“As soon as we see each other, it’ll feel like we never got separated.”
“Good luck. You need me, call.”
I hug him with one arm and then head out. I’ve got a long fucking drive ahead.
By the time I reach the coast, the sun is setting, and the ocean looks like diamonds glittering beneath a giant orange globe. It’s a stunning sight. I find the house Letty and her mom are staying in and whistle. It’s huge and expensive. Way more than they need, but at least they’re living well after all the shit with Mifflin.
I sit on my bike and pull out my pack of smokes. The urge to pound on the door and force my way in is nearly all-consuming. I drag nicotine into my lungs and watch for any sign of Letty. I’m almost done with my cigarette when I see the garage door open.
It’s Cynthia. She leaves, and I see Letty climb into a different car and drive away. Of course, I fucking follow her.
I’m not sure where she’s going, but it makes sense that she stops at the parking lot of a seafood restaurant. It’s dinner time. I park my bike where I can see through the large glass windows and wait for her to be seated at a table.
I’m not sure why I hesitate. Maybe I just want to know what she’s been doing with her life for the four fucking years we’ve been apart. I need to know who she spends her time with and if she’s dating anyone. If so, it’s over.
Letty sits at a table alone. It’s closer than I expect and if she turns this way, she’ll be able to see me. She doesn’t turn her head. I can tell the restaurant is crowded and noisy. It’s not her usual type of place, but it’s fine.
I growl when I see who joins her. That fucking marshal, Daniel Brekker. He has the fucking audacity to hug her before taking the seat across from her.
Oh, fuck no.
This isn’t happening. I yank out my cell and bring up Letty’s info. Since I entered her contact details before I left the Grid Iron, her number is right here. My lip lifts in a snarl as I type out a text and mash the button to send it to her.
I’m not fucking around. Letty is mine.
I might have to kill or maim someone today after all.
Chapter 11 Letty
Istare at my reflection critically, lingering in front of the mirror as I finish applying makeup. More than once, tears blur my vision before I blink them back. There’s a part of me that just feels lost. Abandoned. Unimportant.
Four years without Gage in my life. Six months have passed since he was released from prison. Why hasn’t he looked for me? Did he lie when he said he loved me?
My shoulders slump, and I shake my head. This isn’t healthy for me. I have to stop feeling sad and depressed about the life I left behind. I need to stop expecting Gage to show up and whisk me away on his Harley.
Everything is different now. Either I embrace it, or I watch my life keep slipping away and live in misery. My heart aches as I prepare to go out to dinner with Mom and Brekker. I tell myself that it’s not a date. I’m not betraying Gage or doing anything wrong.
But it still feels that way.
I grab my purse, walk downstairs, and find Mom in the kitchen. “You look nice,” I observe, noting that she’s finally gaining weight after the stress of the last few years.
“Thanks, honey.” She pops a kiss on my cheek and rushes to the garage door. “Something has just come up. I can’t go out to dinner. Will you give Daniel my excuses?”
Wait. “Mom!” She is not doing this to me right now.
“Sorry! Have a great time and tell me all about it later.”
She rushes out the door ahead of me and leaves without a backward glance. This is intentional. Mom has been trying to get Brekker and me together since we first met.
I sigh and walk into the garage. I’m flustered. This isn’t what I agreed to, and now it really does feel like a date. I’m far toodistracted as I drive to the restaurant Mom picked out, which isn’t one I like, but it’s one Brekker loves.
We’re going to talk about this later.
I’m the first to arrive. As I take my seat, I drape my purse over the back of the chair and place my phone on the table. I glance at it before I hear Brekker’s voice.
“Hey, Leticia. Where’s your mom?”
“Last-minute change of plans,” I murmur as I rise from the seat, and he hugs me.
