Sunset In Central Park (From Manhattan with Love 2)

He had his own relationship to think about.

And finally, finally, it was almost time to focus on that.

Chapter Twenty

Never guess the ending before you’ve read the whole book.

—Matt

They talked to the police and then Matt insisted on taking her to the hospital.

By the time they left, it was late afternoon and she still hadn’t said what she wanted to say.

Now that it was over, she felt shaken and sick.

Matt had refused to leave the room when she was being treated, as if he was afraid to let her out of his sight.

“You gave me heart failure, Frankie. When I walked into that apartment and saw you in the middle of the broken glass with Eddy—” He ran his hand over his face and she gave a rueful shrug.

“He had his hands around my throat. I had no choice but to throw him.”

“I wanted to put my hands around his throat for touching you.”

“You have hidden caveman tendencies. I’ve suspected it for a while.”

“He could have had a gun. Or a knife.” Matt’s tone was raw and she knew he was feeling the same aftereffects she was.

“A knife I could

probably have dealt with. A gun—” she frowned “—I prefer not to think about that.”

“I prefer not to, either, but I can’t get the image out of my head. The broken lock. The look on his face.”

“How about the image where I sat on him and almost dislocated his shoulder? Can’t you replace it with that one?”

“I’ll try. So you were, what, seventeen when you took up karate?”

“Yes, but I’m a quick learner. Turned out I had a talent for it.”

“And we’re all relieved about that.”

“Eddy didn’t seem too pleased.”

Matt gave a reluctant smile and then his phone beeped and he dug it out of his pocket. “It’s James. He says that the apartment is clean, the window is fixed and he’s spending another night on the couch so that Roxy and Mia feel safe.”

“Do you think he’s in love with her?” Frankie gave a half laugh. “Listen to me—I sound like Eva.”

“Yes, I think he’s in love with her. I think he’s probably been in love with her for a while, but nothing is going to happen.”

“How do you know?”

Matt typed a reply and slid his phone back into his pocket. “Because Roxy thinks James is too good for her. She didn’t finish high school and before James threw it all in to work in landscaping, he worked as a lawyer.”

“I didn’t know that, but I can’t imagine James caring about that.”

“I agree, but Roxy won’t. And she’s pretty stubborn.”

“She’s also brave. And very smart. Poor Roxy. How did she cope when she was pregnant and living with that monster? She must have felt so alone.”