Page 32 of Love Me Gently

“Of course, Steven.”

“Good.” He grinned and let go of the envelope.

I wasted no time opening it and pulling out the contents. The first one on top was all I needed to see.

Paris Fashion Week.

February.

Nine weeks from now.

“Are you kidding me?” I shrieked and grinned up at him. For a moment, I’d forgotten who he was. The power he had and all he made me do. “I’mgoing?!”

He nodded once, that disarmingly friendly smile he wore the first time I met him. He licked his lips, and my excitement dwindled. “As long as you continue to please me, yes. Your travel plans and everything else is included in that envelope.”

As long as…

Of course there was a hitch, a leash tugging me back.

“Of course.” I stood and made the small step toward him, leaning up and kissing his cheek. “Thank you, Steven. I won’t disappoint you.”

He slid his hand down my back until his hand landed on my backside. He squeezed, harder than necessary, enough to make me flinch. “See that you don’t.”

Thirteen

Cole

Now

I was earlyto the location Valerie handed me. I hadn’t slept. I didn’t even bother going to a hotel room. Once I climbed in my Tundra, I was unable to leave. Trina was so close to me after so many years, and it didn’t matter to me how beaten she was.

Strike that. That mattered a whole lot, and it was the worrying about the pain she was in, the recovery she would have ahead of her, and how in the hell Valerie and her husband were going to get her free that kept me rooted to hospital’s parking lot.

How did they plan on getting her out of that hospital without Jonathan knowing? And what were we supposed to do with her once I had her?

I’d do anything they asked, as long as it meant Trina came home with me, but her safety in all areas came first.

It was on that thought I picked up the phone. Despite the middle of the night hour, I called Deer Creek’s primary physician. Sheila McElroy had been a physician in town for as long as I could remember. With long, gray hair always wrapped in a low ponytail or bun, she was nearing retirement age and probably needed her sleep. However, there were many times we needed her in the middle of the night on cases, so she it wasn’t unusual for someone on the force to draw the short straw and wake her.

Considering this was about Trina, I had no doubt she’d want to hear what I had to say.

The phone rang twice before her groggy, but still alert, voice answered. “Detective Paxton. How can I help you this morning?”

“Sorry to call you so early, Sheila. This is personal, but I need you.”

“Your kids okay?”

“They’re fine. I’m actually in Atlanta.”

“Not sure I can help you from here. You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m good. It’s not me I’m calling about. It’s Trina. Trina Mills…well, Wolf, now, I guess.”

Just saying her last name had me grinding my teeth. She wouldneverbe a Wolf. Or at least she wouldn’t stay that way. I’d get her home and erase any memory she had of that man.

The grogginess evaporated as she asked, “Oh…well, this is a surprise. You saw her?”

“Yeah. I’m at Atlanta Community. Long story how I knew she was here, but she’s got a friend who’s working on getting her out.”

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