Page 67 of Last Chance Seduction
Because Gia, her husband, her mother, and her father stood there, faces stone, and Gia’s bright red.
“Fuck,” Crew whispered under his breath.
And I was pretty sure that that was just an understatement.
ChapterFourteen
Mercy
Iwasn’t technically a workaholic for getting some work done on New Year’s Eve, but it couldn’t be helped.I needed to get a few chapters in and answer the dreaded email.My producer was thankfully off for the week because they were smarter than me, so when they got back they would have things to work on and not feel rushed.Because if I did my part, everybody else wouldn’t be behind with their part.It was just common sense.
And focusing on work would help me clear my thoughts of exactly what had happened this past week.
Because I had fallen for Lexington Wilder Montgomery.
I wasn’t sure exactly how it had happened.But here I was, head over heels in love with a man when I wasn’t sure what he felt for me.
Yes, the sex was great, but it had been a whirlwind to say the least.
It hadn’t even been a month, or really, now that I thought about it, it had been a month to the day since I had been out in the partial winter weather and a snake had decided to ruin my day.
And now Lex wasn’t just my neighbor.Wasn’t merely the man who had been standing near me on one of the worst days of my life.
Wasn’t the man who had held Emily as she had coughed up blood, the first indication that we were going to lose her.
I let out a breath, knowing I wasn’t going to be able to work anymore for the day.I put everything away, trying to focus on anything but Lex, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“How the hell did this happen, Emily?”
She didn’t answer back.She never did.Sometimes I would have those dreams where she would be sitting next to me and everybody would be talking to her, as if nothing had happened.As if she had always been here.And she wouldn’t judge me for being with Lex.For wanting to be part of the Montgomery family once again.She would just be part of it with me.
And yet I would look at her and I would know she shouldn’t be there.I would know she would leave at any moment, and if I truly believed that she was by my side, that my best friend, twin, other half was alive, then I would break once she left again.
Because if she was alive in my dreams and I had given up far too early, then I had moved on and left her behind.
The guilt that crept through my system every time I woke up from one of those dreams still made my chest ache.
Because Emily was gone.And I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life.I had friends, at least I was learning to allow myself to have friends.I had a job I loved.A house I was slowly making mine.
And I hadn’t expected Lex.
Maybe I should have.After all, he had been such a key part of my middle school years and beyond.But once I met Justin, things had changed.
I had thought I loved that man with every ounce of my soul.But it turned out, I had loved the man I thought he was.The man that Lex seemed far closer to being.And how odd was that?
I set the kettle on for tea, as it was oddly warm outside for New Year’s Eve, but it still wasn’t summer.The fact that Lex and the guys were out golfing confused me.But if that’s what they wanted to do for their man time, I would let them.I knew that Brooklyn and the others had said I could hang out with them for the day, or they would come over to me, but I had wanted some time alone to think.And once again, maybe I was thinking a little too much.But that’s what I did best.
My phone buzzed, and I answered it, the unknown number making me frown.But these days, with so many clients and industry people that I worked with, I wasn’t going to always know their number.
“Hello?”I answered.
“Mercy Caddel?”a deep, crackling voice asked.
I blinked, not recognizing the voice.
“Yes, and who’s this?”
“It doesn’t concern you.All you need to know is that we’re looking for our money.And if you don’t have it by tomorrow, we’ll make sure you regret it.”
