“You don’t get it.”
I froze in place, waiting for something I couldn’t name.
“It’s all you. I couldn’t get it up for months unless I was sleeping and dreaming about you. You walk in now and boom.” His hands came down parallel to his dick in a karate-chop motion, his eyes big and round.
“You don’t need me,” I repeated, clinging with a vise grip to the door.
He ran a hand over his hair. “That’s the thing about need and want. They blur together.”
“There are times you can’t have either,” I said.
I thought about my business. I’d received an unexpected gift from my landlord. Only that gift wasn’t without flaws. I’d been given free rent for the next several months while the building’s façade was being worked on. My store front was covered in scaffolding that hindered foot traffic. I wouldn’t host shows there until the work was done. But the time allowed me to continue working, planning on my future by focusing on online and private sales. If I couldn’t make this work, I would have to have a conversation with Anderson about looking for another job. I would have to considering applying for a curator position at the Met.
Then I thought about not getting more art from Connor—I still wasn’t sure if he was the artist or not, but I had my suspicions.
“Do you still have the engagement ring?” he asked, spotting my naked finger.
“For a fake wedding?”
His lips pursed. “It could have been real if you’d given me a chance. I mean, how many guys buy a ring worth more than some cars for a woman they don’t give a shit about?”
It was a struggle to not outwardly show I’d swallowed my tongue. “Plenty.”
“I’m not one of them.”
I held his gaze. “Since you’ve proved yourself to be a liar, I can’t really believe anything you say.”
“I never outright lied to you,” he said.
“No. You withheld the truth, which is just as bad.”
He sighed and leaned back in what appeared to be a lot like defeat. “I guess Griffin wins.”
My body straightened. “Wins what?”
“The girl. The bet.” He shrugged.
You could have shoved a bowling ball in my mouth for how wide open it was.
“You bet on me?” Had that been why he’d played pool with me after I’d beaten Griffin?
I didn’t wait on an answer. I finally had the satisfaction of slamming the door in his face. I might have said something I’d regret.
I needed to get away from him. Get away from Griffin too, before I spoiled Bailey’s wedding and throttled them both. My feet weren’t in the mood for walking, so I ran toward the driveway and was surprised to find my brother headed in my direction across the parking lot. Where had he gone and why? He better not have fucked one of my college friends.
“Lizzy, we need to go,” he said at the same time, I said, “I need to get out of here.”
I bobbed my head in agreement. We could figure out the rest later. I would send my apology to Bails. Luckily everything was pretty much over. I wouldn’t be missing anything but their exit.
As we got to the driveway, a car came speeding up and the tires squealed to a stop right in front of us.
A lot of things happened next. Matty squeezed my arm in an attempt to turn me around, but it was too late. Four men exited the vehicle with rifles aimed at us.
“Going somewhere?” a man asked.
My adrenaline was off the roof. It was unlikely I processed all the shouts around me enough to repeat to the cops if necessary.
“Just do it, Lily,” Matty said.
He was still protecting me. Never had he called me Lily. The fear and calm on his face warned me not to give a snarky response.
When two men stepped forward and slid a black hood over my head, I let them. They dragged me into the SUV. I had a moment to pray that Striker hadn’t followed me. I may have hated his guts at the moment, but I didn’t wish him dead.ConnorI struggled to my feet. Trying to zip my pants was a chore my drunken fingers weren’t quite up to. By the time I got the door open, Lizzy was gone. I glanced one way then the next before spotting her near the line of cars, talking to her brother.
In my next breath, a black Tahoe, or something like it, came grinding to a halt in front of them. Men with guns poured out, aiming them at my Lizzy and her brother.
Though I yelled, I wasn’t sure if anyone heard. No one looked my way as I half shambled, half ran toward her. But it was too late. The car was several yards away by the time I made it to the drive. I stood there for a second before I was surrounded.