Page 19 of A Billionaire Gentleman

I felt a seam give.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

A woman’s voice came from the doorway. A familiar voice. But I couldn’t think of who it was. If I did, she might not be real, and that would be worse.

“Back off, bitch!”

“Sanders!” she shouted. “You want to come help me, or should I just shove one of my five-inch heels into this fucker’s ass?!”

With a frustrated growl, Mead shoved my head down hard enough to bruise, but then he let go.

I stayed where I was, muscles trembling, teeth biting into my lips. He could be pretending. Waiting until I thought I was safe just to show me that I wasn’t. It could all be a trick…

I let out a surprised yelp when someone touched me, but the arm that went around my shoulders was thinner and smoother than Mead’s. I opened my eyes and saw a pair of angry green eyes glaring back. They quickly changed to compassion.

“That your ex?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

“He’s gone,” Pasha said, easing me back until I was sitting on the floor. She wrapped her arms around me, not caring how gross the floor was.

“He’s never gone,” I whispered, tears burning paths down my cheeks. “He can do anything he wants.”

“You want me to have Sanders call the cops? I’ll tell them what I saw that bastard trying to do to you.”

I shook my head, familiar despair settling heavily onto my shoulders. “There’s no point. They won’t do anything.”

“If you press charges they will,” she said. “We might not be the classiest place in Sin City, but we’re clean enough that complaints really get filed.”

“Not with him.” I looked up at her. “They won’t do anything to him. He’s one of them. He’s a cop.”

Twelve

Deklin

I still wasn’t entirelysure that Grandad hadn’t bought the hotel, but whatever he’d said had gotten through because the last couple days we had in Kansas City were uneventful. We did what we’d come to do and didn’t have any more surprises, bad or otherwise. Still, I’d never been so glad to fall into my own bed as I had been last night.

I’d intended to help Aurelia pack today, but Grandad had insisted that he and I give Dad and Davin our report first thing. I loved my grandfather, but this was getting ridiculous. He knew Aurelia was leaving tomorrow morning and still didn’t offer to postpone the meeting a single day. At least he wasn’t the one in charge of this evening’s dinner so he couldn’t do anything to screw up me at least seeing her before she left.

Maybe I’d be able to steal a few minutes alone with her, and we could finally talk face-to-face about where we thought this was going. I felt like the two of us were in limbo, hovering in place as we waited for something. The problem was, I didn’t know what that something was. I liked spending time with her and talking with her, but everything else was just…awkward.

“Good to see you,” I said as soon as she followed her dad inside. I gave her a hug and felt her stiffen when it lasted more than a couple seconds. I immediately released her, not wanting her to feel trapped, but I stayed close enough to ask, “Are you okay?”

She nodded, cheeks pink. “It’s good to see you too.”

“How was your trip to Kansas City?” Ronall asked, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Good,” I said. “Too long for my taste.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aurelia hide a smile and knew she was thinking about everything I’d told her had happened. I wondered how often people talked over her and around her, but never actually to her.

I completely understood, and I liked that I was able to make her smile with something as simple as conversation. I honestly didn’t think it was because she was a social person, but more because I sawherand not her dad, her family, justher.

“Are you going to be around for a while now?” Ronall asked.

I shrugged. “That’s up to Grandad. He’s the one saying when and where and how long.”

“I hope I have half of his energy at his age.”

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