Wicked Ties(116)
than cared. She didn’t even want to think about how much more.
Twelve kinds of stupid, that’s what she’d been.
“If handcuffs is all it takes to interest you, I’m sure I can scrounge up a pair or two.”
Deke baited Alyssa.
The blonde scoffed. “You wish.”
This conversation was crawling on her last nerve. She had no idea why Deke was
trying so hard to get a rise out of Alyssa’s temper and she didn’t care.
“Did you call Jack already?” Morgan demanded.
Alyssa frowned at the sharp tone. “No. I was getting ready to.”
Morgan shook her head. “Wait until I leave. I want to be good and gone before he
shows up.”
“Doll, you can’t leave with this guy running around. He could be near.”
She tried not to wince at that possibility. “I have to go. I’m exhausted and I want
space, some sleep. Tomorrow—”
“Tomorrow could be too late. You have to wait for Jack, tell him about these pictures.
Let him protect you.”
“I’ll be fine for one night. I’ll call around and hire someone to protect me bright and
early in the morning.” She turned to Alyssa. “Can I just have my purse, please? I need
my driver’s license, my keys, my money…”
“What about the note?” the blonde asked.
“Note?”
Alyssa grabbed the envelope from Morgan’s hands and dug to the bottom until she
retrieved a folded piece of paper. “Note.”
Trepidation battered Morgan’s nerves as she took the white paper in hand and
unfolded it.
You belong to me. Only me. I will kill you before another man touches you again.
The brevity and resolution in those words chilled her. Reggie meant it. Morgan
covered her hand with her mouth and felt her knees weakening under her.
Deke caught her in his strong grasp before her legs gave out. Alyssa moved into her
line of vision, concern and confusion written all over her face.
“Let me call Jack. He’s going to want to hear about this.” “No, he’s not.” Morgan
looked away, fighting the sting of tears that were suddenly like an ice pick in the back of
her eyes. Alyssa closed the space between them and lifted her chin in a surprisingly
strong grip, despite her long French-tipped claws. “Okay, now I’m really going to call
him and ream him out. How the hell did he break your heart in three damn days?”
“I don’t think it’s one-sided,” Deke offered.
He was delusional, Morgan decided. And she’d heard enough from both of them.
Tearing herself away from both Deke and Alyssa, Morgan made for the door. She was
exhausted and sore. She wanted a shower, wanted the solace of deep sleep. Until she got
out of here, she wasn’t getting any of it.
If Reggie had arranged for the delivery of this envelope to Alyssa, it meant he was
still determined and unhinged. He was probably back in the area. He knew who she’d
left the club with and when. All the more reason not to stay with Jack, to find a new
bodyguard.
For every reason she could think of, she had to get out of here. Now.
“Give me my damn purse!” she shouted. “I’m leaving.”
Alyssa tossed up her hands in a gesture of surrender and walked back behind her
desk. She lifted her super-short black skirt and revealed a set of black garters holding up
her thigh-high stockings. A small ribbon tied a little desk key to that garter. Alyssa
plucked on the red satin ribbon, and the key fell into her hand.
With a taunting glance at Deke’s riveted gaze, Alyssa palmed the key, then
straightened her skirt and unlocked her desk. An open drawer later, she handed Morgan
her purse.
“Let me call Jack before you go.”
“I’ll be fine. Deke can walk me to my car to help me retrieve my things and make sure
I do it safely. I’ll figure out what to do from there.”
Morgan didn’t wait around for either of them to answer. She whirled away and
headed for the alley exit. It was dark. She could stay in the alley’s shadows.
A few moments later, she heard Deke’s footsteps behind her.
“I’ll stay with you tonight, until you can find a new bodyguard.”
And let him call Jack to come and get her and probably spank her ass for running off
in the first place? “Just drop me off at my car. I’ll grab my stuff and call a cab, just to be on the safe side. Your responsibility ends there.”
“If I do, Jack is going to kill me,” he muttered.
“If you don’t, I’m going to kill you first, slowly, and string you up by the balls.”
Though Morgan was painfully aware that she couldn’t make good on that threat, she