Him.
She sees two different people in me and Carter’s not the one she loves. Nash is.
A hot ball of frustration, confusion, and jealousy swells—
Jesus fuck...
How can I bejealousof Nash? I fucking was Nash! I fuckingamNash! We’re the same person!
Too bad Hailey doesn’t see that, and I have no idea how to reconcile the two for her. I have half a mind to send my men away and stay here with her, tucked out of anyone’s reach, away from problems, dangers, and lies.
But whilesafe, the safe house won’t stay that way long. Rhett will catch onto us soon enough.
I could live a happy life on a deserted island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean if Hailey was with me: smiles, lust, and trust. Just us forever. I don’t need more.
While those enticing visuals urge me to abandon everyone and everything I know, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Rhett’s name flashes on the screen as I pull it out and reject yet another of his calls.
The reality is, I can’t escape his wrath any more than I can escape the dozens of men dying to get their hands on Hailey.
Until I have the evidence, until I know who’d go down if it ever saw the light of day, I’m stuck here, keeping Hailey safe and hoping she’ll see past my lies and realize she’s the center of my universe.
Everything revolves around her.
I need her trust more than I need air.
“Hungry?” Koby asks, looking her over.
“Yes.” She crosses the room to sit by the kitchen island where Ryder’s dishing out breakfast. “I’m Hailey,” she adds, glancing between them. “Thank you for saving me last night.”
“We already phone-met,” Ryder says, grinning as he pushes a plate her way. “I’m Ryder. That’s Broadway and Koby.” He motions to the other two.
She whips her blonde locks over one shoulder, taking a seat beside me just as my phone starts ringing again.
Fuck.
I drop the fork, pushing my plate aside. There’s no escaping this conversation any longer. Rhett’s been blowing up my phone since last night, every missed call probably fueling his anger. Reluctantly, I head to the control room, sliding my finger across the screen while I watch my girl take a seat, all artificial smiles designed to hide what she really feels: sadness. Loneliness. Confusion beyond my wildest dreams, I’m sure.
“Rhett,” I bark, pressing the cell to my ear.
“About time you answered my fucking call. You have one chance to explain before I send every single one of my men after you and that little slut.”
Blood boils in my veins, the derogatory way he’s talking about my future wife flaring my temper.
“Your safe house is common knowledge,” I spit out. “How long would it be before one of youracquaintancesraided the place?”
That’s a shitty defense line, but if I can convince him we’re still playing for the same team, he’ll keep his goons in check. The safe house is well hidden, its location known by only seven men total, but that’s no guarantee Rhett won’t figure it out if he puts his mind to it. I bet he’s already delegated a team to the job.
All they need is to dig up information about all the land Dante’s put money into, cross-reference it against building permits, then point, aim, and shoot at every target until they hit the jackpot.
While Dante took every precaution possible to ensure the estate couldn’t be traced back to him, I’m sure there’s paperwork somewhere that’d lead Rhett right here.
Which is why I need him on my side, firmly believing we’re working together toward a mutual goal—extracting the evidence from Hailey’s fragile mind.
“Everyone who went with you last night is dead, Carter,” Rhett barks. “Only Apollo made it back.”
Now that’s interesting. Two of Rhett’s pawns died at Noretto’s mansion, I can believe the escape driver with Apollo didn’t survive the crash, but the foot soldiers trekking through the forest should’ve made it out alive...
Looks like Apollo took it upon himself to tie up the loose ends... and that means he’s not entirely on Rhett’s side, which in turn confirms my suspicions. Rhett’s playing me for a fool.
