Page 80 of Wild Night

There is a door with an exit sign, and I watch her take a step outside, holding the door for me. Every nerve in my body begins to tingle. It’s not a tingling of excitement. It’s a warning. My feet stop moving, almost as if I’ve stepped on concrete. I try to pick them up, but they won’t budge.

Something is wrong here.

Very wrong.

“They’re waiting for you just out here. I guess they got tired of hanging around in the hospital,” she says, urging me to move forward.

Even if I wanted to walk toward her, I physically can’t. My feet are cemented to the floor, and besides, I don’t want to. She reaches inside, but her own feet stay planted outside the doorway. Her fingers wrap around my wrist, squeezing hard. It feels desperate. All of this feels very desperate. I shake my head as I look into her eyes.

I open my mouth to tell her no and try to tug my arm backward, but she releases me almost instantly. Her eyes are so wide, I don’t know how she’s able to keep them open. Then her mouth opens, but nothing comes out. She jerks backward, almost as if she’s been pulled back or hit from the front, then she runs.

“What the…”

“Stay here,” Bullet growls from behind me.

He takes off past me, his heavy boots slamming against the floor as he runs after her. I hear him coughing as the door slams closed. My spine straightens, and then my entire body begins to tremble.

Visions, memories of Lucian taking me, grabbing me by my hair and choking me, and everything else that monster did to me appear in the forefront of my mind. I thought I would be okay knowing he can’t hurt me anymore, but what the hell is happening, and who was that woman? Why did she want me to go outside? Who was waiting for me?

I have a million questions and not a single answer.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

IVY

My parents prepare to leave,my mother making sure to tell me what a beautiful girl Posey is. I think I surprised her. Posey is much like her. She’s nothing like the clubwhores, and I have a feeling that’s what she was expecting, so she’s likely pleasantly surprised by my choice.

I’m not sure she’ll feel the same way once she finds out Posey is pregnant with my baby after only knowing one another for a few weeks. But hopefully, she’ll be just as happy as I am about the situation, especially since this is probably the only grandchild she’ll be getting.

“Perhaps we can have dinner once you’re released and feeling better?”

My lips twitch into a smirk. “We can,” I say.

“Mae, let me talk to him for a minute. Wait outside the door?”

I’m not surprised that my dad wants my mom to leave. He no doubt wants to talk to me about what happened withoutworrying her. Once the door is closed, my father shifts his attention to me.

“I talked to Bullet. He told me about the note and your computer surveillance being hacked.”

“Got no goddamn clue who it could be. I’m assuming that’s who blew up our bikes and the office, too.”

He grunts but doesn’t say anything immediately. Shaking his head a couple of times, he clears his throat. “It’s not an easy job, defending some of the lowest of the low. Whoever did this is not going to be able to hide for long. What do you need from me, son?”

I love that my father is asking me what I need from him. It’s just who he is and one of the million reasons I love him, but right now, there is only one thing I need from him.

“I need you to take Mom on vacation,” I say. “Out of the country.”

His eyes widen as his brows lift. “Out of the country?”

“Take a trip. I don’t want whatever this shit is to bleed onto you,” I explain myself a bit more.

My dad shakes his head once, then reaches out and wraps his fingers around my hand, squeezing gently. “I love you, son.”

“And you’ll love me from another country for a few weeks.”

His lips slowly curve up into a smile. “I will. But you be safe.”

Without another word, he turns away from me and starts to walk out of the room. I know he wants to stay and help me. He wants to be my father and protect me, but he needs to keep my mom out of this, and I don’t want whoever this fucker is to target them in any way.

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