Eddie’s fingers flew over his phone. “He’s back at his apartment.”
A slow smile spread across Matt’s face. “Take me there.”
Eddie nodded and relayed the address to Rudd, who adjusted their route with practiced ease. The car navigated through the neon labyrinth of Las Vegas, heading toward a part of town where luxury took a back seat to necessity.
They arrived at Andy’s apartment building—a far cry from the opulence Matt was accustomed to. He stepped out of the car, his imposing figure cutting a sharp contrast against the modest surroundings. Matt made his way up the narrow staircase, each step bringing him closer to his quarry.
At Andy’s door, Matt didn’t bother with subtlety. He banged his fist against it, calling out, “Andy! Open up!”
There was no immediate response. Annoyed, he tested the handle and found it locked. With a grunt of effort, he kicked the door open, the flimsy lock giving way easily.
The apartment was small but surprisingly clean and tidy. Matt took in the sparse but neat furnishings before his gaze snapped to movement from the hallway.
Andy rushed out from what appeared to be the bathroom, stark naked except for a small towel clinging precariouslyaround his waist. Water droplets glistened on his toned skin, catching the light and making him appear almost ethereal. His ebony hair dripped onto his flushed face, framing those stunning gold-brown eyes.
Matt’s breath hitched at the sight. Andy’s chest rose and fell rapidly, every muscle defined and taut from whatever exercise or hard labor he’d been doing to survive in this city. His pink lips were parted slightly in surprise and indignation.
“What are you doing here?” Andy’s voice snapped Matt out of his reverie, sharp and laced with irritation. “You just broke down my fucking door!”
“Relax, sweetheart,” Matt drawled, his tone rich with amusement. “I’ll have Eddie replace the door. No need to get your panties in a twist.”
Five
ANDY
Istumbled back into my apartment, barely able to muster the energy to close and lock the door behind me. The world outside had become a whirlpool of chaos, and inside wasn’t much better. My stomach growled like a feral beast, demanding some kind of offering.
Leftover pizza in the fridge would have to do. I tossed a couple of slices into the microwave and leaned against the counter, my thoughts spinning around Sean’s betrayal and the mountain of debt crushing my spirit. The hum of the microwave filled the silence, but it couldn’t drown out the roaring anxiety in my head.
Two million dollars. It might as well have been two billion. The thought of that sum churned my insides. The microwave beeped, but suddenly I wasn’t hungry anymore. I left the pizza untouched and dragged myself to the sofa, collapsing into its worn embrace.
I closed my eyes, but instead of darkness, I saw Matt staring back at me—his towering frame, those stormy gray eyes that seemed to strip me bare. An unsettling shiver raced down my spine, my body’s visceral reaction at odds with the fear coiling in the pit of my stomach.
There was something undeniably magnetic about the man, a raw, primal energy that called to the deepest parts of me. The way he moved, all coiled power and graceful prowess, commanding every inch of space around him. His very presence was like a force of nature, simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating.
I shook my head, attempting to dislodge the intrusive thoughts. Matt was the last person I should be dwelling on right now. Not when the weight of that two-million-dollar debt felt like an anvil around my neck, slowly suffocating me.
Enough of that. I forced myself to think about nothing, letting exhaustion pull me under.
A few hours later, I jolted awake from a nightmare that never truly left me, sweat trickling down my back as the remnants of that dreadful accident clung to me like cobwebs. My hands trembled as I raked shaky fingers through my damp hair. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to push the memories away, but they barreled through.
My thoughts drifted back to that fateful day years ago, the one that ripped my world apart at the seams. The screech of tires echoed in my ears, a sickening crunch of metal on metal, flames licked at shattered glass as smoke filled my lungs. My parents’ car—a twisted wreck—lay before me, blood pooling on cracked asphalt—it all played out in agonizing slow motion behind my eyelids. I could still hear my mother’s final scream, a sound that would haunt me.
In the aftermath, Mia and I were tossed to our so-called relatives like unwanted baggage. Uncle Herbert and Aunt Miley made sure we felt every ounce of their disdain. Abuse came in all forms—mental jabs that cut deep, emotional manipulation that left us raw, and physical blows that turned our skin shades of blue and purple.
I gritted my teeth, the old anger flaring hot and bright in my chest as I remembered shielding Mia from their cruelty, taking the brunt of their abuse to spare her as much pain as I could.
And then there was Herbert’s sickening depravity, his wandering hands and twisted desires. I made sure he focused his attention on me, kept Mia as far away from his grasp as possible. His touch was something out of a nightmare itself—cold, invasive, soul-crushing. The memories made me want to scrub my skin raw, but I refused to let it break me.
The day Mia turned eighteen was our escape hatch. We ran with nothing but hope fueling our steps, determined to build a life where we looked after each other and no one else dictated our fate.
I groaned and pushed myself off the couch. No point in dwelling on the past, especially when my present was enough of a disaster. A hot shower sounded like a good idea. Maybe the scalding water could wash away some of the stress clinging to me.
Steam filled the small bathroom, fogging up the mirror and turning the air heavy. Under the hot spray, I felt my muscles unwind bit by bit, the tension slowly ebbing away. Each rivulet trailing down my skin seemed to carry a fraction of the weight from my shoulders. I tilted my head back, allowing the water to sluice over my face, and took a deep, steadying breath. The world outside became a distant hum, my mind finally finding a moment of peace.
Of course, peace never lasted long in my life. A pounding on the door shattered the quiet, followed by Matt’s unmistakable voice booming through my apartment.
“Andy! Open up!”
