Page 24 of My Romeo

“Uh, well, it really has to do with my mom,” I sputtered.

“Your mom?” he asked.

I nodded quickly. “She died a few years back, and she left me a trust. I get, uh, money from it every month.” I threw my hand in the air, and he reared back. “That’s how I’m able to afford this place.” I plastered a smile on my face and prayed he was going to let this just drop.

“Sloane know about this?”

I shook my head. “Uh, no. I don’t really like to talk about it. Who likes to talk about money with their friends, right?”

“I’m not your friend,” he growled.

“Okay,” I whispered. I don’t know why he was so mad at me. It wasn’t my fault my mom had left me a trust fund. And why was he so suspicious of me? “You’re just Throttle, then. My best friend’s boyfriend’s friend.”

“You’re a puzzle to me, Dove,” he mused.

I chewed on my bottom lip. “Like I said, I’m just Dove. Not too much to know about me.”

“Just Dove with a trust fund big enough to afford her this apartment and not need a job,” he muttered. “I still have more questions than answers.”

My phone rang from the bedroom. “Uh, I better get that. It might be Sloane wondering where we are.” And it would be great to get away from Throttle. The man wasn’t my biggest fan, but all I really wanted to know was what his lips tasted like.

“I’m gonna find everything there is to know about you, Dove. Either you’re going to tell me, or I’m going to dig until I have all of my questions answered.”

I nodded stiffly. “Uh, okay.”See? That should not have been hot, but it totally was.

He stepped to the side, and I darted out of the bathroom. I tossed the bottles of shampoo and conditioner next to my bag and snatched my phone off the nightstand. “Hello?” I called.

“What are you doing?”

I pulled my phone from my ear and looked at the caller ID. My father.

I couldn’t tell you the last time I talked to my dad more than once a day. I was used to it being once every four months. “I, uh, I’m at my apartment,” I mumbled. “Why are you calling me?”

“Everything okay?” Throttle called.

I waved my hand at him and mouthed I was good.

“Something isn’t right, Dove,” Dad called.

“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “Are you okay?” I felt Throttle move closer to me.

“Things have changed, Dove. I can’t tell you anything more over the phone.”

“You haven’t told me anything before this, Dad,” I mumbled. “So I’m in the same boat that I’ve been in.”

“You’re in danger now.”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “Danger?”

“Dove,” Throttle called.

I held up my hand to stop him and shook my head. I couldn’t deal with my dad with Throttle breathing down my neck. “Just give me a second, Throttle.”

“You need to get to someplace safe, Dove,” Dad called. “Things are happening fast, and I don’t know if you are going to be able to outrun them.”

My head swam, and I tried to piece together what he just said.

“Who is on the phone?” Throttle demanded. “What the hell is going on, Dove?”

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