“I’ll see you later.” He leaves me with a promise, and I try hard not to get sucked into it.
I deflate into the seat the moment the gate closes behind them.
What am I doing?!
“Is it safe to come out now?” Fabien asks as he sticks his head through the crack of the door.
And I can’t help but laugh, the heavy mood lifting.
TWENTY-TWO
Donovan
“Shut up,” I say to a silent Torrin as I slide into the driver’s seat of my black Challenger and slam the door.
He wants to laugh so badly, and the asshole is barely holding it in. His face is red with the effort.
Truthfully, I’m not far behind him. The scowl I wear feels a little forced. If I could see what just happened from the outside, I’d be doubling over with laughter.
Donovan Falco has let someone in. Not just someone, a woman.
I’m so fucked.
I speed off with no direction. I have to get away from my house before the panic in my chest tightens and I won’t be able to breathe.
What have I done? How did I get here?!
It happened so effortlessly. It’s like Astra slid right into my life. She knows all the ways I’m not a good person, and she doesn’t turn her nose up at them. If I believed in fate or any of that shit, I’d say she was made for me.
Astra is too good for me… yet, I’m not going to give her up.
Just a few days ago, I wanted to keep her to piss off her father, but now, I want to keep her to protect her. To covet her. To… make her mine over and over and over again.
Her moans ring in my ear. Her face flashes in my mind. Her neck pressed against my palm, her back bowed as if she needed to get closer to me. The way her eyes roll back in her head right when she’s about to come.
She will be my undoing, of that I’m sure. I just hope it doesn’t happen the other way around. I need her safe, but I know it’s not safe to be with me.
“You’re going the wrong direction,” Torrin says. “They got him in the holding cell in the back room of The Lacey.”
I curse as I slam on the brakes and whip a one-eighty right in the middle of the road. A car horn blares. I scowl in my rearview at the driver who is far enough away that I bet they didn’t even have to tap the brake pedal. They should count their lucky stars I can’t see their face with the glare of the sun on the windshield.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on? You seem a little distracted.” I hear the humor in his tone, and it fan the flame of irritation in me.
“No,” I growl.
“In all seriousness,” his tone matches that intro. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. “Are you sure this is the best idea?”
My teeth grind together as I come up with something to give him. It’s not the best idea and I fucking know that! I probably shouldn’t have told Astra all the shit I just told her, but I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to her.
She’s become my weakness. The thing I swore I’d never have. If she’s my weak spot, my enemies will extort it to no end… toherend.
“If she’s in my life, she’s a part of my life. I can’t separate the two because it would mean I have to lie to her. She’s worth more than an asshole who will keep her locked up and act as if she’s not smart enough to understand why. I am who I am,Torrin. She’s seen who I am. There’s no sense in playing pretend. It would be a slap to the face for both of us.”
Though he’s silent, I’m not stupid enough to think the conversation is over. He has more to say, but he’s trying to figure out the best way to word it. Torrin always says what’s on his mind without a care, which means it’s moments like this that I have to watch out for. I need to pay attention because he’s noticed something from the outside, he either thinks I can’t see or I’m purposely ignoring. I can’t hate him for it, even if it pisses me off.
“I’m worried how this will play out with her father and all,” he says.
I cut my eyes at him.
