“Can you call me a cab or show me where the ‘T’ is?”
He straightened. “No. You’ll stay with me tonight. It’s late.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
He held up his hand. “Hear me out. No strings. You’ll have your own bed. In the morning we’ll talk business.”
I licked my chapped lips. “You mean you’re still doing business with me even though I know Kelton?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” He waved his hand in the direction of his house. “Shall we?”
“Do you have a girlfriend that’s going to show up?”
He chuckled. “No girlfriends. Come on. It’s freezing out here.”
I was cold, tired, and could use a place where I didn’t have to hear anyone yelling, playing loud music, or having sex. My intuition was telling me I could trust Dillon. “One condition. Tell me how you knew it was me in the club?”
“Quid pro quo. Fair?” He chewed on his busted lip as he peered down at me.
I nodded.
“Let’s walk,” he said. “I told Rafe to take the car back.”
As we trekked back down the quiet street, large snowflakes fell, coating the parked vehicles. There was no sign of the thugs in the car.
“Rafe hacked into BU’s computer system. Once he found your full name, he did more research and found a picture of you in the Miami Herald. I’m sorry about your parents.” His tone was even, yet a hint of sadness edged the last of his words.
The Miami Herald had posted a write-up of the accident along with a picture of my mom, dad, and me. The Coast Guard had found my father’s forty-foot yacht overturned, but no bodies. I’d been scheduled to go with them that weekend to the Bahamas. But I’d gotten the flu. According to the Coast Guard, my parents encountered a storm with twenty-foot waves off the coast of the Bahamas.
A snowflake flake melted on my nose. “Thanks. So I guess it’s my turn.” We crossed over a side street. “Kelton and I grew up together. Or at least until I was thirteen. Then my father took a position with his company in England. I never kept in touch with Kelton. The first time I saw him since I left Texas was in the damn art class.”
“Why don’t you want anything to do with him?”
Because I was still in love with him, and I knew we could never be a couple. Because people I love die. Because my sister killed his sister. Because his family would never welcome me. Because I couldn’t afford the distraction. “Bad history.”
We walked the last two blocks in silence. I was thankful he didn’t pry any further. I wasn’t ready to spill the details of my past with Kelton, not without breaking down.
As we climbed the steps up onto his porch, I prayed tomorrow would be a better day. I certainly had a new plan to get what was mine, albeit a loose one.
8
Lizzie
I flipped onto my stomach in the most comfortable bed I’d slept in in ages. A stream of morning light weaved through the blinds—or at least I thought it was morning. I didn’t care to check either. Since it was Saturday, I didn’t have any pressing appointments or a job I had to be at. The only item on my list was to give Zach Malden a ring that afternoon. Burying my face into the goose-down pillow, I inhaled its crisp lavender scent as I stretched my body in all directions. When I did, I kicked something at the bottom of the bed. Then someone giggled.
I jackknifed into a sitting position, blinking rapidly. My gaze landed on not one, but two girls who had to be about seventeen or eighteen. Oh my God. Dillon said he didn’t have a girlfriend. Or maybe they were his sisters. Both were sitting on my bed staring at me with beautiful smiles and big brown eyes.
The one closest to me was braiding the ends of her long brown hair. “Good morning. I’m Bee.”
The other, who had shiny black hair styled into a pixie cut, waved. “I’m Allie.”
“So, did Dillon find you on the streets?” Bee asked, securing the ends of her braid with a scrunchie.
My jaw fell to the mattress. “I’m sorry?”
“Who’s your pimp?” Allie asked, inching farther onto the bed before lying on her side, propping her head in her hand.
My jaw locked. I’d made a grave mistake falling for Dillon’s charm. Suddenly, it all made sense. He didn’t want me to sell guns for him. He wanted me on his crew to sell my body. He kissed me last night as a test. I’d bet he wanted to make sure I could kiss well for the clients. I swept my gaze over the two girls, who were dressed in flannel pajamas. Bee’s was printed with bears and Allie’s with Hello Kitty. Allie seemed to have a hard edge to her by the way she was studying me. Maybe it was the hollowness of her eyes. On the other hand, Bee gave me the impression she was na?ve and less tomboyish than Allie.
“I think I need to go.” I eased back the covers.