Lucas
When the well-dressed woman in high heels comes through the door, Emilia lets go of my hand. Stepping before me, she covers her mouth like she can't believe who she's seeing.
"Why the hell would you bring her here?" Ben growls at Creed. That's when I realize it's Nic, Ben's little sister, whom I haven't seen since I was 17.
"She's here because we need her," Creed answers.
"No. Nah-uh. Nic, out. Now!" Ben points to the door, almost stomping his foot like an errant child.
"Riiight. Cause telling me what to do always works out so well for you." Nic laughs, not at all bothered by her brother's ire.
"You can't be here, Nic. He's a wanted criminal."
"An alleged criminal. You remember the whole innocent until proven guilty thing, right? Anyway, not that I need to explain myself to you. I'm here at Creed's request to represent Emilia on a personal matter." When she ends the sentence, her eyes land on Embree. "I'm here for you."
That she doesn't respond worries me. Laying a supportive hand on her back, I ask, "Embree, what do you want to do? If you want to leave, say the word and I'll get you out of here."
"Absolutely not." Creed stands abruptly. Nero lunges, stopping just short of reaching him. A vicious growl accompanies the sound of snapping jaws. Staggering, Creed's back hits the wall with a loud thud. "She...she can't leave. We have a plan." His eyes are wide and trained on Nero, who stares him down with his teeth bared.
"Nero los," I command. With one last look at our mutual enemy, he returns to my side. Wanting to shield her from Creed's prying eyes, I step in front of her. "What do you want to do here, Emb? Stay or go?" I ask again.
"I'm alright. Let's just hear what they have to say and then we'll go."
"You sure?"
When she nods, I take her hand, then turn to face Creed. With Nero disarmed and sitting at my feet, the two agents have moved to his side. When he notices Embree's hand in mine, he clenches his jaw and shoots me a threatening glare. In defiance, I return his stare. The near certainty he took advantage of her after luring her from my protection has me seeing red, and I want nothing more than to wrap my fingers around his neck.
"Alright kids, mind if the adults take over?" Nic reaches for Embree, pulling her away from me and leading her to a chair at the table. "Creed, you too. Sit."
After Embree takes a seat next to him, he shoots me a condescending smile before looking into her eyes and taking her hand. The deliberate move has the desired effect and makes my blood boil. The contempt I feel for this man grows more intense, especially as I palm the wet fabric concealed in my hand. I want to believe nothing happened between them, but the way she looked coming out of the bathroom before collapsing into my arms does nothing to allay my fears.
I will get the truth from her.
And if he did what I think he did, I will fucking end him.
That's a guarantee.
On the verge of doing something I'll regret, I turn away, moving to take a seat on the old couch at the other end of the space. I'm a man of action. Someone who grabs the proverbial bull by the horns and executes solutions. I'm not used to sitting around stewing in this type of angry helplessness. It puts me on edge. Everything feels tight. My muscles, my skin. Like I'm a tightrope whose ends are frayed and about to break. As if sensing my discomfort, Nero lays his head on my lap. Running my fingers through his dark fur, my brain continues to race.
YOU ARE READING
BROKEN HOPE (Broken Redemption Book 2)
RomanceI was so damn naive it's no wonder I've ended up here. Kidnapped by the man who promised me forever, just as I'd begun to understand the depths of his betrayal. It's a sad truth I didn't marry my husband for love. I married him for the life he promi...
