Page 90 of Indecent Lies

There she was.

Butcher stepped into the carpeted room without delay even as he watched her rapidly inhaling, and then had his hand hooked around Roux’s nape and kicked the door closed behind him, walking her back with their eyes clashed, until he got her against the wall.

“Tell me those assholes didn’t give you anything.”

“Tad…”

“Tell me, Cookie,” he grated, “tell me you’re okay, that no bastard has ever tried to roofie his way into your fucking pants, tell me I don’t have to go looking for those fools and kill them tonight.”

Unhinged, the blood roared in his head, made his bones heavy with worry for what could have happened to her.

His Roux.

It didn’t matter that they weren’t together.

Or could ever be together.

She washisRoux.

His tough cookie.

Always.

He pressed their foreheads together, soaking in her scent.

She preferred masculine colognes togirlie shit, as she called it and she smelled good.

“Tad..” she said again and then inhaled as her hands came up to hold both of his wrists, her forehead leaned into his. “I’m okay, nothing happened. I would have kicked his ass.”

He chuffed a laugh. She would too.

His Cookie was a hellion in heels and he’d always loved that about her.

She was gung ho.

And fearless.

And she terrified him.

He forever worried she’d find trouble and he wouldn’t be there to get her out of it.

“You shouldn’t…” she breathed, not doing anything to break the hold he had on her.

“Ishould.” He grated.

Where the fuck else would he be other than here checking she was okay.

He could ask her why she was here.

She didn’t live in a motel; she didn’t even live in this town.

This was half way between her place and his place.

They always met in the middle.

“You knew I’d come, Cookie.” He almost whispered painfully, saw how she fluttered her eyelids down and started to nod. “You fuckingknew, didn’t you?”

“Tad…”

---