Page 55 of His Virgin Angel

“Oh, okay, why?” Jack wasn’t with him.

“Do you love him?” he asked.

“I don’t feel comfort—”

“Because he loves you. I mean really loves you. The kind that you see in movies or you read about in fucking books. He’s dying without you.”

“Drake?”

“Hear me out. I get it. He lied to you, and he was never completely honest. His fortune is not the best way to make an income, but he has done everything in his power to keep you and Brian safe. He’s a very bad good man. I know it makes absolutely no sense, but it’s the truth. I like to think of myself as his friend, and your friend.”

“You are.”

“I can see that you’re hurting yourself, and you’re not keeping well. You both need each other, and neither of you are breaking this stalemate.”

“Jack’s not been to the restaurant.”

“Jack killed a man in front of you, Piper. He told you the truth and watched you recoil. You needed space. What do you expect him to do? Not listen to what you need? You asked for space, and this is his way of giving it to you.”

She started to cry. “I shouldn’t want to be with him.”

“Who cares? So you don’t love the boy next door, or the star business partner, or the star athlete? You love a killer. That killer will never turn on you. Jack is more than that. He’s the man that came to you. He found you, and he’s done everything to make sure none of this bad shit came your way.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Either forgive him, or finally cut him loose. Right now, he needs some closure, and to know you’re okay. Can you do that for him?” he asked.

Piper nodded.

She had to do something. There was no way she could go on living like this, with all of this pain.

****

Jack stared out of the window of his apartment. It was dark outside, and he’d turned all the lights off so he could look. He wondered if Piper was happier. Since she asked for some space, he’d not even gotten updates from Mark about her life at Exquisite. The men who took care of her reported on her safety. She was doing well in college, but right now she was on a break. Christmas was around the corner, Thanksgiving was already past, and he’d spent it alone in his apartment. The first one in four years where he’d been completely and utterly alone.

His apartment door opened and closed. He didn’t bother to look around. If it was an enemy they could kill him now, and save him all of this pain and heartache. This was the worst kind of torture in the world. He couldn’t stand it. Most mornings he didn’t want to wake up.

When nothing tried to kill him, he figured it was Drake.

“Did she get home safely?” he asked.

“Why don’t you ask me yourself?” she said.

Jack spun around and froze. There in his apartment was Piper. She wore a long jacket, and he noticed instantly that she’d lost weight. Even from all the way across his apartment, he saw how poorly she looked. “Piper.”

“Hello, Jack.”

“I didn’t know it was you.”

“That’s okay. You don’t look so good,” she said.

“You’re not looking so well yourself.”

She smiled. “You kill bad people.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Only bad people?”

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