Page 255 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

Kelly stared up at him with worry. “I don’t know. What did you say to her?”

“Nothing, at least nothing I can think of. She wasn’t pleased at me when I sent her off to bed, but not upset enough to run off. I figured she was just coming here to moan at you.”

Kelly shook her head. “She wouldn’t worry you unless it was serious. She’s run from you, which means she’s scared or angry. Reggie, she, well, she’s used to being abandoned. If she thought you were going to leave her, she might leave you first.”

“I’ve made sure that she knows how much she means to me. I haven’t talked to her about marriage, much as I’ve wanted to, because I didn’t want her to run off scared.”

“You’re going to ask her to marry you?” Kelly asked in amazement.

“Of course,” Alex frowned. “I’ve just been waiting for her to grow more used to the idea of the two of us together.”

“Oh, Alex. You need to ask her soon. She’s beginning to feel that you don’t want to marry her.”

“You mean I’ve waited too long?” he asked.

Kelly shook her head. “I don’t think so. At least, she didn’t say that the other night.”

Matthias clicked his fingers, bringing their attention to him. “This isn’t helping us find her.”

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

“We’ll help,” Kelly offered, moving to gather up her coat.

“No, you won’t,” her husband countered, grabbing her coat from her hands. “I’ll go. You’ll stay by the phone in case Reggie calls.”

“But Colin—”

“Stay,” her husband ordered firmly as he moved outside.

“Now that’s how a man controls his woman,” Matthias commented to Alex, grinning evilly as his older brother frowned at him.

He could be such an asshole.

“Oh, Kelly.” Alex turned back to look into her worried face. “Did Reagan say anything about Lance calling her?”

Kelly’s face grew pale, and Alex felt a pang of remorse for worrying her. “No, she didn’t. Oh, hell, that’s not good. Find her, please, Alex.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” He muttered the next bit under his breath. “And when I do, her ass is mine.”

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise.”

Reggie felt herself freeze at the sound of that cruel voice drifting out from the dark behind her.

“Well, don’t you have anything to say to your husband, butterfly?”

Reggie took a deep breath, trying to push down the fear and nerves as she turned away from the doorway of her cheap motel room. Standing behind her, a self-satisfied smirk on his face, was her worst nightmare.

The car ride here had been one of sheer endurance. Holding back her tears had taken every bit of control she’d had. Reggie had wanted to make it to the next town before she stopped, but the intense need to give in and just break down had forced her to stop at Ingleweed, the town closest to the ranch.

Alex wouldn’t notice she was gone for a while yet, and perhaps hiding in plain sight was the best idea. She could cry herself to sleep and leave early in the morning. She didn’t know what she was going to do when she was nearly totally broke, but what choice did she have?

You could have gone to Kelly’s.

She should have. She’d realized that as she was halfway to town. This was stupid. But she was here now, so she’d stay the night. It wasn’t safe for her to keep driving any longer.

“What are you doing here?” Reggie frowned. “How did you even know where I was?”

“Why, butterfly, I’ve been keeping an eye on you for days, just waiting for my opportunity to speak to you privately without that hulking Neanderthal. He’s worse than a cold, always hanging around.” His voice was petulant, whiny, and Reggie wondered what she had ever seen in him.

---