Page 35 of Exposed

I couldn’t imagine Tanner living an ordinary life. And I hoped he found someone else to love. Because he looked so sad when he thought people weren’t looking. I swallowed hard. Why was it so easy to see what he needed? But so hard to admit that I needed it too? I didn’t want to walk around sad for the rest of my life.

“The guilt will ease,” Tanner said, like he could tell what I was thinking. “But if you wait for it to go away completely…your whole life will pass you by. And where’s the fun in that?”

“I think we’re both good at giving advice but bad at taking it.”

Tanner laughed. “Oh, I think I’ve almost convinced you. And I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Now, what kind of sweet treat are my grandson and I about to partake in? It smells delicious.”

I took a deep breath. It smelled like cinnamon. It smelled like Matt. It smelled like home.

Chapter 15

Sunday

Matt

Tanner tried to call me again as I walked down the long hallway. I’d texted him and told him to meet me at James’ place in an hour. Nigel too. They were both assholes. All my friends were. And I needed to get rid of the anger coursing through my veins.

I just had one stop to make before I yelled at all of them. I reached Mr. Pruitt’s door and pounded my fist against it. “Open up, you piece of shit!” I yelled.

Part of me didn’t expect him to answer.

I hit the door louder this time. “Mr. Pruitt! Open the fucking door!”

One of his bodyguards opened the door. The one that had opened the door the day I was told Brooklyn was dead. I remembered the tears on his face. He believed Mr. Pruitt’s lies too. Or else he was a great actor.

“Where is he?” I said.

“We both know I can’t let you in when you’re acting like this.”

Acting like what?I cracked my neck to the side. I wasn’t acting. I was about to beat the shit out of this guy.

“It’s fine,” Mr. Pruitt said, as he joined his henchman at the door. “I was thinking you might be paying me a visit soon. It certainly took you long enough.”

My hands were around his throat in two seconds flat. I shoved his back against the wall. Mr. Pruitt looked neither shocked nor scared that I was about to kill him.

“Enough,” the bodyguard said and pulled me back.

I shoved him off of me. He wasn’t that much bigger than me. But I knew he probably had training that I didn’t. I wasn’t trying to die. I just wanted to kill Brooklyn’s ass of a father.

My chest rose and fell as I stared at him. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who wanted to hurt him. There were bruises fading in the corners of his eyes. Someone had tried to break his nose. I was going to finish the job. “Seriously, Mr. Pruitt? You couldn’t have told me via text that Brooklyn was alive?”

“I thought it would be better in person.” He straightened his tie. “And you didn’t seem all that interested.”

“I wasn’t interested in talking to you because I thought you murdered my fiancée!”

“She gave me the kidney willingly. Why does everyone keep making it sound so terrible?”

“You saw me at the funeral. You saw me at all those stupid functions. You knew how hard I was taking it. Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me?”

“As I said…you didn’t seem that interested in what I had to say, or you would have texted me back. And honestly, I never thought you were a good fit for my daughter. I was always trying to encourage her to date your brother instead.”

Was he fucking joking? “So that’s why you lied to her and told her I asked for her ring back? And told her that I didn’t speak at her funeral? You were trying to make her hate me. How could you do that? How could you manipulate her that way?”

“I did what I thought was best. And you weren’t the best fit for her.”

“You seriously thought one of your trained dogs was a better fit?”

“Watch it,” his bodyguard said. “Miller was my friend.”

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