world. As if her heart hadn’t just broken into a thousand little pieces. As if she wasn’t bleeding from the inside out.
* * * *
“Kris, we need to talk.”
She stared at the two men she’d thought she knew. She’d really thought she could trust them, and look where that had brought her. She should have known. After all she had the background to prove it.
No man could ever be trusted. Ever. They only thought about one thing, only wanted one thing from her, and once they got it, they left. Or hurt her. Or both.
“Sit down.” Scott motioned her to the sofa.
Knowing it was now or never, she let her hands open, her shopping bags toppling to the floor. She stepped over them and strode into the living room, aware of their sharp gazes on her. Smoothing her skirt down, she sat primly in the middle of the couch and looked at her feet. She was ready. “Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
She turned to Drew and nearly frowned at the look on his face. “I’m fine. Should I start?” She didn’t give them time to respond. “I’m moving out.”
“You… You’re what?” Scott’s voice rose. “What the hell?”
“You obviously know about my past. I thought… Never mind what I thought. I can’t believe you told that toad about our night together. I trusted you, but no, you’re just like any other men. You fucked me and couldn’t wait to tell the whole wide world. Well, think again! I’m not going to stay here and take it. I’m older now. I know better. I have a life, and I don’t need you.”
She stood up and directed her feet toward the door. Only to be stopped when strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
She struggled against Drew’s hold, jerking her elbows backward, trying to force him to let her go. “Stop it!”
“No,” was his simple answer. “I think you misunderstood what this talk was going to be about. And what did you mean about ‘the toad’?”
“Like you don’t know!” she snapped back. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she’d never give them the pleasure of seeing her cry. She might be weak, but by God, she wasn’t that weak! “Let me go!”
“Baby, calm down. We just wanted to discuss this like adults,” Scott said as he appeared at their side. His eyes were dark, his expression unfathomable. “Let’s just talk about this, okay?”
“No!” she shouted, sending her right heel into Drew’s calf. He merely grunted. She tried again with her left leg, but this time, he simply lifted her and turned around. Before she knew what was happening, she was once more on the sofa, but this time the two men were sandwiching her.
It looked as if she didn’t have a choice. She’d have this talk then she would leave. Forever…
Scott felt her tense as soon as his arm curled around her shoulders. He’d only wanted to touch her, to anchor himself, too, to make sure she wouldn’t leave again. Instead, she’d withdrawn into herself even more. Cursing himself inwardly, he thought about the speech he’d rehearsed, but what came out of his mouth turned out to be something else entirely.
“I don’t care that you changed your name or the way you dress yourself. I understand why you did it. But Kris, or Carrie, or whatever you want us to call you, what I hate is the fact you lied to us.”
“I lied to you?” Her face reddened. “You’re the ones who told that freaking guy about us, and you think I’m at fault here?”
“We haven’t told anyone about us, baby,” Drew said on her other side.
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s true.”
“So how did he know who I was? How did he know about my… What did he call them? Skills?”
“That guy, was he blond, shorter than us, a SEAL like us?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.”
“Tommy…”
“Yup.”
Scott winced then leaned toward her. “He was in high school with you.”
She looked at him then Drew. “That’s what he said.”
“We were in Hell’s Dune last night, and he overhead us talking. He started telling us about
* * * *
“Kris, we need to talk.”
She stared at the two men she’d thought she knew. She’d really thought she could trust them, and look where that had brought her. She should have known. After all she had the background to prove it.
No man could ever be trusted. Ever. They only thought about one thing, only wanted one thing from her, and once they got it, they left. Or hurt her. Or both.
“Sit down.” Scott motioned her to the sofa.
Knowing it was now or never, she let her hands open, her shopping bags toppling to the floor. She stepped over them and strode into the living room, aware of their sharp gazes on her. Smoothing her skirt down, she sat primly in the middle of the couch and looked at her feet. She was ready. “Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
She turned to Drew and nearly frowned at the look on his face. “I’m fine. Should I start?” She didn’t give them time to respond. “I’m moving out.”
“You… You’re what?” Scott’s voice rose. “What the hell?”
“You obviously know about my past. I thought… Never mind what I thought. I can’t believe you told that toad about our night together. I trusted you, but no, you’re just like any other men. You fucked me and couldn’t wait to tell the whole wide world. Well, think again! I’m not going to stay here and take it. I’m older now. I know better. I have a life, and I don’t need you.”
She stood up and directed her feet toward the door. Only to be stopped when strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
She struggled against Drew’s hold, jerking her elbows backward, trying to force him to let her go. “Stop it!”
“No,” was his simple answer. “I think you misunderstood what this talk was going to be about. And what did you mean about ‘the toad’?”
“Like you don’t know!” she snapped back. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she’d never give them the pleasure of seeing her cry. She might be weak, but by God, she wasn’t that weak! “Let me go!”
“Baby, calm down. We just wanted to discuss this like adults,” Scott said as he appeared at their side. His eyes were dark, his expression unfathomable. “Let’s just talk about this, okay?”
“No!” she shouted, sending her right heel into Drew’s calf. He merely grunted. She tried again with her left leg, but this time, he simply lifted her and turned around. Before she knew what was happening, she was once more on the sofa, but this time the two men were sandwiching her.
It looked as if she didn’t have a choice. She’d have this talk then she would leave. Forever…
Scott felt her tense as soon as his arm curled around her shoulders. He’d only wanted to touch her, to anchor himself, too, to make sure she wouldn’t leave again. Instead, she’d withdrawn into herself even more. Cursing himself inwardly, he thought about the speech he’d rehearsed, but what came out of his mouth turned out to be something else entirely.
“I don’t care that you changed your name or the way you dress yourself. I understand why you did it. But Kris, or Carrie, or whatever you want us to call you, what I hate is the fact you lied to us.”
“I lied to you?” Her face reddened. “You’re the ones who told that freaking guy about us, and you think I’m at fault here?”
“We haven’t told anyone about us, baby,” Drew said on her other side.
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s true.”
“So how did he know who I was? How did he know about my… What did he call them? Skills?”
“That guy, was he blond, shorter than us, a SEAL like us?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.”
“Tommy…”
“Yup.”
Scott winced then leaned toward her. “He was in high school with you.”
She looked at him then Drew. “That’s what he said.”
“We were in Hell’s Dune last night, and he overhead us talking. He started telling us about
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