King(33)
“About what?”
Desmond sighed, picking up his glass of wine. “About buying the McClure building. I think it will be a good return on our investment.”
“Then buy it,” King replied absently, placing his phone back in his suit pocket.
“What’s going on? Why are you looking at your phone every five minutes?”
“No reason.” King evaded his question, wanting to grind his teeth in frustration. Evie had been ignoring his calls and texts for three days. The man he had following her had said she had been all over his city, exploring and even hitting several of the bars. King couldn’t understand the drastic change in her behavior. One night he was fucking her brains out, the next she wasn’t giving him the time of day.
“You still seeing Evie?”
“I don’t know,” King answered caustically.
“What in the fuck does that mean?” Desmond asked, looking over his shoulder.
“It means she’s not answering my calls,” he snapped.
“Why don’t you turn around and ask her?” Desmond nodded his head at a table behind them. “Of course, the man she’s with might not appreciate it.”
King frowned, turning around in his seat. Evie had her back to him; however, the man sitting at her table was in his early thirties with blond hair and a shit-eating grin aimed at Evie.
When King turned back around, Desmond was watching him with an amused expression. “Would you like me to go ask her for you?”
“I’m not in fucking middle school. I can do my own talking.”
“Not if she’s not returning your calls.”
“Desmond, if you don’t shut the hell up...”
Desmond laughed softly as their waitress approached with their bill. Signing the check, King and Desmond rose to their feet, avoiding Evie’s table as they left the restaurant.
“I’ll get in touch when the deal is finalized.”
“Do that,” King answered, waiting for Desmond’s car to pull out before getting inside his own.
“Pull around to the side of the building,” King ordered Henry.
King sat in the parking lot for twenty minutes before Evie and her date came out. She had her hair pulled up and was wearing a coral-colored dress. Her happy expression disappeared when she saw King leaning against his car with his arms folded across his chest.
“Evie, you haven’t returned my calls.” King’s blunt words were loud in the quiet parking lot.
They came to a stop a few feet away.
“I didn’t want to talk to you.”
“Why not?” King glared at the man staring back and forth between Evie and him.
“Evie—” Her date began, but Evie quickly cut him off.
“Let’s go, Kell.” Evie took his arm, trying to sidestep King’s car.
King glowered at him threateningly. “Do you know who I am?”
Kell nodded his head, his face going pale.
“Then get in your car and go,” he ordered. “If I see you near her again, we’ll be getting better acquainted. Do you understand me?”
His frightened eyes flashed to Henry who was sitting in the car.
“Wait just a fucking minute!” Evie said as her date high-tailed it to his car, not giving her a backward glance.
“Get in the car.” King opened the rear door for her.
“Fuck off!” She spun on her heels, but before she could take a step away, King had her, lifting her off her feet and tossing her into the backseat.
“Have you lost your mind?” Evie screamed at him, moving for the other door. King climbed into the car, shutting the door. Evie tried uselessly to get out of the car as Henry drove out of the parking lot. Giving up, she turned to him. “What do you think this is going to accomplish?”
“Are you going to tell me the reason you’re no longer in my empty bed every night?”
She bristled at his words. “Empty? I doubt that. Why don’t you call the blonde you were fucking the other night?”
A sinister smile crossed his mouth. “What blonde?”
“I don’t fucking know her name. She was at your apartment the other night when I came early. I’ll give you credit; you had it timed perfectly. One leaves, the other comes. Doesn’t Henry get sick of chauffeuring your bitches around?”
“I don’t know. I don’t ask him. He gets paid to do what I tell him.”
“Well, I’m not on your payroll. Take me to Penni’s apartment,” Evie commanded.
King moved closer to her on the seat. “You look beautiful tonight.”
She gave him a dumbfounded look as he laid his hand on her thigh. “Are you high?” Her suspicious eyes searched his.