The tears swimming in my eyes threatened to fall. I needed to hold it together long enough to make him understand what he meant to me. To make him see that this was real. I prayed for the right words to come.
Seconds later, he returned carrying a first aid kit. He stopped in the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and a sleeve of crackers from the cupboard before stomping back into the living room. He tossed everything onto the couch cushion beside me.
“Eat. Drink,” he commanded, his voice rough.
“Nolan, please talk to me. I’m sorry. I’m so very, very sorry.”
He blew out a frustrated breath and grabbed the water bottle to unscrew the cap. “Drink,” he said again, thrusting it at me.
Trying to please him, I took a small sip. My parched throat thanked me, and I took a longer swig.
“Did they touch you?”
His voice had softened. As mad as he was, he still cared. Of that I was certain. My heart squeezed in my chest.
I handed him back the water. “No, not like that. They were rough, shoved me around, but I’m okay.”
Those two idiots were part of Troy’s old crew. I had no idea why they thought I’d have his money or drugs since I was never involved in any of it, but that hadn’t stopped them from taking me and demanding to know where his stash was. My fingers went to the bump at the back of my head again. It was still throbbing.
“Let me see,” Nolan said, dropping down to kneel before me. Tenderly, he lifted the hair off the back of my neck, and felt the hard knot with careful fingertips. “Let me tend to this.” He opened the first aid kit that sat beside me and began removing items. Gauze. Antiseptic.
“Can I take a shower first?” I was desperate to get the stink of that house and those men off my skin.
“Will you be okay alone in there?” He studied me with sharp eyes.
Was he offering to help me shower? No, he’d probably ask Daniella to do it—a thought I couldn’t stomach.
“Yes, I’ll be fine.”
He nodded once. “There are towels under the cabinet. Leave the door unlocked in case you need anything.” In case you collapse, I suspected he meant.
“Okay.” I rose on shaky legs and started toward the bathroom.
“Lacey?” he called out from the living room, where he still knelt on the floor.
“Yes?”
“When you’re done in there, we need to talk.” His tone left no room for negotiation.
I nodded, my throat tightening. “Just so you know, I was going to tell you everything. I wanted you to come over so we could not only talk about our relationship, but so that I could tell you the truth about my past, who my dad was, everything.”
He made a grunted sound that I couldn’t distinguish.
Walking slowly and carefully, I paused at the door to Daniella’s room on my way. Everything I’d seen in this room that night came rushing back. Her naked body shaking with need. The red welts painted across her skin. The primal look in Nolan’s eyes.
Blinking away the memory, I realized that her room was devoid of all personal effects. The dresser and desk were bare; the mattress had been stripped. The closet doors were open, and only a few empty hangers remained.
I heard his footsteps behind me and turned to face him, confused.
“What’s going on here?” The place was deserted, as if her intrusion into my life had never happened at all. But of course, my heart still knew it did. “Where’s Daniella?” I asked.
“You owe me some answers before we discuss anything.” His voice was a rough growl and his fists were still clenched at his sides. He looked broken and sad like I’d never seen him. Fear tightened in my gut, even worse than when that man first grabbed me.
Nolan was right, of course. I owed him the truth. Not to mention the world’s biggest apology.
Tears spilled from my eyes. I couldn’t control them any more than I could control the rush of words falling from my mouth.
“When I met you that night, I acted like it was all by chance. A single twenty-something woman new in town and enjoying a drink at the local bar. That couldn’t have been further from the truth.”
I hung my head, my eyes trained on the floor at his feet as I spoke. “Everything about running into you that night had been calculated. I already knew I could rely on you, because my father had told me some of the moments that had defined your life . . . private, painful things. But you didn’t know anything about me. That’s what made my plan perfect. It would never have worked if you’d recognized me. You just would’ve sent me back to Oklahoma City, or worse, called my father.”
“This wasn’t some fucking game, Lacey. Your life was in danger.” The low growl vibrating in his throat sent my pulse skittering.