Page 32 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

“Asshole.”

Shane’s expression hardens. “I don’t care what you think of me. But do yourself a favor and cooperate if they ask you to. Maybe we can get this over with quicker this way.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What, you expect me to get down on my hands and knees and beg for mercy? Is that it?”

“No, of course not.”

“You’re the bad guy here,” I remind him coldly. “I don’t care if you got me a room at the Ritz. You helped arrange my kidnapping, and I’m being held against my will.”

Shane runs a hand over his face and winces. “I’m sorry that I trusted Isaiah and missed the warning signs. I didn’t know Isaiah was planning this, I swear.”

I take a step toward him and soften my voice. “You can do the right thing, Shane. I know we didn’t like each other in high school, but there’s a difference between hanging out with the wrong crowd and this. You can still get out.”

Shane barks out a laugh. “You really do believe I’m the bad guy here, don’t you?”

My heart slams into my chest. “Aren’t you?”

Shane tilts his head to the side and studies my face. “It doesn’t really matter, does it? I’m not here to pour my heart out to you, and you don’t care either way. All that matters is that you’re here, and Isaiah is not going to let you go until he gets what he wants.”

My blood turns to ice. “Which is what?”

“I guess you’ll find out soon enough.” Shane glances down at the mess on the floor and the tomato sauce splatters on the hem of his jeans and exhales. “I’ll see if they can have someone come in and clean this mess and bring you another plate of food. Do me a favor and don’t break the next one.”

“Fuck you.”

Shane stiffens. “I know you don’t believe me, but I’m not the enemy here, Evie. The sooner you realize that, the better it’ll be for all of us.”

I glare and say nothing.

He brushes past me and stops in front of the door with his hand on the knob. “Tomorrow, we’re all allowed to go for a walk. Lexi and Hayes are going to be accompanying you.”

“Who?”

“Barbie and Ken, among others.”

“How generous.”

Shane turns to look at me, his hazel eyes devoid of emotion. “Let’s hope you’re not here for long. I know that Governor Coombes is notoriously hard-headed.”

I clear my throat. “Do they know yet?”

Shane’s eyes roam over my face, sympathy etched onto his face “I don’t know. It won’t be long before they know, I suppose.”

With that, he wrenches the door open and slams it shut behind him.

I flinch and study the mess at my feet. Then, I drift toward the bathroom. In a daze, I shove off my pajama bottoms and run my leg underneath warm water. When I come back out, every trace of my outburst has been erased, and there is another tray of food, this time on plastic plates. My hand darts out and pauses in the air. Greedily, I gulp down the glass of water and set it down before reaching for the bowl of soup.

Clearly, the entire thing has been orchestrated with a specific goal in mind, and with the exception of grabbing the wrong person, everything else is going according to plan. In the place of my mom, I am going to be used as leverage, and the thought left a bad taste in the back of my mouth. While I force myself to eat, knowing I need a clear head in order to be able to get out, I cast my mind back and puzzle over the matter in my head.

This has to have something to do with my grandpa’s sway and power as a politician and the rumors that have been swirling around for years. He hasn’t been able to escape his name being associated with illegal underground activity. So far, he’s managed to avoid scandal, and it has only made him more popular and arrogant.

Until now…

Whatever he is hiding, it is coming back to bite him in the ass.

And I hate that I’ve been dragged into the middle of it.

SHANE

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