Page 55 of Dark Encounter
"I was teasing." I huffed.
"Well, don't, Kitten. Be gone when I get back and take care of yourself, hm?"
"So, this is it?" I set the plate down and walked toward him, loving the way he hovered in the doorway. He didn't want to go either.
"Yeah. This is it." He reached for me and pulled me tightly against him before leaning down and kissing me so hard it hurt. "I'll be watching from the sidelines."
"And beating up everyone I go out with from now on?" I smiled though tears burned my eyes.
"No. You're no longer mine, Grace. Just don't lean on Cole. That shit doesn't work at all. Find you a good man. A librarian." He kissed the tip of my nose again as a tear rolled down my face. "And if I can get away for a night... it'll be spent with you. I promise."
"There will come a day when I'm in love, and I won't accept you anymore. Not even for a night." I was pushing my luck, but he had to know it was the truth.
"And I’ll respect that when it happens." He pulled back, turning and walked out the door.
I closed it and walked back into the kitchen, grabbing my plate and sitting down at the table by the biggest window. The sun felt good on my skin, reminding me that things were over between us. I wasn't looking to settle down for a while, and being in his arms, even as his whore felt good enough to let it continue for as long as I could manage it. For as long as he would let me.
A peace settled over me that made very little sense, but I relaxed into it. Whatever happened with Erik and me was outside of my control. Where it should have left me tied in knots, it didn't.
I finished my breakfast and did the one thing I probably shouldn't have. I snooped around his place, opening drawers, checking in cabinets. The only thing out of place from a normal bachelor's pad was all of the weapons, but knowing what I did about him, those didn't surprise me too much.
The box of pictures under his bed stopped me in my tracks though. There must have been three thousand of them.
I settled on the floor beside the bed and looked at each one, smiling, laughing, crying for the next hour. There were so many of him and his sister, each of them showing just how close they were.
The pictures of him and Nate were my favorite. The smiles on their young faces, the innocence that he no longer had. I fell even further in love with him which wasn't good, but I couldn't help myself.
The boy with a playful grin and adventure in his eyes still existed. I saw him every time we had sex. I brushed my fingers over a picture of him with his sister and what looked to be his Mom and Dad.
Sadness filled my chest as I stood and took the picture with me. Erik's father looked so much like him it was uncanny. His handsome face covered with a dark five o'clock shadow, his lips full and sexy, his expression tight and hiding some dark secret.
And the picture was before he lost his wife and kids. I could only imagine what he looked like afterward.
I finished cleaning up and grabbed my phone to call an Uber as it rang. Thomas. Good, I could get him to come get me.
"Where are you?" I answered the phone.
"Grace. I'm pretty sure I'm next." He was crying. Hard. My brother never cried.
"What the hell are you talking about, Thomas? Where are you?" Panic raced through me. I didn't have a car, and of course, Erik took his and left his motorcycle at the house. There was no way for me to get to my brother.
"I'm at your apartment. I let myself in. I hope that's okay."
"Hey. Calm down. I'm in the country right now, but I'll get an Uber and be there in a few seconds."
"Alright. Hurry okay? I'm scared. I can't get a hold of Doug. He was at the frat house last night and shit, but-"
"Hey. It's okay. We'll figure it out. Just stay put. I'll be there soon." I glanced up to see a black Cadillac pull into the driveway. "Gotta go. Love you."
I dropped the call and wrapped my arms around my chest, praying like hell someone had gotten lost. I really wasn't that lucky though.
The back door to the car opened and a deep voice called out. "Grace. Get in. I'll give you a ride home, Kitten."
I walked to the door and leaned down, Erik's father sitting in the back, looking like the devil himself. "I'm good. Honestly."
"It wasn't a request." He patted the seat next to him, and I glanced back at the house.
He didn't want me with Erik. Maybe he'd set down an ultimatum, and Erik broke it.
Maybe this was my warning.
Or maybe it was my death.
