Our eyes lock and warm, milky cum floods my mouth. Scooting forward, I close my lips around his tip, swallowing as he empties on my tongue. His fingers twitch in my hair, in time with his cock in my mouth and the low grunts falling from his lips.
“You’re getting greedy, pretty girl.”
I smile, wiping the corner of my mouth when he inches away. “I like the way you taste.”
He grabs my hips, tipping me onto my back and falls forward into a long, thorough kiss.
37
HAILEY
“Here,” Dante says after breakfast, handing a black gift box to Carter. “Same model as Layla’s.” He shoots his wife a look across the long dining table. “Not that you remember to carry yours, do you, Star?”
Her mouth opens, but instead of commenting she washes the words down with a sip of orange juice.
Carter opens the box, turning it around to show me the contents. “Light but powerful. Perfect for your petite hands.” He takes the gun out, his fingers too big to comfortably pull the trigger. “Ten rounds of ammo—”
“I don’t want a gun,” I cut in.
Broadway smirks as he closes the fridge. “Anyone else notice she didn’t sayI can’t shoot?”
“I can shoot just fine. My dad’s a cop, remember? He took me to a shooting range every weekend when we lived in Florida but it’s been a while since I fired a gun.”
“We’ll practice at the new safe house. There’s nothing out there for miles. Broadway can set up some targets.”
“Why do I need a gun? Whynow?”
“Precautions. Mostly for the journey,” he explains, but I can tell he’d love it if I carried a gun going forward.
“You’re coming with me, aren’t you?” I ask.
“Of course I am. I won’t let you out of my sight, but I’ll feel better knowing you have it.” He gestures at Broadway who passes him a leather holster. “This goes around your waist like a belt. The gun will be almost invisible under your clothes.”
I glance from the determination shadowing his face to the Glock lying on his palm. I reach out, my fingers hovering over the handle.
“Believe me...” Carter hooks his finger under my chin, tilting my head up, “I hate this more than you do. This won’t be permanent. I promise.”
“I, uh... I need to get changed. I’m cold.” I back away, leaving the Glock where it is. I left his hoodie in the guest house and even though he packed me ten different ones, I’ll do about anything to cut this conversation short and flee before he shoves the gun in my hand.
“Hailey, stop,” he says, his tone loaded. “Until we arrive at the safe house, I want you to have this on you at all times.”
His words flip a switch inside my head and I dive right into the past. The change is instantaneous, though the flashback itself is nowhere near as consuming as many of them were before.
Relief rattles through me, mixing with confusion. I’ve seen this before. I already have this memory. It’s not new.
Alex stands in my room, opening the small white box that hides a silver necklace with a heart pendant. He grabs the delicate chain between his fingers, pulls it out of the box and dangles it between us.
“Happy birthday, Hailey.”
I examine the pendant, the loops the chain threads through, the intricate floral design, then run my nail along the zigzagging ridge that separates the two halves, but when I try to pull them apart, they don’t budge.
Alex smirks, letting the chain pool on top of my palm.“That won’t work.”
I meet his gaze, wondering why he chose this design.“It’s broken,”I murmur, my heart thumping harder.
“Yes. Just like yours.”He lifts his hand, tracing his knuckles down my cheek.“I want you to have this on you at all times.”
The image distorts, morphing into another. I’m in my bedroom again, but it must be a different day, because Alex is wearing different clothes. The dark rings under his eyes are more profound, like he’s not been sleeping much. He’s adjusting his pants, closing the zipper, eyes on me while I lean against the wall, the coldness of the concrete seeping into my spine.
