Page 66 of The Loathing

“Like fuck I am, I am waiting for her brother to find me a safehouse that I can take her to.”

“Hey, you be careful… look what happened to me when I went to a safehouse,” I can hear the smile in his voice.

“I’m not you,” I shake my head, “but Xander is taking his time. I get he has to be careful because he works very closely with Xavier, but I need her out of here. I can’t leave her.”

“Bring her back to New York.”

I scoff.

“If only.”

“What? I can get a private jet on the tarmac tonight… you just need to get her to the airport.”

“I don’t know… I think it’s too risky. I’m on Xavier’s side, I don’t want to piss him off any more than I have done.”

“This is about Amora, not you or Xavier.”

“I know that, dumbass.” I sigh a little heavier, “But I don’t think bringing her to New York is the best option. Xavier has a plan, and I know it involves the Knight brothers. He is indebted to them; they want Amora and honestly…” I pause, looking at her once more and taking another step forward, “I think he is giving her to them a lot easier than I first thought,” I keep my voice low so only he can hear.

“Are you sure?”

“Ninety percent,” I rub my lips together and let my hand knead the tension from the back of my neck.

“You heard something?”

“Just about a timeline moving up… he is being sketchy. I work for him. To protect her. And yet, he isn’t telling me anything. The fucking look on his face when he told me that he was sending me back on a plane. It’s personal. He doesn’t want me here and I have no idea why… well I do, but it’s beside the point…”

“What did you do?” I hear Kaleb growl down the phone.

“Nothing, I wind him up. I can’t help the sarcasm that comes out my mouth when it comes to Xavier. I mean, I wouldn’t tell him this, but I actually like him. He is an ass, but I like him.”

“He just doesn’t like you.”

“Exactly,” I slowly spin round, and Amora does it at the same time, giving me a small smile as she begins to walk towards me. “But it isn’t about Xavier, it’s about Amora,” I rush out, “but if you, or Nate could help me with my request then I would be grateful. Far enough, but not too far.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll call you later.”

“Yeah, cool.”

I cut the phone off just as Amora stops in front of me.

“You okay?” she asks, the soft breeze dancing in her hair and her scent fills my senses, giving me a rush of a high.

“Yeah, just my buddy back home,” I say, following her lead and walking back through the gardens, but we turn in the opposite direction of the house.

“Still missing home?”

“A little, I miss my daughter most.”

“I bet,” her hands drop to her side, her fingers flexing open as my own hand hangs.

“Have you always lived in New York?”

“Moved to Long Island for a bit, but I am a New Yorker through and through.” I smile at her, “I would love to see more of the world, England was on my bucket list…” I trail off.

“But babysitting a twenty-five-year-old wasn’t,” she laughs softly and damn, it’s such a beautiful sound. I scoff a laugh back and shake my head.

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