Page 22 of Tainted Beginnings (Dark Syndicate 7)

I can’t allow that to happen. So, I have to find her first.

She felt like mine, so she is. She’s mine.

Mine to protect.

Mine to keep safe.

ChapterTen

Tennessee

I’m a nervous wreck.

A complete mess inside and out. I’ve been sitting in the kitchen with Georgia trying to force a sandwich down my throat.

Georgia has been talking non-stop for the last hour. She was like that this morning, too, when she picked me up from the airport. My flight was a little under five hours long. I love catching up on sleep on long flights, but I was so shaken up, sleep was the furthest thing from me.

By the time I saw Georgia, I was an exhausted mess, and all she wanted to do was talk about Nick. When she saw I wasn’t saying any more about him than I had, she began talking about this new business venture of ours. I was glad for the subject change, but it wasn’t the sort of thing I wanted to talk about at three in the morning.

She’s talking about it again now, and it’s nearly four in the afternoon.

I managed to sleep for a few hours, but my mood isn’t any better.

I’m just humoring her because I know she’s excited. The business finally has a chance to be successful. I can see how my presence will take it to the next level. The simple advert I ran last week when I first arrived grabbed us an amazing contract with a nice four-figure sum to provide the cake and catering for a wedding at the end of next month.

While she’s been talking at the speed of light, I’ve been sitting here too numb to breathe as I mulled over all the conversations I had with Nick. I’ve been trying to think of anything I said to him that would allow him to find me.

I was so freaked out last night, I wasn’t even sure I should come home. I worried I’d put Georgia in danger. I’m only here because I convinced myself that I didn’t tell Nick enough information to find me.

Even if he looked through my purse, there wasn’t anything in there with my address on it. My driver’s license and passport were already in the bag I was carrying.

I didn’t tell Nick where I worked or anything like that. I also left my phone in the bathroom in the airport in Vegas on purpose.

I’ve seen enough films to know you can be tracked through your cellphone. If he was able to get into my phone and put his number in, it means he also had my number. Even if he doesn’t, I didn’t want to take the risk, so I wrote down all the numbers I’d need and ditched the phone.

Other than that, I don’t think he’ll be able to track me down.

I’m currently staying with Georgia until I buy my own house. The business is also listed in Georgia’s name, and he doesn’t know her name.

We’re finalizing the contracts this week, but I think I’ll hold off on that for a while.

Thank God Nick and I didn’t do much talking. Who knows what I could have said?

I trusted him. Trusted him foolishly with my body, and in some ways, my heart.

I don’t even know how that happened, and I don’t think it’s been down to desperation. I’m not a desperate woman who needed to go to Vegas to be fucked by some random stranger.

It’s more the case of hurt.

I hate Kurt for what he did to me, but more than anything, he hurt me.

Since the whole thing with him, I’ve been like an open book. Sometimes, my heart is so full I’m ready to pour out my emotions to whoever will listen.

That’s what happens sometimes when you’ve been wronged. Either you want to shout it from the rooftop, or you go the other way and don’t talk.

I can’t expect this plan to hide to last forever. It’s only until I can figure out what to do and how to keep myself safe.

Also… I saw a man die.

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