Page 93 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

“You going to need a ride back here next week?”

“Jill said she’d give me a ride when she goes back to the city.”

“Good,” I said. “Listen, I want to be sure you understand that you’re safe. I’ve been to see Hunter, and I made sure that no one will be bothering you ever again.” That’s not exactly how it had happened, but she didn’t need to know the details.

She released her breath on a huff. “Assuming you trust Hunter.”

“He gave me his word.”

“And I’m supposed to trust his word? He had me kidnapped from my own bed. He—”

I was a coward, because I didn’t want to hear any more. I didn’t want to know all the ways those dicks had hurt my little sister. “It wasn’t Hunter.” I rubbed a hand down my face and prayed to god my phone wasn’t tapped. Assuring Willow that she was safe seemed worth the risk in that moment. “Hunter’s not leading the crew. Katie Benson is in charge and she swore to me she wouldn’t hurt you or let her people hurt you.”

“Katie?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t advise living around here, but she swore to me no one would be coming after any of us.”

“Katie Benson ordered those guys to kidnap me? To drug me? To…” Her voice hardened as she spoke. I’d rarely heard my sister angry, but she was beyond pissed at her former best friend. “I tutored her in Chemistry. I punched Renny Bertram when he called her a skank. How could she…?”

“She’s had a rough go of it,” I said. “She’s changed.”

“And that makes what she did okay? She put her crew and her plans for them above my safety, above me.”

“Yeah. But she could have done worse, could do worse. I know it doesn’t make sense, but those people she works with, those people she’s trying to get in with, they only respect violence and strength. Letting us all off the hook, she’ll lose face for that.”

“Good. She should.” Willow almost never said a bad word about anyone, so I knew she wasn’t just hurt, she felt betrayed.

“She asked about you,” I said. “Wanted to know that you’re doing well.”

“I was doing better before she sent her goons to kidnap me.”

“The good news is, you’ll never have to see her again. You’re safe. Just don’t tell anyone what I told you about her.”

“I won’t.” The line went silent, and I waited. “The crazy thing is, I miss her. I was always sorry we grew apart and now…I’m sorry she’s not…” She sighed. “I just wish she’d found a better way.”

“I think she misses you, too.”

“What about you?”

“I didn’t know Katie very well. I can’t say I miss her.”

“I meant Jill.”

“It was never going to work with us. We’re too different.” The truth was, I’d screwed up the chance she’d given me, and I doubted I’d be lucky enough to get another one. I doubted she’d ever lower her walls for me again.

“Why not? She’s smart and kind and beautiful and she puts up with you, which is a herculean task on its own.”

“Hardy-har-har.”

“Seriously,” Willow said. “I don’t want to push. I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy. I don’t need a woman for that.”

“Maybe I do,” she said, a smile and a teasing lilt in her voice. “There’s way too much testosterone in this family. I need a sister-in-law, hopefully some nieces.”

“What about Lee? Why don’t you marry him and start making some girl babies?”

“He wants to stay in Atlanta. He’s happy being close to his family and living in a place he knows so well he could piss at midnight and hit his target. He’s a good guy, but I’m never going to share his dream.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ll always consider him a friend, but anything more was always going to feel forced. He’ll move on, meet someone else, and get over it.”

I wasn’t so sure, but I reassured her with all the right words. She was safe, and she had a chance to make all her dreams come true, that was worth everything.

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