Page 54 of Hurry Up And Wait
I snorted at that. “If I was a black widow killer, I wouldn’t be going through divorce proceedings.”
“That’s my price.”
He turned down a driveway to a large house that was altogether unassuming. I couldn’t picture him living here. He was so…stylish and slick. He didn’t look like the type to live in the country. Then again, I really didn’t know him. Other than Kavanaugh telling me I wouldn’t want to cross him in a dark alley, I really knew nothing about this man.
“I did not see this coming,” I said, looking out the windshield.
“Why?”
“Because you’re so…fancy.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” he muttered, parking outside the house.
I opened my door and got out, looking around the well-manicured yard with a white fence surrounding the entire property. It was way too domestic-looking for a man like this.
“Let’s go,” he bristled.
My gaze snapped to his, confused by his tone of voice. Had I done something to piss him off? I followed him to the house, walking much slower than he was. My whole body was sore, and the ride in the car hadn’t helped, though talking to him had distracted me from the worst of my aches and pains. I knew I looked like hell, and hadn’t bothered to look in a mirror to check out the damage in the hospital.
All I had to do was prod my face to feel the bruises and cuts that were currently causing a massive amount of swelling. An ice pack would do a world of good right now, but first, I needed a shower. If I could manage that on my own…
By the time I reached the steps to the house, I was worn out. Just looking up at them was daunting. Maybe I could just sleep in the car. “Why didn’t you just take me to a hotel?”
He looked back at me, waiting for me to climb the steps. “Not enough security.”
“And this place has security?” I muttered under my breath.
“Are you coming?”
“Yeah,” I grumbled, taking it one step at a time. I was panting by the time I got to the third step. His shiny shoes came into my line of vision, but I refused to look up and show him how much of a struggle this was for me. Not that I needed to. His arms wrapped around me, swooping me up against his chest moments later. I let out a yelp, struggling to hold on with my one good arm as he stomped up the steps with a heavy sigh and carried me inside.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“If I ever wanted you to make it inside, I did.”
“Pardon me for moving slowly after nearly being blown up.”
I only caught bits and pieces of the decor as he marched through the house, but from what I could tell, this was not a house that belonged in the country. With sleek lines and modern furniture, this looked like it belonged in a magazine of the houses of the rich and famous.
He set me down on the couch with much more care than I thought he would. As he turned, he grabbed the remote and tossed it to me. “Anything else you need?”
I caught it with a squeal, surprised by the movement. “Um…how long am I staying here?”
“Until your house is fixed.”
Surprise made my eyebrows hike up. “And what about my sister?”
“Your sister is safer away from you.”
My hackles rose as he dared to tell me what was best for my family. “I’m not some disease that’s going to get her killed.”
“No, but if your husband tries again, do you really want her around?”
My nostrils flared. “I thought that’s why I was with you.”
IKE’s jaw clenched hard as he stared at me. I knew I was pissing him off, but I had been through a lot of shit in the last twelve hours and I just wanted some normalcy, and for me, that meant having my sister by my side.
“Fine,” he snarled. “You want your sister with you?”