She'd surrendered herself to him with wild abandon, fully trusting him with her body and soul. And this is all she had left: he’d destroyed her clothes and herheart.
Tomi dropped the lingerie in the empty closet and turned her back, physically putting the reminder behind her. She wouldn’t – no, she couldn’t – face the truckload of shit that came with thatbetrayal.
You’re runningagain…
Tomi ruthlessly shut down her one-track conscious and focused on the physical. Cole had given her a few minutes to dress and make it to the car. She would just have to take one step at atime.
A few minutes later she was stuffed into a black SUV with equally blacked out windows. Clint behind the wheel, Carter in the passenger seat beside him. That left a way too small back seat for Tomi and Cole. Half afraid he'd try to touch her, she scooted as far away from Cole as possible. The position wedged her elbow into the door rest and her knee against the hard plastic handle. Not the most comfortable but definitely safer than what lay in rest on the other side. She managed to stay in the rigid position for a good thirty minutes without looking at Cole directly. Sure, she’d stolen a few glances at the glass reflection, but those had only gotten her a glimpse of the back of his dark head. He stared out the window without shifting a single muscle. It was as if she and his brothers weren’t even in the same country, let alone the samecar.
How effortlessly he seemed to shut her out. Like she was nothing more to him than the passing blur of scenery in the black night. Carter and Clint, for once, kept their mouths shut too. The silence should have been pleasant. Instead, it was tense and thick and made her itch to breakit.
Tomi glance at the windshield caught movement in the rearview mirror and locked eyes with Carter. His questioning, worried glance just grated on her nerves more. Why act like he cared now? Why did any male in this cab act like they cared about her or herfeelings?
They’d been so willing to lie to use her own vulnerabilities against her for the purpose of stealing information on Luis. The man who’d tried to sellher.
Cole really thought she’d worked with Luis? That monster? Bile slid up her stomach to her throat and she turned abruptly, facing the glassagain.
She’d almost become a slave, tortured and raped without mercy. If Cole hadn’t been there… No! Cole lied to her. He used her. No matter if the cause was worth it, he’d betrayed her. Only a man who hated could hurt someone thatbadly.
And the twins – she realized she’d trusted them too. She’d shared one of the most intimate experiences in her life with them and they’d been simply playing a part. How hard had they had to fight to fake theirdesire?
As much asCole?
Tomi barely stifled a cry. She slapped a hand over her mouth and then, realizing how obvious her move was, she curled her fingers and pretended to scratch her chin. Shit. She had more pride thanthis.
But the memory of the twins putting their hands on her. Their mouths on her aching nipples. And the whole time Cole had held her in his strong, capable hands. Heat flooded her body, stained her cheeks and dropped down to her core at the eroticmemory.
She’d bared herself to them all. And now they had the nerve to act like they were worried abouther?
Fuck.That.
They hadn’t even filled her in on their plans to capture Luis other than dangling her as bait. What exactly did thatmean?
Cole hadn’t said another word about Carrie. She hadn’t thought to ask. Guilt t-boned her. What if something happened to her best friend because Tomi had been too busy screwing her brains out to warn her? "Did you ever send someone to protect Carrie or was that a lietoo?"
She caught Clint’s raised brow to his twin and then Carter’s answeringfrown.
“What?” Shedemanded.
A look in the rearview mirror – Cole still didn’t acknowledge their presence. Tomi wanted to scream, instead she dug her nails into her thighs and glared at the most vulnerable member of the Fury clan: Clint. “I’m guessing that was a lie too, then? When Cole vowed to find and protecther?”
Clint had the grace to flinch and avoid her gaze. “No, we sent a guy. Rico is the best guy for location andextraction.”
There was a giant ‘but’ that went unsaid at the end of that statement. “But?” She crossed her arms and pinned him with an accusingstare.
“Fuck that.” Clint hunched over the wheel and didn’t say anotherword.
Fear gripped her and Tomi leaned forward and grabbed the back of Carter’s seat. “What?”
It was Cole who answered. “Rico hasn’t checked in. We don’t know if he got to her first ornot.”
The bile that had been treading water in her stomach erupted up her throat. Tomi made a mad grab for the door and slapped her hand over her mouth. Clint cursed and slammed on the breaks, swerving to the side of the road just in time for Tomi to launch from the vehicle and empty the meager contents of herstomach.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Carrie. She should have found a way to warn her friend. Luis wouldn’t only sell her, he’d hurt her. He’d take pleasure in her pain. Tomi had seen his sadistic side at the auction, she couldn’t begin to think of the torture he’d do to Carrie in punishment to Tomi. She was supposed to go to the Frenchman – the fact that she hadn’t must have been huge. Big enough to put his own, personal murderer on her bestfriend.
Her stomach heaved again. She’d rid her body of all her food so all she could do was grab the tire and heave. The cold night air bit into her pores, freezing her bones.Carrie.
“Christ.” Suddenly, a pair of powerful, male hands were pulling back her hair and rubbing her back. She doubled over. An arm went around her waist and held her up. Tomi closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of Cole. A hard shudder took her over, knocked out her knees and she grabbed his forearm to keep fromfalling.
