Page 163 of Savage Hearts
Feeling like a caged animal, I start to pace again.
“So… this Malek person.”
“Don’t say his name like it tastes bad.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that all I’ve heard the past three months is what a monster he is and what a—”
“Wait.Three months?I haven’t been gone that long.”
“Yes, you have.”
I think for a minute, trying to piece together a timetable. “What month is it?”
“June. It’s June eighteenth.”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah.”
“And Spider was in Moscow that whole time?”
She pauses for a beat. “Against Declan’s wishes, yes.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Declan forbade him to go. Spider went anyway.”
If Spider went against his boss’s orders, that can mean only one thing: Mal was right about him having feelings for me.
This is a giant clusterfuck.
I stop pacing and sit on the edge of the bed, dropping my head into my hands. Sloane comes over and sits beside me. She rests a hand lightly on my back. We stay like that for a while until something occurs to me.
“What did you mean by that comment about Stockholm syndrome?”
She clears her throat. Then she emits a small, embarrassed laugh. “Declan kidnapped me. That’s how we fell in love.”
Shocked, I sit up and stare at her. “No way.”
“Swear to god.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“I’d say holy shit again, but it would be redundant.”
“I know. It’s remarkably bizarre.”
After a moment spent readjusting my brain, I chuckle. “Look on the bright side. We finally have something in common.”
When her eyes fill with tears, I’m horrified. “I swear I didn’t say that to be mean.”
“I know.” She sniffles, looking down. “But it’s true. And for the past few months, I’ve been crucifying myself for all the ways I’ve failed you as a big sister.”
Lord, this drama queen.My sigh is heavy. “Dude. The only time you ever failed me was when you stole my boyfriend.”
She jerks her head up and stares at me. “What?I did no such thing!”
