Page 23 of My Retribution Too

“Okay.”

“Call me if you need me. I’m going to the scene, then to the office. I’ll also send one of my guys to keep an eye on the hotel.”

“Okay.”

I grabbed her face and placed a hard kiss to her lips before I released her and left her hotel suite abruptly. It was that, or I wasn’t ever leaving.

Yeah, I was definitely in trouble.

CHAPTER3

PHOEBE

The moment Lock left, I double bolted the door, collapsed against it, and let out an exasperated sigh.

That was so freaking close.

I had to give it to Reed. He was so very right about Lock. He was a pit bull with a bone. Of course I would never tell Reed that he was right. I would take that to my grave. But damn…

I dashed to my couch, grabbed the bottle of Jack, and took a long pull.

Tonight was the night from hell, and it was my own damn fault. But when I thought about everything, what else could I have done? How could I have stopped her from breaking into Miguel’s house?

Most of the things I had told Lock were true. I had no idea who her boyfriend was until tonight. I just knew he was dangerous. It was hard to believe she was mixed up with such a dangerous man associated with a horrible family. Not that I fully knew Ansley. Clearly I didn’t, but I knew enough to know she was too good for him. She was such a sweetheart. I couldn’t fathom her being with such a scumbag like Miguel. But wasn’t that a thing? Good girls loving bad boys. It’s what happened to me and yeah, things didn’t end well at all for me. Mind you, I was referring to Byron, not Lock.

Still, Ansley didn’t deserve to die like that. I wished someone would beat Miguel to death. See how he liked that?

I took another gulp of Jack, feeling the effects running along my veins, when my cell started to ring. I stared at it from across the room before I moved to check the screen.

I gasped when I saw who was calling me.

Ayana…

I thought about not answering it, but it would be a bad move. For one, if I didn’t answer, she would immediately think something happened to me. She knew where I had gone and would naturally worry. That would cause her to make phone calls to others such as Lock’s team, and I couldn’t afford that. And two, if I didn’t answer, she would come looking for me and the last thing I needed was for her to…

My phone stopped ringing but started up again just as fast. I answered.

“Hey,” I breathed out.

“Hey, back at you. Where are you?”

“I’m uh… in my hotel room.”

“Oh good. Noelle and I are downstairs in the bar. Come down and have a drink with us.”

Her voice was friendly, but I could hear the threat clear as day.

I resisted a sigh and said, “Okay, give me a minute to get dressed.”

I hung up and reluctantly took off my shirt, put on a sports bra that zipped in the front and a t-shirt. I kept my pants on, no panties, slipped my feet in my flip-flops, secured my phone and room key between my bra strap and headed for the lobby and my fate.

I should have known this would happen. I should’ve been ready. Noelle and Ayana were smart. They knew the BS I fed them earlier was just that, BS. They would want the truth, and I was resounded to give it to them. I’ve been dying to tell them, anyway. I knew they would keep my secret. No matter if they disagreed with what I was doing, they wouldn’t rat me out to Lock or anyone.

I found the women in a far corner of the bar. I started to stop at the bar to order myself a drink, but Ayana signaled me over, holding up a glass in her hand.

I assumed that drink was mine, and I sauntered over to the table, dread covering me like a wet blanket.

Even though I had decided to tell them everything, I would be putting them in serious risk. Right now, if anyone asked them, they truly had no clue what I did in the dark. That was about to change. Would that put them on someone’s radar? Schindler’s perhaps? Being here did that, but did I have anything else to worry about? God, I hoped not.

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