“Open the door, Laikyn.”
I frowned. The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Definitely not Rule or Jinx. When I peered through the security hole, I saw it was covered.
Because it seemed silly to insist on getting their ID first, I opened the door. Yes, another stupid-girl horror flick response, but I didn’t give a shit at the moment.
Creed stood on the other side, a giant of a man looming over me.
He really was enormous. At least six and a half feet tall with steel-gray eyes and inky black hair, he was a bit intimidating.
“May I come in?”
I stepped back out of the way because I couldn’t think of a reason to say no.
I was tempted to look in the hall and see if Knox was lingering, but I decided against it. I didn’t care if some guy who claimed to be my long-lost brother didn’t want to talk to me.
Then again, I was the one who’d stood him up for dinner.
“Rule and Jinx left,” I informed him, in case that was his reason for stopping by.
“I know.”
The squeeze in my chest came from confirmation that they really had. I was just guessing.
“They went back to LA,” he said as though his previous words weren’t shredding me enough.
“For the best,” I told him, though it came out higher pitched because of the tightness of my throat.
“Why’s that?” He took a seat in the living area without waiting for an invitation.
I hadn’t intended to give him one.
“Why’s what?” I asked, staring past him as it sank in that Rule and Jinx had left me in Vegas.
“Why’s it for the best?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Rule married me for my trust fund. I don’t see any reason to drag it out any longer.”
Creed’s gaze tipped down, and I swore I saw the hint of a smile. “Sit down. Please.”
If he hadn’t tacked on the please at the last second, I would’ve told him to get the hell out, too.
Instead, I sat.
“If I know Rule, and I like to think I do, there’s probably not much he’s shared about himself.”
“Not really, no.” Most of what I’d learned about Rule, I’d gotten from Jinx. Save for the few glimpses I didn’t think Rule meant for me to see.
Creed looked at me, canting his head to the side. “He seems like a relatively simple man. He sets goals and achieves them. That’s all he knows how to do. He doesn’t ask for anything from anyone because he doesn’t think hehasanyone.”
Based on the Rule I knew, that assessment was pretty accurate.
“But he’s got Jinx,” Creed noted. “And as of earlier this week, when he came to my house, I think he was under the impression he had you.”
“He did,” I snapped. “Right up until he told me he married me to get the money he claims I’ve got.”
“He said that?”
“Yeah.” I glared at him. “He said he married me for my trust fund. Which I didn’t even know I had until he said it. Hell, I still don’t know what all that’s about, but it doesn’t matter.”
