It’s about Kiki and the idea that what I experienced with her tonight has been going on for a while.
Yeah. I need answers.Now.
She points toward the small fridge. “I’ve got food. Romy always brings too much.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve got whiskey hidden around here too?”
A smile tugs at her lips as she opens another drawer in the dresser. “I do, and the futon turns into a bed. It’s not perfect, but at least it’s safe.”
The woman I love has been living in fear. How the hell did I miss it? What kind of asshole am I that I didn’t see the truth sooner?
I walk toward her, framing her face in my hands and forcing her to look at me. “Here’s the deal, little lady. We’re going to take a hot shower and get Gus warmed up. Then we’re going to have a glass of whiskey and you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on.”
Chapter 29
GUS
Kiki
Eddie forces me to take a shower first, but the warm water does little to thaw the fear in my soul.
Now I’m not only an outcast, I’m a danger to everyone I love.
Hell, Eddie being here is a risk, but one he’s determined to take.
Gus is curled up by the fireplace and I settle next to him, dropping kisses on his head. “I’m so sorry, sweet boy.”
He’s all I have left. Everything else is gone.
Eddie strolls into the room, tugging a hand through his hair as he drinks in the scene, a bevy of emotions and unasked questions swirling across his features.
I’ve pulled together a meager dinner from the fridge leftovers. And, per his request, a glass of whiskey sits waiting for him.
He drops down next to me, taking a long swallow from the glass. Then he turns, resting his forearms on his knees as a warning glints in his eyes. “Start talking, Kiki.”
Oh, this is the hard part. “Where to begin?”
“How about what happened tonight. Why do you think Drake was involved?” He wags a finger under my nose. “And don’t talkaroundit, either. I need to know everything.”
I bury my face in my hands, releasing a noisy sigh. “Drake is very angry with me.”
“Because?” Eddie prompts.
I pop to my feet and start pacing, the adrenaline zipping through my body like a possessed pinball machine. “Eddie, I don’t want to get you into trouble. It’s really safer if?—”
Eddie cuts me off, shaking his head. “Screw that shit. What happened tonight isn’t normal, and you fucking know it.”
A tear slides down my cheek. “It is for me.”
A look of horror crosses his face. “What the hell have you gotten yourself involved in?”
Okay, Kiki. You’re backed into a corner. Time to spill your guts.
Hell, at this point, what’s the worst that could happen?
Probably not the best idea to call the universe’s bluff, but you know what? I’ve tried playing it safe, and look where that got me.
I’m in fuck-it mode now.
