Page 44 of Dark Encounter
"What do you mean?" I turned to face her.
"Belonging to a man like Lucien means that you have to be under his protection all the time. He obviously turned his head."
"How did they die?" I took another drink of my coffee as tension raced around my chest. I shouldn't have been asking questions about Erik to anyonebutErik.
"I don't know about Erik's mom, but his sister, Delaney was kidnapped at twelve, raped, beaten and thrown in the river about two weeks later. Nate said that he and Erik searched the whole city for fourteen days straight. Erik barely ate, wouldn't sleep. It was hell."
"I can't imagine." I cupped my hand over my mouth as tears burned my eyes. "He won't commit to me in the least. Maybe this is why."
"Good. Then he's not the black-hearted bastard that I believed him to be. Maybe he has some humanity still left inside of him."
"It's irrelevant, Jenna. I love him. If he asked me to run away with him and join his mafia... I would." I leaned back and closed my eyes. "But he won't. He'll use me for sex until he's tired of me and he'll walk away without looking back."
"Then you walk away. This is stupid. I'm talking to Nate about it."
I reached out and grabbed her hand as I opened my eyes. "No. Leave it alone. I want every second I can have with him before it happens. I don't care how it sounds or looks." Tears burned my eyes. "I saw a side of him yesterday that gives me hope. He's not a monster; he's just in a horrible situation. I'll get him out."
"How?" She snorted and gave me an incredulous look. "You'd have to kill his father."
"And?" I stood up and walked to throw my coffee away.
"You're not serious, right? It doesn't work like that. He's the most guarded man in the city." She followed after me.
"No. I'm just talking out loud, and I should stop. I'm not doing anything to anyone." I turned to face her. "I'm a librarian for God's sakes."
"Right." She reached out and brushed my dark hair over my shoulder. "Please don't do anything dangerous. Erik wouldn't accept you offing his old man. He loves him. That much I know."
"Well... At least he loves someone." I tucked my hands into my pants pockets. "I'll come find you when I get off work. That okay?"
"Yeah." She pulled me into a tight hug. "Let's try and have fun tonight and just forget all of this craziness. Can we do that?"
"Kadia?" I lifted an eyebrow. "Is Nate working the door?"
"Yes, which is good. He'll watch out for us, but I'll tell him to keep his distance. There's no reason why we can't just spend some time together."
"Right." I snorted and pulled out my phone, praying Erik would have texted. Nothing. "And the first guy that asks you to dance or tries to buy you a drink is going to get a rude awakening. He'll be picking his teeth up off the floor."
"Nate's not that bad." She slipped her arm into mine and laughed. "Okay, maybe he is, but we'll just chance it. I need time with you."
"And I need you to figure out what's going on with Thomas."
"Anything new happen with him?"
"No. He's just jittery, and he should be. I might ask him to come stay at the apartment with me for a few days. He needs to be around someone he trusts."
"I don't know. Whatever he's gotten himself into doesn't look good. I almost wish you would let the cops handle it."
"I am, but he's my brother. I love him."
"I understand. We'll figure it out together. I just need to be able to get into my Dad's office. You can thank your sexy boy toy for us not being able to."
"Boy toy? Please... he's the master, and I'm the one getting played. I might look naive, but this part I have down."
"So disturbing," she whispered and pulled me across the intersection.
It was massively fucked up, and yet I wasn't at the point of being willing to change any of it.
I wasn't sure I ever would be.
