“It’s Regi—Regi Martin,” she said, but she still wasn’t looking at us.
“Okay, Regi… There’s things Decker needs to explain,” I pleaded, trying to coax her to look at me.
“Regi,” Decker scoffed and shook his head. “She’s not going to listen.”
“Try,” I demanded, glaring back at Decker.
Decker clenched his teeth and turned his focus on Regina. “Someone put out kill contracts on you and Krew. That asshole back at your apartment—he was a killer trying to collect on the contract out on you.”
“That’s fucked up, you know that?” I spat, before turning back to Regina. “Regi.”
She dipped her chin down to her chest, her shoulders folded in and her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I have a life—a good job. You’re going to get me fired,” she whimpered before she tipped over onto her side and curled up into a fetal position.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You can’t go home,” Decker railed.
“I want to go home.” She sounded illogical, completely ignoring his warning.
Didn’t she understand the enormity of the situation? Losing her job was the least of her problems, not when there were hired killers out there searching for us.
In the past, whenever she was upset, ice cream would do the trick. I doubted a sweet treat was going to work this time. I had never seen her this distraught before.
Decker bent, bringing himself eye level with Regina’s partially covered face. “Look at me, Regi,” he gruffly ordered.
I didn’t like his terse tone, but it worked. She lifted her head and stared at Decker with watery, red-rimmed eyes.
I lowered myself until I was also eye level with Regina’s face. Pain carved through my heart at the abject fear blooming in her brown depths. What made her so fearful of us—of me? I had to know.
“Reg…” Her name died on Decker’s lips as she quickly scuttled back against the headboard again like we were lepers.
“Don’t touch me,” she hissed.
“Why are you being this way?” Decker demanded in outrage. Frustration creased his brows. He climbed onto the bed, his face inches from hers. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
Regina jumped off the mattress and raced into the bathroom, slamming the door. The click of the lock was like the cock of a gun.
“What the hell, Deck. Can’t you see she’s scared?”
“Scared? Of us? We never gave her any reason to be scared.” The truth of those words hit me as soon as Decker had spoken them.
“I know.” I dropped onto the bed, feeling lost. Out of all people in this world, I wanted to reconnect with Decker and Regina. Even if it was only for friendship. I had trusted them back then and my gut told me I still could—even if Decker was a hitman.
God, I had missed Regina so damn much with every part of my being. Even though she never contacted me—not once—not while I was in prison, I had plans for us when I got out. But when I was released, I learned that she disappeared soon after I was arrested. Not even Maya knew where she was.
At first, I wanted to track her down, hold her, and tell her that my love had never died. However, something in my gut told me that expressing the truth about my feelings wouldn’t help, and I was right. Even though I still didn’t know why she ran all those years ago, I realized there were deep wounds inside Regina—wounds I couldn’t see.
“We haven’t seen her in all these years and suddenly she’s acting like we physically hurt her,” Decker growled.
“I don’t fucking know,” I snarled back. “Maybe she needs time.”
“You might not want to push, but I need to. We don’t have time to waste, and I’m going to find out why she’s acting so strange toward us.”
“Christ, Deck, someone—I think the guy named Grater, is who tried to kill her this morning.”
“I know Grater. The guy I put a bullet in wasn’t him,” Decker said with a frown. He stalked to the bathroom and pounded on the door. “If you don’t get your ass out here, Regi, then I’m coming in after you.”
“Jesus, cut her some slack,” I rumbled out, reaching his side. “Let me talk to her, Deck. You’re too hotheaded right now. Take a walk.”
“Fuck. We don’t have time for this shit.” Decker glared at the bathroom door, turned and tore out of the motel room, slamming the door.
