Page 110 of Bad Boy Next Door
She kicked again, twisting her body on my shoulder.
“Suitcase feels heavy,” I said, “like maybe you’ve got your Grandma’s frying pan inside?”
Threatened with that loss, she stopped kicking and I held her tightly, one arm strapped across her upper thighs as I walked around the corner and back into the Shady Oaks courtyard.
If she’d packed her pan, shewasleaving. For good.
“Put me down,” she said as we walked into the courtyard, “or I’ll never speak to you again.”
“Seems like that ship’s already sailed.” Plus, if I let her down, she’d just run, run out of my life forever. I didn’t loosen my grip.
She pounded on my back. “You were right the other night. You’re nothing but a brute. All brawn, no brains. This proves it. You treat women like possessions. You fuck like a wild animal. There’s nothing to you but muscle and cock.”
I dropped her suitcase, then plopped her down on her feet. My anger was now pain-tinged, and the combination was confusing. I could barely think.
“Just tell me.” My body felt limp. “What did I do?”
“Enjoy your money,” she said. “I made myself perfectly clear.Many times. You made your choice. I will not be with a criminal.”
I shook my head, relief drifting in. “I didn’t go, Jade. I didn’t go. I didn’t do it.”
She tipped her head to the side, her eyes narrow, her cheeks the cutest shade of pink. I was even attracted to pissed-off Jade.
And I finally understood. She expected everyone to let her down, and she thought I’d lived up to her worst expectations. I almost had.
“Ask my brothers,” I said. “I didn’t show. I didn’t do it. Let’s see if they’re back. They’ll tell you.” I started toward Keagan’s door, but she grabbed my arm.
“Really? You didn’t go?”
I shook my head, looking into her eyes, knowing she’d see through me if I held anything back. “I thought about it. I almost went. I wanted to do the job so I could give you your restaurant. I wanted to do that for you, for us. Plus, I want to quit my job at Solid Gold. It makes me sick to my stomach to go in there now.”
“So quit.”
“I can’t. Nicola…”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Her hand extended toward me a few inches, but dropped back.
“Turns out Nicola owns the club. She threatened me—threatened us all if I left. Me, you, our families.”
“You’re that valuable to her? I mean…”
I shook my head. “I agree. It doesn’t make sense. I think she’s bluffing, but if I quit we can’t live at Shady Oaks. Neither of us. We’ll both be homeless. And at least one of us should be working if we have any chance of landing a new place to live.”
I watched her lungs fill, like she’d been deflated and fresh air was filling her with hope and—maybe this was wishful thinking—love.
“I’m sorry.” She stepped toward me. “I said terrible things. I should have known.”
“You should have at leastasked.”
“I know. I assumed…” She shook her head as if trying to sort out what had happened, shake out the horrible places her mind must have gone.
I stepped back from her. “You were already leaving. Already packed. If you knew you were going, why did you fuck me?” My stomach flipped. “And for god’s sake, why did you want me to… Ihurtyou. Didn’t I?”
She pressed her hands into her temples and collapsed into a crouch.
The sight nearly broke me. I dropped down and pulled her back up with me, crushed her into my chest. “Baby, tell me.”
“I’m so fucked up, Nick. I thought if I made you hurt me—”
