the same case that I had. Still, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that a line in the sand had been drawn between us, I couldn’t.

At this moment, I wanted to hold her by the throat and pound between her legs until she promised not to ever keep any secrets from me again. Except that would have been impossible. Promising no secrets meant that I would have to tell her about Sophie, and we haven’t even had a chance to properly get to know each other.

What was happening to me? When had I become this soft? Usually the fucking came first, and all we’d done the past few times we’d seen each other was make love. I couldn’t get enough of her, and as I walked toward the condo with fresh wood in my pants that had grown out of all that anger for Lola, I realized that I’d reached my limit of love-making. Lola deserved to be punished and I’d planned on punishing her all-night long.

Chapter 6

Lola

Ipaced up and down the hallway outside Cameron’s condo. My head was beginning to hurt from lack of sleep as well as the amount of shit I was dealing with all at once. Overhead, the sound of Christmas tunes filled the hallway, but it would take a lot more than a Christmas miracle to fix my problems.

I had just revealed myself to my client. I told Kate that everything she believed in was a lie. I told her that I sedated her and kidnapped her from Pace; to protect her from Cortez, of course. Well, that pretty much flushed our friendship down the toilet.

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