Page 53 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

And the only thing the laptop does is allow me to talk to my family.

Other than that, no messages came in or out.

“We’ve tried to determine your location, but they’re using a secure connection,” Mitchel continues as if he hasn’t heard me.

“I’m under surveillance twenty-four-seven,” I tell him, pausing to run a hand over my face. “How’s Dinah?”

Alba leans forward and whispers. “She’s hardly been sleeping. Spends most of her time chasing down leads.”

“I’m going to find an angle,” Dinah assures me, her voice floating somewhere in the background. “Just hang on until then.”

Silence stretches between us.

The doorbell on their end rings, slicing through the air. There is a flurry of activity and movement, followed by low pitched voices then Sienna and TJ are in front of me wearing identical expressions of concern and relief.

Tears prick the back of my eyes. “It’s really good to see you guys.”

“Thank God, you’re okay,” TJ says.

I place my hands on either side of the screen and swallow. “I really miss you guys.”

Sienna shakes her head. “No, we’re not doing that.”

“You can tell us when we see you,” TJ stresses, his voice catching toward the end. “We’re so sorry we left you that night, E. If we’d known—”

“I’m glad you guys left. Otherwise, who knows what might’ve happened?”

The last thing I need is to picture my friends sprawled over my mom’s carpet, blood pooling underneath their bodies and the metallic smell of it lingering in the air. A jolt goes through me as I find myself gripping the armrests on either side of me and holding myself still.

Don’t cry. Keep it together, Evie. Just a few more minutes.

During the rest of the call, I hold myself erect and avoid looking at them directly. By the time the call comes to an end, I am left staring at my haggard reflection on the screen. I bury my face in my hands, and my shoulders shake. Moments later, I lift my head up and gasp for air then I push the chair back and hurry out of the room. On my way out of the room, I hurry into the kitchen and swipe a bottle of wine while the guards follow at a close distance. I give them a dirty look over my shoulders, but they remain unfazed.

The two of them shake their heads at me and escort me back to my room. There, I drag a chair over to the window and drop onto it. Before I know it, I am guzzling the wine like there is no tomorrow, allowing it to pool in the center of my stomach and keep the fears at bay. My vision grows fuzzy, and I sink lower into my seat, only dimly aware of the sky’s changing colors.

“You smell like a bar.”

I twist around to face Shane, my movements slow and jerky. “That’s fine. I can shower later.”

Shane raised an eyebrow. “Party for one?”

I set the bottle down and point a finger at him. “Yes, so shoo.”

“Shoo?” Shane repeats, the corners of his lips twitching. “Why am I shooing?”

I squint at him and stand up, swaying slightly. “Because I didn’t invite you.”

Shane steps into the room and lets the door click shut behind him. He turns to face me, looking handsome in his blue turtleneck sweater and dark jeans. “So what can I do to get an invite?”

“You can’t.” I fold my arms over my chest and give a slight shake of my head. “You shouldn’t even try because I don’t like you very much right now.”

Shane clears his throat. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

I wave his comment away and pitch forward. My face collides with his chest, and his arm comes up around my waist to steady me. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what? Help you stay on your feet?”

I tilt my head back and peer at him. “Exactly. Because when you touch me, my brain goes all fuzzy, and I can’t think straight.”

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