Page 14 of What About Love

“Jonas and the feds say he’s vanished without a trace.”

“What about you? Are you safe, Angie?”

That he cared ignited a flicker of exhilaration within her, but it was quickly extinguished by more bad memories.

“I won’t lie.” Glancing up at him briefly, she admitted, “I live with this terrible feeling that he’s not done with me. I’ve never been one to get premonitions, but I can’t shake it. He’s in my dreams and I watch for him around corners. When I told Lexie and the twins, they got Jonas to install a security system at my place, which helps me sleep easier.”

Two or three hours at night was better than not at all. After three months’ time, she wondered if the nightmares that haunted her sleep would ever go away.

“You need a man on you.”

“I have Dan.”

He grunted. With a sidelong glance, she saw his dark brows gather, his lips curving downward for a second before he wiped his expression clean. What was that about? Did he have something against Dan?

She thought all the Rossi team members were pretty close. As she opened her mouth to ask, footsteps on the steps echoed down the hall, announcing his return.

Dan stopped beside her when he rejoined them, his hand settling on her waist.

“All set.” With a nod to T, he guided her toward the door. As they exited the rear of the club, Angie’s emotions were in an uproar. She wanted to stay as much as she wanted to go, to cry her heart out, but was proud of herself for not breaking down in front of him.

One thing was certain, she was glad to leave the mixed messages she got from him—concerned enough to call her darlin’ one minute, but cool, almost indifference the next—far behind. Worse was the painful awkwardness she felt when around him because she still yearned for so much more.

***

HE WATCHED DAN’S HANDglide across her back, skin on skin because of the low-rise skirt and cropped top she wore, and jealousy burned like fire in his gut. He wanted to shove his hand aside and take over Dan’s role himself—co-worker, trainer, dom, all of it. Maybe he should talk to Cap about a change in assignments.

Hell! Was he nuts?

Being around her constantly, mentoring her at work, training her at the club, touching her, restraining her, laying a flogger across her fine ass.

Christ, no! It would be nothing less than torture.

As they left, he watched Angie look up at the big ex-Marine, talking more animatedly than she had with him and offering Dan a small smile. Envy, an emotion he rarely experienced, created an ache in his chest.

He would have enjoyed seeing that smile flash his way. With him, however, she’d been stiff, more stilted than she’d ever been in the past. When they’d talked about the events at the courthouse, she’d barely met his eyes, which was unusual for Angie. During the long, drawn-out months of the cartel investigation, he’d seen her go toe-to-toe with several of the Rossi men, even Cap, which took guts. He wondered if it was seeing him in the scene that affected her or if it was something more.

Had she remembered what she’d revealed as she lay bleeding beneath his hand? Did she recall using her last bit of breath, struggling on a shallow gasp to put words together that would lay waste to his walled-off heart?

If only...

“Damn fool,” he cursed aloud. “You can’t hold her close with one hand and push her away with the other.”

His own words echoed back to him as he walked down the empty corridor. Conflicted, he reentered the club. The feeling didn’t wane as he walked the circuit. Nor did it ebb when he stood amongst a group of onlookers observing a cupping scene. Despite being amongst of a crowd of at least seventy-five members, he still felt lonely.

Turning abruptly, he left the playroom then walked through the lounge and out the front door. He didn’t speak to anyone or let them know where he was going. Maybe it was fatigue speaking or seeing Angie with Dan, but all he could think about was getting away from the people and the noise and going home where he could actually be alone. And would likely be for the duration since instead of opening up and trusting again, he kept pushing people away.

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