“Why? So, you can call me a liar and accost me?”
“So, I can make you admit the truth and show you exactly what your body needs.” He
stopped closer. “I get the feeling you been dealing with watered down motherfuckers who let you have your way and jump when you say jump. But that’s not what you need.”
He’d hit the nail on the head. The realization made her squirm. “What do you know about me?”
He flashed a wolfish grin that was little more than a quick glimpse of white teeth. “More than you think. Right now, all you want to do is let go and for once, be taken care of. I can do that for you. All you have do is surrender and trust my judgment.”
The offer was tempting. Fighting her sister’s downhill battle single-handed would be more than foolish now. Her desperation shamed her. She bowed her head.
He pinched her chin and brought her head up. “There’s nothing wrong with needing help.”
“I-I don’t even know—you,” she stuttered.
“But you want to and you could. Look at me.”
His voice was hypnotic and persuasive. It preyed on the weakness inside her. She swayed on her feet.
Pan wrapped an arm around her waist. “It’s been a long time since I cared about anything.
Let me do this.”
Water blurred her vision. “Why do you care?”
“Because you stopped a loop I was trapped in and woke me up from a living nightmare. I
owe you for that.” His blue eyes were full of truth and honesty like a man who had nothing to fear or hide.
Her gut told her this man was worthy of her faith. He already saved your life once when he had no reason to. “And if I do this…if I trust you?”
“I’ll take care of this, on one condition.”
She sniffed. “What’s that?”
“You start putting yourself first from this point on. No more jumping in front of your sister to take bullets. I can’t let you torture yourself over the way the cards were laid out. Trust me, that way lies nothing but heartache and self-loathing.” He shook his head. “It’s a bad scene.” His tone rang full of regret.
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
“I am.” His expression grew shuttered and his voice went flat. “What’s your answer Lark?
Are you ready to let go and be free, or are you going to remain chained to your past?”
This man was temptation. A shiny ripe red apple. She longed to sink her teeth in, sample the juices and enjoy every morsel. Her heart pounded in her chest. Sweat slicked her palms. He had resources she didn’t. A whole gang of people with power, money and numbers. More than
anything, he could relieve the endless sea of loneliness she’d been swimming in. Like Eve before her, she took the bait. The words stuck in her throat. She wrestled with the connection from her brain to her vocal chords. Giving in and rolling over wasn’t in her, but her breaking point was near, along with the water level rapidly rising. She was in over her head on this one. She couldn’t help Robin if she were drowning. She took a deep breath and let the words roll out on an exhale,
“I’m ready to let go.”
Pan leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Good girl. Let’s get to work.”
It was a gamble. I’m sorry, Robin. I can’t do this on my own anymore. Guilt assuaged her as she deferred to the man she knew would change her life forever. As Robin hit a downward spiral, she was making the choice to actually live.
Pan hung up the phone and turned to the anxiety-ridden woman pacing the room. “They’ll
take your 50,000. They want it in small bills and they want it by the end of the week.”
“Wait—just like that?” she whispered.