Page 33 of Ruthless Commander
“It’s not like that,” I muttered. “He’s the one who walked into me when we got off the plane, okay? He’s just a friend.”A fuck buddy, more like it. Well, he wanted to be.
“Who the fuck is the guy?” he demanded.
I jerked my gaze along the hall toward the bedroom where Evan was permanently inside. “Lower your damn voice, Rhys. He’s…”
“Jesus, Xael,” he groaned, and shook his head.
Heat rose to my cheeks, and anger lashed deep. I wasn’t doing anything fucking wrong here. And even if I was, what was it to him or my damn family? I’d only hooked up with him once since getting his number. Even that turned out disastrous, being sprung by Alexi Kilpatrick of all assholes. “So it’s okay for my brother to nail anything that moves, but if I even try to have some resemblance of a relationship, all of a sudden I’m labeled a whore?”
He flinched. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I was so sick of that double-standard bullshit. Why didn’t they see that was why I fucking acted out? Why I'd taken off to the university and tried to pretend I was someone else. Someone who wasn’t criticized, someone who wasn’t looked at the way Rhys was looking at me now.
“You know what? Never mind,” I snarled, then turned and strode back along the hallway and into my room, slamming the door behind me.
“Xael,” Rhys called from behind the door. “Come on.”
“Don’t,” I demanded.
But he didn’t leave. Instead, he leaned closer to the door. “I just messaged one of the guys downstairs to take you to your class, okay? You’re right, you can’t stay in this apartment forever.”
I jerked my gaze toward the door, took a step, and yanked it open. “Really?”
“Really.” He gave a nod. “Whoever attacked Marcus Baldeon is long gone by now.”
I noticed that he didn’t say I was safe. Because Rhys was a man of his word, and there’s no way he’d say something he didn’t think was true. That meant…
“Want to give me your gun, Rhys?” I asked.
The sly smile was quick, even if he was exhausted. “You with a gun? Now, that’s a scary prospect.”
I gave a shrug. “You never know. I might surprise you.”
“Terrify is more like it.”
I gave a smile as he continued. “Go, get ready. Go to your class while I get a damn shower and some proper sleep.”
“Thank fuck,” I muttered. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but…”
“Why you little.” He feigned a lunge toward me.
I gave a chuckle that seemed awful and awkward given the circumstances as the sound of the elevator doors echoed from out in the entrance. I straightened, as did Rhys. We couldn’t have anyone seeing the real person behind the stony mask, now could we?
“Ms. Davies,” the guard called from the living room.
I straightened my shirt, tucked back my hair, slid my phone into my pocket, and stepped past Rhys, muttering, “Get some sleep, Rhys.”
“Will do. Stay safe out there, kid. Don’t leave his side, okay?”
“Got it, dad.”
He gave a smile, but I knew he wasn’t joking. Because none of this was even remotely funny. We were just trying to figure out a way to navigate what had happened. I strode toward the guard, watching him turn for the elevator. Not once did he speak as we rode down to the foyer and out of the building, heading for the classrooms.
But as soon as I was outside, I grabbed my cell and sent a text.Are we really safe here?
A second later, my phone vibrated.Damien: Can’t talk over the phone. Want to meet?
