I smiled at Amber, who flicked her hair over her shoulder. I could see what Jarrid liked about her—friendly, easy going, always smiling. She didn’t hold a torch to Hana, but I was glad my friend had found someone to make him happy, even if he was hiding his past from her.
I covered my mouth to hold in the snort that threatened to burst out as I thought about how many secrets Hana and I had kept from each other and how well that had worked out, so maybe there was hope for them yet.
“Something funny?” Amber asked, opening the cake box and then hunting through the cupboards until she found some plates. She placed two doughnuts on one and handed them over to me.
“Two?” I said with a raised brow.
“A man your size needs two doughnuts. It’s the law.” She grinned before plating up one for Hana.
“You’re not having one?” I asked, taking a bite. “Fuck, these are good,” I said, licking the loose sprinkles off my lips before swallowing the sugary goodness and taking a second bite.
“I had one on the way over here. I even dropped some off for Jarrid. He said he was keeping an eye on your house as you had some security threat.” She sat across the table from me as I looked at her, puzzled, as it wasn’t the type of thing Jarrid would share, but I guessed if she’d told him she was coming over here and he was worried she’d spot him, it was better to be honest than lie to her and cause more questions. “Is everything alright?”
I offered her a confident nod. “Yeah, just a client of mine getting a bit threatening. It happens in this line of work.”
“In security?” She didn’t sound convinced.
I nodded again. “He’s just pissed, found out where I lived, threatened to come after me and do unspeakable things while I slept.” I gave a fake shudder as I rolled my eyes.
“So why’s Hana here?”
“Threatened the people I love too, and as that’s Hana, she’s where I can keep an eye on her.”
Amber’s eyes lit up as she pulled her joined hands to her chest. “Aw, you love her. That’s so sweet. I thought you broke up.”
I took another bite of my doughnut before replying, “She couldn’t resist me.”
“Who couldn’t resist you?” Hana said as she walked out of the bedroom corridor, now dressed in jeans and a baby blue cashmere sweater that looked so cute, I wanted to see it on the floor immediately, while I appreciated what was underneath.
She passed me and bent down, taking a large bite of my doughnut before going around the table to hug Amber.
“Hey, stranger,” Amber said, passing her the other plate. “Brought your favourite.”
Hana offered her an award-winning smile before taking a seat. “Hey, you, what’s going on in your world? I don’t feel like we’ve caught up in ages. Tell me everything. Tell me how things are going with you and Jarrid. Don’t leave out any details.” Both women looked at me, but then Hana added, “Ah, don’t worry about Ro. He won’t tell a soul.”
61
HANA
I cheweddown on my doughnut, groaning at the sweet taste as Amber and I chatted, but the longer I spoke, the weirder I felt. The room swirled in and out of focus, my words harder to form. I moved my head to look at Roman for help, but he sat, his head tipped back, eyes half lidded.
“Ro?” His name was thick, impossible to say, and he simply groaned in reply. I tried to stand, fear twisting inside me, but my legs couldn’t bear my weight, and I wobbled, falling back into my chair. My eyes landed on Amber, who was watching me with interest. She offered me a finger wave, then she leaned forward, her face inches from mine.
“This is going to be so much fun,” she whispered before the world went black.
62
HANA
I woketo the taste of bile in my mouth, my head throbbing. My brows pinched as I tried to remember what led me to feel like shit.
Everything was blurry, my memories scattered, making no sense. I’d been with Ro, Amber came round and then… My eyes pinged open, the light causing me to recoil, my stomach lurching from sensory overload.
And there she was—Amber—sitting across from me where she’d been when I started to feel weird, but I was no longer in Roman’s house. I was back in the cabin that she’d offered me as a place to stay.
My hair fell in front of my face, and I tried to lift my arm to push it back, but it refused to move. I glanced down to find my wrists and ankles bound by rope to a chair.
Forcing down my fear, I tried to make sense of what was happening.
