Page 35 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

Moments later, the glass door slides shut behind him with a hiss. For a while, I stare at the space he occupied, unable to get Evie’s voice out of my head until I jump up on the treadmill. After adjusting the speed, the pounding of my feet begins to feel good, as does the hammering of my heart against my chest. It doesn’t take long before it drowns out everything else, including my own fury at being duped by Isaiah.

Focus, Shane. Focus. All you need is to convince Evie that it’s in her best interest to work with you. She’s probably as desperate as you are to get out.

And all I have to do is look for Isaiah’s telltale X, jam the knife in, and twist.

By the time I’m done, I am panting and covered in sweat, and the world outside has turned from a bright, buttery yellow to a kaleidoscope of pink and purple, splashed across the late afternoon sky. Little by little, the colors begin to change while I stand there, taking it all in until it turns to gray. Overhead, the fluorescent lights come on with a blinding flash that makes me wince.

Damn automatic lights.

With a shake of my head, I jump off of the treadmill and duck into the shower stalls behind the door on the right. I leave my clothes on the tile floors, step into the stall, and place my arms on either side of the green walls.

When I emerge, I gather my clothes into a bundle and toss them into the hamper on the other side of the bathroom. Slowly, I walk over to the mirror, wipe off the steam, and stare.

Lately, I barely recognize the man staring back at me.

Is Evie right?

Is being kidnapped some kind of karmic payback for the way I behaved in high school? Although I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone, I also haven’t given anyone, least of all the people I care about, more than a passing thought. Even back then, I rarely thought of my parents except to resent them for the role they put on me.

Now and again, I wondered what would’ve happened if I had gone home after I was rescued. Settling back into my old life would’ve been hard, but I like to believe it would’ve fit me again, given enough time and patience.

Why are you even thinking about them? They weren’t thinking about you when they went and had another baby and forgot all about you.

Somewhere in the world, I have a younger brother who is the spitting image of me, according to Cory, who still goes to family gatherings. A few times a year, Cory does try to drag me along with him. He begged me to reconsider my decision to turn my back on them for good, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The O’Connors turned their backs on me first.

As far as I am concerned, being forced to re-examine my life while I was away is the best thing that ever happened to me. Being forced into a human trafficking ring was horrible, and I still dream of those cages and the smell of the other boys, covered in sweat, dirt, and urine, but at least I made it out alive. And making sure I don’t end up back in a cage, even a gilded one, is my primary goal.

Isaiah has done much more for me than get my business off the ground. He’s given me the chance to find myself and discover who I am outside of suburbia.

Which is why I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around what he’s doing to Evie.

And to me.

Why would he lock me up alongside her?

Later, when I emerge to find a pair of clean clothes, I pull them on and shove my feet into a pair of flip-flops. On my way out of the room, I run into Felix and Lexi, who wear identical cold expressions.

“Don’t you two have better things to do?”

Lexi doesn’t look at me. “No.”

I frown. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“You’re lucky the boss is generous. Otherwise you and your friends wouldn’t be allowed to roam around like guests,” Lexi tells me. “Show a little gratitude, would you?”

I snort. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

With that, they both take off in the opposite direction, spilling out through the front door. Through the large windows, I watch them exchange a quick look before Lexi shoves Felix and laughs. He scowls at her before another guard appears, and the two of them disappear around the corner.

A few more guards take up their spot outside.

I wander into the kitchen and help myself to a turkey sandwich while standing over the counter. Cory joins me a short while later, and the two of us make our way back upstairs. Cory joins Pierce on the table, and the two of them begin playing cards.

I shake my head. “I’d better start researching her if I want to find something good.”

Cory shrugs. “Good luck.”

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