Page 19 of Twisted Contract

“I will.” I take her hand and lead her to the exit as we start to draw attention to ourselves. The second we’re outside, the press begins to take photos. It’s then that she loses her footing. I catch her and sweep her into my arms. More cameras go off, which piss me off because she’s clearly not in a good place and they’re taking advantage of it. The valet has the door open, and we climb inside. I buckle her in and sit beside her.

“I could kill those bastards,” I snarl the second the door is closed.

“Sorry about that, boss. It’s not like I could just shoot them.”

“No, you’re right, but it still pisses me off.”

“Take us to the estate.” His brows raise and I stare at him, wondering why he’s not moving.

“Connor, I’m sorry. That’s the first time I’ve ever had a drink.”

“Oh, you are a mess, aren’t you?”

“Sorry. Don’t be mean to me,” she sighs, pressing her head onto my chest. It feels so good, but I ignore the situation because she’s wasted, and as much as I’d like to fuck her cute little ass, I’m not going to touch her until she’s ready to toss her sexy body at me completely sober. She’s a complicated woman and the daughter of my enemy.

I want her father dead, and as much as she says she hates him while she’s drunk, she doesn’t really hate him. No—tomorrow, the pretty little princess will want his love and attention, willing to forgive him. I won’t allow her to forgive him because he’ll be dead, but then she won’t forgive me.

The moment we pull up to my house, she’s wide awake and feeling a bit frisky. Claudia’s clearly still inebriated, but she thinks she’s sober. “You’re sexy even when you’re mean, Connor.”

“Thanks, gorgeous,” I answered, opening the front door.

“This isn’t my apartment.”

“Yeah, if you think I’m letting you back there in your condition, you’re out of your mind. You’re not sober, and your father and ex-fiancé are probably fuming now.”

“Oh my goodness. They’re going to want my head for today.” She gasps and clings to my side as we enter my mansion.

“Wow, this is insanely perfect.” Cain comes barreling through the house and directly toward her. “Whoa.”

“Calm down. Sit, Cain.” He sits and wags his tail like a greedy little bitch. Some protector, but then again, he knows that she belongs here. “He likes you.”

“Aren’t you a good boy,” she coos, reaching slowly and cautiously to pet him. He allows it and the more she digs into his fur, the more he pushes his head into her hand.

“Looks like you have an admirer.”

“He’s a big, adorable brute.” She smiles kindly toward him and then looks up at me, and I want to kiss her but tell myself she’s borrowed trouble. My end goal doesn’t include her.

“Come on, let’s get you in bed.”

“I’m not sleeping with you just because my fiancé is a cheating bastard.”

“Ex-fiancé, and I meant to sleep, baby girl.” I swat her behind and lead her up the stairs.

“Hey.”

“Well, get moving, Trouble.”

“You’re the one who is trouble. A menace. A big man-ass,” she says with a giggle. I don’t know how drunk she is, but she’s adorable. The fact that she just called me a big ass. A man who willingly kills people. Didn’t her father mention she was taking pills too?

“How many pills did you take today?”

“My dad gave me two because I would be out for a long time tonight, and I was wearing heels and he didn’t want me to complain.”

“Fuck. What kind of pills?”

“I’m not sure. I think the bottle was labeled Vicodin.” My mind whirls because even though Claudia was shot and that shit is brutal, she doesn’t have a broken bone and it was a through and through that she didn’t even go to the hospital for. She has full use of her arm.

“Baby girl, do me a favor. Wash up, and I’m going to get you a change of clothes.”

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