He cut the call, and I sank to the floor flinging the receiver, which brought the phone crashing to the floor.
“He wants to meet us both for dinner at this local restaurant we used to have dinner at. He’s not budging and won’t say anything about Gracie until I do as he says.”
“What if it’s a trap?”
“Then that is a risk I have to take, Luke, but I won’t ask you to do the same.”
He kneeled beside me, his hands cupping my face. The way he looked at me made my heart skip a beat. “When are you going to realize Iwantto be here? The gloves are off, Alyssa.”
I sucked in a breath. Luke had become a constant in my life for the last few months, and, of course, I’d like him to be there, but I also didn’t know exactly what I was up against. Gregory was ruthless, and he would do anything to get what he wanted.
“You shouldn’t be here, Luke.” My voice trembled. “You could lose everything.”
“Alyssa, I knew what I was doing when I decided to help you. We’ve come this far, and there’s no going back. You’re stuck with me.” He brushed a lock of hair behind my ears, and I closed my eyes, afraid of seeing that look in his eyes, the one that told me every word he said was true.
“Okay.” I caved.
He nodded. “Let’s grab you some clothes and hit the road. We can come back to finish what we started. He knows where we are, and I’m not about to let us become sitting ducks.”
I agreed with him, but I needed to grab some security of my own first.
“Could you give me a minute?” I asked when we were back in my room.
“Sure.” He leaned in and placed a featherlight kiss on my cheek. “I’ll be downstairs.”
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Luke
The little black dress she had on gave me a glimpse of what the real Alyssa Morgan was like, and fuck if it was hard to keep my desire in check before, it was even harder now.
Her hair was blow-dried straight and fell loosely down her back. She’d even applied a minimal amount of makeup.
“You look beautiful,” I said, and she smiled, looking down at her hands.
Tipping her chin up, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. She seemed surprised at first but eased into it. My hands settled on the small of her back, drawing her closer. Alyssa let out a small moan and pulled away, her face flushed, her fingers on her swollen lips. Fire danced behind her eyelids.
“We should get going,” I said.
Walking into the restaurant with her on my arm filled me with immense pride, despite the situation. It wasn’t just because she was the most beautiful woman in the room. It was more to do with her strength, even in this difficult situation. She had no idea where her daughter was, and she was about to face the man who most likely had something to do with her disappearance, but she stood tall.
I heard her muted sobs late at night and knew she was hurting in a way I would never truly understand. That bond between a parent and child was so complex and pure.
Alyssa put up a brave front because she thought it was what she should do, but she sometimes crumbled. Every day she didn’t know where her daughter was, was a day closer to her breaking point. I would do just about anything to change that.
She sat up straight and on high alert next to me. I reached for her hand to remind her she was not alone, that I was with her and wasn’t going anywhere.
I knew the moment the asshole walked into the room, I had to clench my fists to stop myself from standing and decking him where he stood. He grinned at Alyssa arrogantly and had a young blonde woman on his arm. She was just a kid.
What the fuck was the guy playing at?
“Alyssa… my, my, you’re more beautiful than I remember,” he said when he approached the table. “You look pale, though. You have not been spending enough time outdoors.”
I had to grit my teeth and breathe deeply to stop from reacting.
“Gregory,” she acknowledged him.
Alyssa held onto my hand, squeezing it whenever she needed assurance. I would have her out of this fucking situation in a heartbeat if I could. For now, I’d be the man at her side, reassuring her she wasn’t alone.
