Page 74 of Love on the Line

Chapter 25

Devon waited,confident that he’d played his cards right and Anne would agree to stay with him.

Letting out a sigh, she nodded. “I really don’t want to upset and disturb anyone at this hour. If you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

He ran a victory lap in his head. Now he’d have a chance to win her over, showing off his mansion and toys.

As the nurse wheeled Anne out to the sidewalk, he went to get his car.

She dropped into the passenger seat and closed her eyes for a brief second, then checked her phone again.

The sight of her bandages enraged him. He’d paid Moe Dog and his goons a hell of a lot of money to do a simple job. And his instructions had been clear. Don’t hurt the woman.

Louie had it coming. Anne would be hideous to look at for weeks. Devon ground his molars. And not once had she thanked him for saving the jock’s and her pitiful asses. Of course, he’d paid the thugs to take a hit and run away, making him look good.

Still, his performance had been impeccable. The bugs had allowed him to overhear Anne and Pearson’s plans. He’d seized the opportunity he’d been waiting for to show up that loser. His guys had knocked the light out in front of the alley and positioned themselves where he’d told them to hide. Pure perfection.

Anne tapped the phone. “No messages. I wonder if he’s still unconscious. He could be in a coma or something.”

Her whining grated worse than the jackpot bell at the casino. “He might be drugged up on pain meds.”

Devon stopped at a set of gates and punched in a code. They slowly opened. Low lights on both sides illuminated the long driveway.

Fixated on her phone, Anne paid no attention to his huge, Tudor mansion. He drove past the elaborate, stained-glass front door with gold trim showcased by a white spotlight. She still didn’t look up. He hit a button that opened one of the doors to his five-car garage.

The muscles under his clenched jaw quivered. How could she be so fucking oblivious? She should be blown away by the place.

“I wish I knew what his injuries were.” She covered her face, rubbing her temple.

Devon parked and punched the remote button hard, shutting the garage. With her hands over her eyes, she wasn’t going to even see the other cars inside. He’d paid good money to have the Corvette and Porsche detailed. Women drooled over them.

Feigning concern, he patted her arm. “Come on, let’s go inside. You’ve had a long night.”

When they entered the house, she stared straight ahead, saying nothing about the granite countertops, marble floors, or brushed stainless steel appliances as they walked through his high-end kitchen.

The ugly hospital gown and pants made him want to puke. “Would you like to change?”

She glanced down. “Yes, but they cut up my clothes, and there’s blood on them…”

“I have something you can wear. Might be baggy, but clean at least.”

She nodded and swayed a little. “Okay, thanks.”

He sucked in a breath. No point trying to impress her tonight. His best move would be to play nursemaid and follow the doctor’s instructions to earn some points. Maybe in the morning she’d be more lucid. Blood pounded in his ears. Louie would pay for fucking her up so badly that she couldn’t even see straight.

After leading her to the first-floor guest room, he pulled some clothes out from the dresser and handed them to her. He pointed to the adjoining bathroom. “If you want to wash up or just change, I’ll be right here. ”

“Thanks, but I’ll be okay.” She nodded and walked stiffly into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. When she came back out her face had more color. His grey T-shirt sleeves came down to her elbows and she’d rolled up the bottom of the sweats. If her face wasn’t such a nightmare, she might even look cute.

“How about if I heat up some soup? You have to be hungry.” Devon said.

“I’m fine, but thank you.” She kept checking her phone.

Even so, Devon led her to the kitchen and slid out a high bar stool. Six of them flanked one side of the L-shaped counter, overlooking a center island with a stovetop. She hoisted herself up and frowned at her phone as he heated up a bowl of chicken rice soup. “Maybe Wyatt lost his cell in the scuffle, or the hospital has it in a bag that he can’t reach.”

Devon’s chest blazed. Enough already about Pearson.

She raised her gaze to his. “Thank God you saw us in that alley and helped.”

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