In seconds he was on the interstate.He’d grabbed a bite to eat on the plane after his nap, so he wouldn’t waste time stopping.Urgency made his shirt collar feel too damn tight.Natalie could have left the motel already.
He accelerated and weaved through the morning traffic, willing time to be on his side.Twenty minutes later, he found himself in a neighborhood that was borderline shit.A breakfast joint advertising bacon and eggs shared the parking lot of the motel.
He parked close to the set of stairs that led to the second level, where her unit was.Turning off the vehicle, he ran over what he’d say.Fancy seeing you herewouldn’t quite cut it.He’d tracked her down, flown nearly across the country, and was prepared to take in the child they possibly shared.All within a matter of hours of finding out her real name.
The situation was beyond fucked.Dysfunctional with a capitalDand—
Movement at the corner of his eye made him snap his gaze toward the stairs.Blond hair bounced around slim shoulders.She wore a loose black T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts that revealed her sleek, tanned legs.Large dark sunglasses covered her eyes, and she ducked her chin as she moved across the parking lot—right past his fucking vehicle.
Natalie.
He tossed off his seatbelt and bolted from the vehicle as she approached a small sedan.He’d found her, and he wasn’t letting her leave without answers.
***
The bright morningsun made Natalie’s headache that much more hellish.She kept her gaze down as she moved toward the car she’d bought under a fake name last week.
She’d have to ditch it before she went crawling back to Keetan.He’d be furious if he found out she’d hid the money to pay for it over the last two years.
Pressure built in her chest.She’d slept almost five hours before waking with a jolt.She’d missed a text from Ellie, so now they were meeting for breakfast.Her sister was already trying to talk her out of going back to Keetan, but she had no other choice.
Bray had already suffered enough trauma.Had already been forced to cry for her and—
Quickening footsteps sounded behind her.Her muscles seized, but she didn’t turn around.No, it couldn’t be Keetan.He’d already beat the shit out of her.Already took Bray.He wouldn’t come back...
Her pace picked up.She reached her car and yanked open the door.Tossing her purse in, she sank into the driver’s seat.Large fingers grabbed the door, stopping it from shutting.
Natalie shrieked.Panic electrified her senses.“Help!”Fear, sharp and immobilizing, kept her from looking at her attacker’s face.
He pulled open the door the rest of the way and ripped the car keys from her fingers.“Natalie.”The cool, brusque tone made her freeze.
The terror locking her muscles loosened a fraction as her brain worked to identify the voice.Meanwhile, her eyes traveled up sinewy tattooed arms to a stern masculine face.
Disbelief stole her breath.A gasp lodged in her throat.No, it couldn’t be him after all these years.She’d thought of him every day.Every time she looked at Bray.
She blinked, but the man didn’t disappear or morph into someone else.His large brown eyes stared at her with contempt and maybe a hint of concern.Dark stubble covered his jaw, and his hair was a tad longer than the crew cut she’d last seen him with.His biceps bulged as he held open the door, standing above her.
She swallowed as her tongue danced over his name.She wanted to say it.Wanted to believe more than anything that she wasn’t hallucinating, but she didn’t dare.
“Do you even remember me?”he snapped.
Tears rushed to her eyes, making her grateful for the dark sunglasses.She nodded.“B-Brick Slater,” she murmured.
Speaking her son’s middle name, the name of his father, ripped at her heart.There was no way she could hide her shock because the tears now flowed down her cheeks.
He let go of the door to drag his hand through his hair.A million questions buzzed through her mind.He was here in Detroit.Why?Could it be cosmic chance?A trick of fate?
No, life was really just that cruel.
“You left,” he choked out.
She swiped her knuckles under her glasses and inhaled a steadying breath.“I’m sorry for that.I am, really.”Sorry for a lot of things.More than you’ll ever know.
He scoffed.“Funny I didn’t learn your real name until I saw your face plastered online.”
She winced, taking his words like bullets to the chest.
“Why?”he breathed.
