“What did she say?”
“She said if he was good at his job, she wouldn’t have been shot and stabbed.”
Again, I would laugh if the tragic contents weren’t so true.
“She’s too damn tough and stubborn for her own good, apparently,” Wren grumbles. “If this guy hadn’t been so cocky, she would have died the other night.”
“He wants attention. Whoever he is, he wants to scare the hell out of everyone,” Bity gripes. “He’s sure as hell got my attention.”
“She said she thought it was Evan one time.”
“It’s not him. I was in the process of getting my ass stomped when she got another heavy-breathing phone call.”
“What about one of her other exes? The list isn’t that long,” I quickly add.
“Believe me, I’ve grilled then all. All of them were livid when I told them what was going on. Either they're damn good actors, or it was a look of pure shock and concern when I confronted them.”
Shit.
“What about work relationships? Did anyone get too close?”
“Not really. Ash is always too professional to lead anyone on. She meets in public places, never her house. Most of the time, she never even does face-to-face. Only some Sterling Shore clients insist on meeting her."
“I’ll find out who it is, and I’ll gut him when I do.”
“I’ll help,” Bity adds, his teeth grinding.
Until then, I’ll take her home with me whether she likes it or not.
Chapter Fourteen
Stubborn People
Ashiara
“It was lovely to meet you, Tag,” my stepmother giggles.
It was lovely to meet you, Tag. Oh please. Get some dignity.
“You, too. Maybe you can come out to the beach and visit us soon. We’ll be staying there until this guy is caught.”
I won’t be staying there.
“Definitely. Take care of my girl,” Dad says while shaking hands with Tag.
“I will. I promise you that.”
Great. My dad has made friends with the Devil.
They hug me quickly, and then they leave the room. Tag comes over to stand beside me.
“Well, let’s get you out of here,” he murmurs softly while taking my bag.
“I’m going back to the hotel. You and Trip should go on to the beach house though.”
It breaks my heart to send my son away, but if it’ll keep him safe, I’ll gladly do it. This bastard wants me, so let him come after me and me alone.
“Not happening.”
He starts walking out, and I follow him, my mind bogged by rage.
“Tag, you can’t force me to come with you.”
“Watch me.”
His cocky, smug attitude is normally my undoing, but right now it only infuriates me all the more.
“Tag, I’m going back to the hotel.”
He smiles as Bity and Shannon walk away with wry grins of their own, and they carry Trip in front of us as I clutch my side and follow Tag.
He hands my bag to Wren, and then he turns around to scoop me up, despite my attempts to swat him away.
“Sir, she has to be wheeled out. It’s protocol,” a nurse scolds.
“I’ve got her,” he says dismissively before boarding the elevator.
“Sir!” she barks while rushing toward us, but the door closes before she can argue with this stubborn ass.
“Let me go, Tag.”
He just laughs, and then his soft, perfect lips find my forehead as he pulls me closer.
“Not happening, Ash.”
The way he says it... it sounds like it means more than it does. I stop struggling, partially because it feels good to be held by him, getting kissed by him, and partially because it’s pointless to struggle. He’s so much stronger than me.
Instead, I nestle into him, and then I return his kiss to my forehead by kissing his neck, saying to hell with his rejection.
His breath hitches, and he swallows hard when he feels my lips. But I don’t stop. I kiss him again, dragging my tongue across his neck, and he shifts to suddenly press his lips against mine.
Oh damn.
He tastes so good right now, and I can’t let him go. My hands tangle in his hair as he holds me to him, and my lower half throbs with anticipation.
“You’re staying with me,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Okay,” I surrender, and his devouring kiss starts up again as he carries me off the elevator.
“Shit,” he gripes against my lips while pulling away. “I forgot you were on painkillers.”
Painkillers?
His eyes turn distant, refusing to look at me. I guess he wasn’t as ready for that kiss as I thought he was.
I fight back the tears as he carries me to the car where a guy is holding the door open to the back seat of a SUV for us. Trip gets strapped in the very back with Shannon and Billy, while Tag places me in the second row.