Catching Lily(19)

She couldn't do that. Not to herself or to him. She might be making a mess of things, but she would have to fix the mess later. Her current goal was damage control. As soon as she was on the main road, her phone buzzed again, making her jump.

She knew she was too flustered to drive at all, let alone read texts and drive, so she pulled into a well-lit gas station and put the car in park.

When she eased her phone out of her purse, she was shaking so violently she nearly dropped it.

Luke: Smart girl. That better be the last time I see you with Dominic Cordes.

She jumped in her seat, twisting her neck to look out every window. He had to be following her. A chill raced up her spine. The total violation of privacy made her want to shoot the man. Too bad she didn't own a gun, and she wasn't violent.

Her fingers fumbled as she struggled to send a return text. She needed to remain calm with Luke. He was completely off his rocker, but the last thing she wanted to do was piss him off further.

Lily: My best friend is getting married tomorrow. I'll be at the wedding all day. I'm the maid of honor. Cordes is the best man. There's no way to avoid seeing him tomorrow.

His response was immediate.

Luke: Where?

Shit. Fuck. Damn. No way did she want to tell him where.

Lily: At a church, Luke. Calm down. I heard you loud and clear. I won't touch the man. And I won't see him again after tomorrow. But you're going to have to give me some time before I see you. You're not being very nice right now.

Luke: Fine. Don't tell me. I'll follow you anyway. And I'll be watching. Hands off the ballplayer. If I suspect for a second you're fucking him again, I'll post those pictures before you come down from that orgasmic bliss I saw on your face.

While she sat there staring at the unimaginable, another text came in.

Luke: The next time I see that look on your face, it better be my cock in your cunt, got it?

Lily: Yes.

Her fingers shook so hard it was difficult to text. Plus, his last words unnerved her. Whatever look she'd had on her face while hovering over Dominic was for Dominic only. No man had ever made her feel that way, especially not Luke. Not even in the beginning.

She leaned her head back against the headrest and tried to think. Should she call the cops? She shot that thought down right away. Any provocation on her part could easily spur Luke to post those pics. One click was all it would take.

She didn't want to ruin Zia's day, either. It was her wedding. She shouldn't have to spend the day worrying about Lily and Dominic.

She thought about telling Dominic, but shot that idea down so fast it never even took root. He wasn't the sort of man to take threats lying down. He would probably tell her he didn't give two shits if those pictures were posted on the Internet and would call the police and the FBI before midnight.

But Lily cared. She cared a lot. She worked hard to develop her business and grow her gallery. It was a successful enterprise that had taken years to achieve. Filling her website with pictures of her apparently being fucked so hard she'd lost her mind wasn't going to draw in new clients.

Dammit.

Something had to be done. She couldn't let the man walk all over her forever. She obviously never intended to see his face again. But first she needed to get through tomorrow. Then she could deal with this problem.

Her hands trembled as she put the car in drive and headed to her apartment, well aware that Luke was tailing her.

She decided to put her finger on the speed dial for nine-one-one as soon as she parked. If he approached her before she got inside, she wouldn't hesitate to call the cops. If he didn't, she would bolt herself in the apartment, set the alarm, and try to get some sleep.



       
         
       
        

Four more texts came while she was driving. She didn't look at them, knowing it was safer to wait.

When she pulled into the garage under her apartment, she felt relatively safe. After all, every person that entered the garage did so with a keycard that opened the gate. No one followed her inside, and she waited until the gate lowered before heading to the second floor.

She nearly ran to the elevator, spinning around constantly to make sure she was alone.

"Come on. Come on," she recited as she waited.

She didn't breathe properly until she was inside and the door slid shut. The ride to the third floor was long, and then she once again raced for her apartment.

As soon as she was inside, she reset the alarm, locked the door, and then collapsed to the floor. Her legs wouldn't hold her up any longer, and she lowered her face to press her aching forehead against her knees.

Tears fell. She let them. She shuddered from the stress of the last half hour. After several minutes, she finally reached into her purse to extract her phone. Whatever instructions Luke had given her after the last set, she didn't think she could handle them.