I scoffed. “The fact that the thought even entered your mind tells me all I need to know about you, Hugh.”
The fake remorse fell as easily as it appeared. “Is that right?”
I took a step toward him. “What happened to Michelle?”
Rage flashed in his eyes and he bent his face toward mine, hissing in warning, “Nothing. And you and your boyfriend better leave well enough alone.” How easily he switched from remorseful to aggressive was slightly terrifying. “I’d have thought a knife in the gut would’ve smartened you up, sweetheart.” He moved to leave me behind with a sinister smile thrown over his shoulder, but my rage at powerful men like him getting away with actual murder overtook my sense.
I grabbed his arm, my fingernails biting into him. “If that was a threat, I’d think again. If you haven’t noticed, assholes who do very bad things tend to find Karma once I dig up their shit.”
Hugh almost bared his teeth at me but seemed to think better of retaliating. Instead, he shrugged off my grip and marched around the corner out of sight.
I trembled with anger.
At him.
At Nick.
At Halston.
With Halston, I’d only half dealt with it. We still had the trial. The verdict.
Hugh had gotten away with whatever he’d done to Michelle and God knows what other controlling crap he’d tried to pull with women.
And Nick … he was abusing one of the people I loved most in the world.
If I could help London get away from Nick, then at least one of them would be dealt with for good.
It was difficult, though, when my best friend didn’t seem to want help.
Thoughts of shopping abandoned me and I found myself walking back to the hotel instead. If I were a painting, I was sure I’d be shrouded in wintry dark clouds of grim thoughts. As I moved through the lobby heading toward the elevator, however, a familiar voice called my name.
A shot of adrenaline spiked through me as my head jerked left.
Walking slowly toward me was London, wearing big sunglasses and a ball cap. Her fingers threaded nervously together in front of her as she approached.
Not wanting to draw attention to her, I reached out, took her hand, and hit the call button for the elevator.
We didn’t say a word as we waited and then stepped inside. I swiped the key card over the panel and we rose to my floor. The whole time I kept her hand tightly wrapped in mine.
I could feel how violently she was shaking, but I held it together as I led her into my hotel room.
The door closed behind us and I waited for London to make the first move.
She dropped my hand, her arm trembling as she raised it to take off the cap and sunglasses.
Fury exploded through me, and I had to suck in a breath to contain it.
Her right eyelid was swollen and there was dark bruising all around the socket and top of her cheekbone. A sob burst out of London, and I grabbed her to me, wanting to shelter her from Nick with my entire being.
I tried not to cry, but I couldn’t stop the tears.
When one of us was in pain, we were both in pain.
She clung to me so hard, her fingernails bit into my back, but I didn’t care. I held her as she rattled both our bodies with the force of her sobs.
41.Tierney
Icalled for chamomile tea and snacks as London cleaned herself up as much as she could in the bathroom.
