When she’d first agreed to stay at Vice, Kate had worried he might be a bad influence on her. Now she wondered if she was a bad influence on him. He’d already lost so much. The idea of losing anyone else had turned him into a possessive beast. And she didn’t know how to help him other than give him the raw physicality he craved.
Maybe they were each other’s vice, after all.
And maybe this feral need in him proved he’d be better off without her.
Chapter Fourteen
That evening, Kate decided she needed to get out of Vice altogether. Liam hadn’t been thrilled, still worried about her seizures and Vaughan. However, she accepted his offer of a car and a drive from Wade.
The best medicine for her right now would be to attend a New Horizons meeting. She hadn’t been back since the attack, and she missed her pals, especially in light of Lisa’s comments. As much as she’d shied away recently, she was now eager to attend and just be there.
Of course, she had every expectation Lisa had given them a run-down on her activities at Vice, and her liaison with Liam. She hoped, however, that they’d listen to her and hear the voice of reason, unlike Lisa. After all, she’d spent years listening to them, supporting them through their trials.
Wade parked outside the building and Kate breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the group room. She understood these people, understood their challenges, and they needed her as much as she needed them.
Eager to see some smiles from some friendly faces, she looked for a free chair and sat down, feeling like the new kid entering class for the first time.
Heads turned in her direction, but not with warm welcome. Rather, her old friends regarded her with apparent distrust.
“Hey, guys,” she said quietly, smiling and waving a hand. “I know it’s been a while, but…”
They all looked to Rod now. He clenched his jaw, stood and came over. “Kate, can we speak outside, please?”
She stood and followed him out. “Okay.” She had a bad feeling about this.
Once out of earshot of the other group members, he laid it all out for her. “Look. There’s been some discussion in the group, and most of us don’t feel comfortable with you here right now.”
“What?” They couldn’t have passed judgment on her already, could they? Not without hearing her side first.
Rod turned a bit red. “Kate, are you going to make me go into detail? I was kind of hoping to spare you the embarrassment.”
“Um, too late.”
“All right, I’ll spell it out for you. Lisa told the group how you’ve been socializing with Liam Doyle. At Vice.”
“Socializing? Well, she was more diplomatic with you than she was with me.” As her heart began its sink, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Lisa has the wrong end of the stick, and so do you.”
“Well, you left me in charge of the group, and I still have to think of them and how things appear. We have some very fragile egos here.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m the leader, remember? The one who brought you all together.” Okay, now this was just pissing her off.
“I’m sorry, Kate, but I’m doing what I think is best. Maybe once you sort things out, you can come back.”
“Sort things out?” She squawked in disbelief. “Rod, the only reason I’m staying at Vice is because I wasattacked. Liam saved me. He offered to help.”
“You were attacked?”
“Yes.” She put up a hand. “You know what? Never mind. I’ve devoted myself to this group and the minute my life goes to pot, I get booted? Well, then I really don’t want to be here.”
“Kate, wait…”
“No. You go back to your precious group. I’m sure they’ll be lost without their new head honcho.” Fleeing before she burst into tears, she raced outside and toward Wade’s waiting car. He opened the back door to the Escalade and she dove inside.
The security guard eyed her warily as he climbed in the driver’s seat. “Where to?”
Where to? She had nowhere else to go, no one to turn to other than the man in whose arms she’d come alive, but with whom she’d also lost part of herself. And as much as she wanted to run away from Liam and from everyone else, she was always drawn back to him, like a boomerang.
“Vice. Where else?”
