Page 54 of Hesi-Dating
"I'd like Amber to stay," I said.
"These are sensitive things, sweetheart. We need to get you sorted on a few issues.”
"They're notthatsensitive." I crossed my arms. I looked over at Mitchell where he stood like an army officer at attention at the room's exit. "Are we going to discuss the time Warren took you?—"
"Amber can stay," he interrupted. He grinned a pissed-off smile.
"I knew it wasn't that sensitive," I muttered.
One evil look from Mitchell caused Marino and Bruno to scoot out of the room. I might label them cowards but they both had a strong sense of self-preservation.
Amber stayed in the chair opposite me with her hands clasped tight in her lap.
That left Nosh's choice for seating to either be the gigantic coffee table, which was as solid as the block of wood it was made from, or the sofa. He sat directly in front of me on the table with his back to Amber and leaned toward me.
"You went home with Seth Briscoe last night." It was a statement. Not a question.
I neither confirmed nor denied. I waited.
"Didn't you?" he prompted.
"I go home with a lot of guys." I stared him down and blanked my face of emotion. Inside, my stomach twisted so hard it hurt. Maybe he hacked my phone and followed my movements. I'd get a new phone tomorrow.
"Do you deny going home with him?"
"I was his stand-in, last minute date yesterday. I was doing him a favor after he did me a solid that night he helped with my flat tire. He drove. That meant I had to get a ride home with him. Would seem kind of weird to get an app ride home from a wedding."
"Did you fuck him, Joley?"
I despised the way his tone came off disappointed as if he was my father and I'd screwed the wrong boy on the sofa. "Does it matter?"
"Here's the thing, baby. I thought I was clear on this, but I realize I may have been too subtle for you. We all know smarts aren't your strength and how a hot piece of ass is hard for you to resist. I'm sorry I didn't make myself understood. The sheriff isn't a friend. That means he's a threat to me and you."
A part of me shrank like I'd been sucked back to being twelve and having every adult in my life tell me I was stupid. "In what way does he threatenme?"
"He's going to use you to get to me. That puts both of us in harm's way. The sheriff has been trying to figure out my organization for years. I'm here because I care about you." His voice lowered an octave. "He's not good for you."
You're here because you care about yourself.Something wasn't right. The FBI could be a problem for Nosh since he couldn't control them easily, but local law enforcement was a breeze for him to infiltrate. If I'd been dating a high up agent in the FBI, then maybe I would understand this worry.
Someone must be protecting Seth. Someone didn't want Nosh to touch him. Otherwise, Nosh would threaten him directly or do something to gain control over Seth. Or kill him outright. Someone had to have warned Nosh away. Who?
My mind spun through possible people who had power over Nosh. There weren't many.
He threw his head back to stare at the ceiling. "It's not your fault you developed big tits and curves that make men want to fuck you. I wish you'd have more respect for yourself than to sleep with dogs like the sheriff, but we're both a bit messed up when it comes to relationships. I used to say each unto his own, but after my latest incident with a girl I…" He took my hand. His skin was clammy. Gross.
"I've been seeing a shrink. Maybe you should too," he said. Nosh was notorious for only getting off with a girl if violence was involved.
His touch…
Let go of me.Fear clawed at my throat and threatened to take over.
"You are not going to have anything to do with Seth Briscoe anymore." He squeezed my hand tight. "Do you understand?"
Exhaustion coalesced with frustration. I was never my best after an all-nighter. I wanted to be free of this man. Why should he care about what I might or might not say about that day so long ago? I whispered, "Why can't you leave me be? If you do, then I don't know anything about you. Honestly, I don't know much. I don't understand who you've become, but the fact you keep showing up in my life every few months means you keep us connected. The facts of that time long ago were established and forgotten just like you said I should. The two of us shouldforget."
He stood and pulled me up into his embrace.
Rigidly, I stood as he held me and stroked my hair. The smell of his expensive cologne clogged my nose. "You're my Joley baby. The things you did for me…No one's ever done that."
