“We’ll head back to the college in the morning, and I’ll come to a meeting with you and the dean.” Jack is insistent.
Oh, God, how embarrassing. He’s talking as if he’s mydad, but he’s not, so what can he say to the dean? He has no jurisdiction over me.
“You’re not my family. I doubt the dean will listen to what you say.”
His low chuckle runs through me, like a mini earthquake. “Oh, he’ll listen, all right, and don’t forget my daughter is at that fucking college. You think I’m going to let some fucking woman beating asshole walk around where she lives?”
We reach one of the ground level doors, and Ace opens it for us.
“Wait outside,” Jack orders him.
Ace nods, and Jack carries me into the room. He kicks the door closed behind him with his heel before placing me on the bed. The room is simple with just a double bed, a closet, a couple of nightstands, and a dresser. I assume the adjoining door leads to a bathroom.
He towers over me, making me feel very small and young. I want to curl up and hide. He works his mouth, as though he wants to ask me something but can’t quite bring himself to say it. I stare up at him, waiting. Does he remember that night I threw myself at him? I try not to cringe in embarrassment. I’ve gone over it in my head about a million times, but he probably hasn’t so much as given it a second thought. I’m just a silly little girl to him. I expect he has women throwing themselves at him twenty-four-seven.
Jack clears his throat. “Did he… did that fucker touch you? In that way, I mean.”
I almost want to laugh at how uncomfortable he seems when he asks me that. For a man so terrifying and so confident, he’s unsure right now.
“No,” I say softly. “We were kissing,” Jack’s expressiontenses, a muscle twitching beneath his eyes, and I hurry to finish, “and things got weird fast. I tried to leave, and he fired a gun at me.”
“Oh, he’s dead.” Jack says the words softly, but with such weight I believe him.
If the dean doesn’t deal with Ledger, Jack will. It warms me inside. I know it’s just because I’m Vani’s friend, but having someone care so much is new for me.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He nods once, and his gaze rakes over me. Something flickers behind his eyes, but he blinks and it’s gone, only cold efficiency remaining. “I’m going to leave you to get settled in. There’s going to be a lady coming to see you soon. She’s called Shelley, and she’s one of the ol’ ladies, but she’s also a nurse. Will you let her look at you?”
I nod.
“Do you want anything? Food? A hot drink?”
“I already ate,” I say, remembering the burger and fries, and wondering if I’ll ever eat that meal again. “A cup of herbal tea would be nice.”
I suddenly feel like a child, and even though I’ve spent months fantasizing about this man, I want him to leave so I can have the breakdown that is barely being held back.
He nods once and walks to the door. He pauses and turns back to me. “I’m glad you came to me, Camile. You did the right thing. I’ll sort this out for you and make sure you can go back to college.”
Then he’s gone, and as soon as the door shuts, the tears start to fall.
3
JACK
I pullthe door shut behind me again and rest my back against it. Blowing out a breath, I manage to stop myself from repeatedly slamming my skull against the wood.
Fuuccckk.
Of all the girls who had to come here looking for help, it had to be that one.
No, she’s not a girl. She’s definitely a woman. I don’t know her exact age, but she must be in her early twenties by now. Even so, that makes me more than twenty years older than her, and besides the age difference, she’s also one of my daughter’s best friends.
Memories burst into my head. Camile in a dress that looks more like a handkerchief, barely clinging to her curves. The way she had cornered me in my daughter’s house and made sure I knew exactly what she was looking for. My unhinged reaction, and that moment when I’d let myself almost lose fucking control.
Ultimately, I’d wrestledback control of myself and sent her away that day, but she’s been on my mind ever since.
I’ve been playing those few minutes I spent with her repeatedly in my head, more often than not with my hand wrapped around my cock. I felt like a filthy son of a bitch for doing it, too—what kind of person masturbates over his daughter’s friend?—but it’s not like I’ve ever tried to pass myself off as a decent man.
