“I was getting worried about you,” Jax said, placing thebottle back.
Colton glanced over at him, and his gaze was icy as it movedpast Jax and Roxy and then over me.He stopped.Literally stopped walking,jerking to a halt.
Our eyes met, and I couldn’t even think.There were nothoughts as we stared at each other.My heart…it felt like it stopped, justlike him.
“Um,” Roxy murmured.
The woman with Colton said something.Her bow-shaped lipsmoved, but he didn’t react.Not at first, and then he did.
“Shit,” he said, and he turned to the stunning blonde, whohad placed her hand on his arm.The touch was familiar, as if she had done it athousand times before.
I whipped around, my skin tingling as I walked the drinksand menu to the table.I put them down before I dropped them.
“Are you ok…oh my God.”Jillian’s eyes doubled in size.
The twisting in my stomach made me nauseous as I flushed hotand then cold.“I think—” I shook my head, my cheeks burning.“God, I’m sosorry, but I really need to go.”
Jillian rose, sympathy crossing her face.“Oh my gosh, I’msorry.I didn’t think something like this would—”
“I know.”A knot formed in my throat, and the ache pouringinto my chest told me that what I felt for Colton was not simply like orattraction.“I hate to do this.”Pressing my lips together, I breathed out ofmy nose.“This is so embarrassing.”
“It’s okay.”She squeezed my arm.“Go.Just call me when youget there, okay?”
Nodding, I bent down and kissed her cheek, then I grabbed mypurse.I didn’t dare look back as I headed for the door, and I knew even as Iyanked it open, I was being such a coward.
My confidence sucked and I was a coward.Great.Winningcombination.I didn’t remember much of the drive home and as I walked inside, Ikicked off the heels and left them just inside the door.
After I texted Jillian, I felt horrible.I shouldn’t havebolted.I should’ve sat there and pretended like what the fuck ever.Tossing myphone on the couch, I pressed my palm against my forehead.The whole being anidiot thing was a running theme.
But Colton had been there with the same beautiful blonde.The fiancée—ex-fiancée, and Sunday, he had been kissing me, touching me, andtelling me that I was beautiful and smart, and tonight he was with her?
What in the hell?
Anger surfaced, and I dug my phone out from between thecushions of my couch.I didn’t even know what I was going to do.Text him?Call?Throw my phone?All seemed like a viable option.
A knock at the door stopped me.
I turned around and for a moment I didn’t move.Despite thefact I’d just seen Colton with her, hope sparked deep in my chest, and howincredibly stupid was that?I doubted they just happened to run into eachother.Then again, it had been purely coincidental that I’d even been there.
I shouldn’t have left.
The knock came again, and my feet came unglued from thefloor.With my phone in one hand, I opened the door.
It happened so fast.
A shadow—a person—shoved inside, slamming the dooragainst the wall.There was a glimpse of a band of dark ink around thickbiceps.A scream built in my throat and ripped loose a second before painexploded along the side of my head, stunning me.
I stumbled to the side, my phone slipping from my fingersand hitting the floor.A door slammed shut and a second later, the wind wasknocked out of me as my back hit the floor.My lungs seized as I stared up.
It washim—the shooter.
Holy shit.
Had he pistol-whipped me?Wet warmth trickled down the sideof my neck.The whole left side of my head throbbed.
A fine sheen of sweat dotted his forehead as he towered overme, a gun in his hand.“You couldn’t keep your fucking mouth shut, could you?”
My heart lodged in my throat as I scrambled backward, myhands slipping over the wood floors.A flip-flop came off as I reached the edgeof the throw carpet.
