even tempered once she realized I’d done it for her. It worried her, though, that I got so into the kiss. It worried me , too, but for different reasons.
I definitely did not want to hook back up with Blaine in any way, shape, or form, and had no desire to betray Wes by fucking my way out of debt. All that aside, I still didn’t know what to do.
“So you were kissing him and then all of a sudden you imagined Wes?”
I nodded. “It was so real. Blaine kissed me, and then it was like he morphed into Wes. Gin, if Max hadn’t broken it up, I don’t know what I’d have done.”
“You were that deep in your imagination?”
“Yeah. I swear, it’s like I could smell him and that ocean scent that clings to his skin even after he’s showered when he’s finished surfing.”
Gin shook her head and smiled the best her busted lip would allow. “You’ve got it bad for this guy, huh?”
I thought about Wes. About how much he was probably hurting and I felt a physical ache in my stomach. “Gin, I’m beyond in love with him. He’s it for me.”
Her non-swollen eye widened. “As in, marriage it?”
Marriage. It wasn’t something I’d ever really given a lot of thought to since my parents had failed so miserably at it, along with most of the friends I’d had growing up. But right then, in that moment, sitting on the bed with my battered best friend, my heart bursting wide open for her to see, I nodded.
“I think maybe, yeah,” I admitted on a whisper.
“Wow. You are so fucked.”
The sad thing was, Ginelle was right, because if Wes didn’t make it out alive, I’d lose a lot more than the man I loved. I’d lose my heart and my sanity right along with it.
Chapter Eight
G in took a week’s leave of absence, explaining what happened to her. Her boss was sympathetic and told her to take all the time she needed. Everyone in town knew who Blaine was and how he controlled the underbelly of Vegas. Since neither of us were in a big hurry to be away from one another after yesterday’s trauma, Ginelle followed me to the hotel. She was still a little off, but definitely coming back to the feisty girl I knew and loved with every hour that passed. We’d spent the morning talking about Wes and where I thought we were headed in our relationship provided he made it back in one piece. She admitted that she was worried about me moving in with him, but now that she saw how affected I was over him being gone, about the dreams, and the imagination, she admitted that I was beyond bonkers over him, and just like that, she supported me. That easy.
When we entered the hotel, Max was sitting in the dining area with Maddy and Matt. He’d stayed with her overnight since I was gone. There was a spread of food over the table, enough to feed an entire army.
Max stood when he saw us. He came to me and airlifted me into a huge bear hug. I held on tight, my arms gripping for dear life as he squeezed the living hell out of me.
“Worried about you, sugar. Glad to see you back and with your friend.” He slowly lowered me back to the floor and pressed his forehead to mine. “You okay?” he asked.
I cupped both his cheeks, leaned back, and kissed his forehead. “I’m good, Maximus.” I smiled for his benefit and he returned the gesture.
Max turned to Gin who stood awkwardly, swaying side to side rocking herself. “Hey, darlin’, you doin’ all right?” He lifted a hand to her face, and Gin jerked back a step. Max’s hand fell to his side, his pale eyes turning hard, his nostrils flaring. “This is so wrong, a man laying his hands on a woman in anger.”
I huffed. “You think that’s wrong? He almost killed Pops. The man and his goons are pure evil. Now I just need to figure out what I’m going to do to put this all behind us.”
Max was about to respond when my cell phone rang. I looked around the room, and all eyes were on me. The raid was supposed to happen last night in Indonesia. Pulling out the phone, I glanced
I definitely did not want to hook back up with Blaine in any way, shape, or form, and had no desire to betray Wes by fucking my way out of debt. All that aside, I still didn’t know what to do.
“So you were kissing him and then all of a sudden you imagined Wes?”
I nodded. “It was so real. Blaine kissed me, and then it was like he morphed into Wes. Gin, if Max hadn’t broken it up, I don’t know what I’d have done.”
“You were that deep in your imagination?”
“Yeah. I swear, it’s like I could smell him and that ocean scent that clings to his skin even after he’s showered when he’s finished surfing.”
Gin shook her head and smiled the best her busted lip would allow. “You’ve got it bad for this guy, huh?”
I thought about Wes. About how much he was probably hurting and I felt a physical ache in my stomach. “Gin, I’m beyond in love with him. He’s it for me.”
Her non-swollen eye widened. “As in, marriage it?”
Marriage. It wasn’t something I’d ever really given a lot of thought to since my parents had failed so miserably at it, along with most of the friends I’d had growing up. But right then, in that moment, sitting on the bed with my battered best friend, my heart bursting wide open for her to see, I nodded.
“I think maybe, yeah,” I admitted on a whisper.
“Wow. You are so fucked.”
The sad thing was, Ginelle was right, because if Wes didn’t make it out alive, I’d lose a lot more than the man I loved. I’d lose my heart and my sanity right along with it.
Chapter Eight
G in took a week’s leave of absence, explaining what happened to her. Her boss was sympathetic and told her to take all the time she needed. Everyone in town knew who Blaine was and how he controlled the underbelly of Vegas. Since neither of us were in a big hurry to be away from one another after yesterday’s trauma, Ginelle followed me to the hotel. She was still a little off, but definitely coming back to the feisty girl I knew and loved with every hour that passed. We’d spent the morning talking about Wes and where I thought we were headed in our relationship provided he made it back in one piece. She admitted that she was worried about me moving in with him, but now that she saw how affected I was over him being gone, about the dreams, and the imagination, she admitted that I was beyond bonkers over him, and just like that, she supported me. That easy.
When we entered the hotel, Max was sitting in the dining area with Maddy and Matt. He’d stayed with her overnight since I was gone. There was a spread of food over the table, enough to feed an entire army.
Max stood when he saw us. He came to me and airlifted me into a huge bear hug. I held on tight, my arms gripping for dear life as he squeezed the living hell out of me.
“Worried about you, sugar. Glad to see you back and with your friend.” He slowly lowered me back to the floor and pressed his forehead to mine. “You okay?” he asked.
I cupped both his cheeks, leaned back, and kissed his forehead. “I’m good, Maximus.” I smiled for his benefit and he returned the gesture.
Max turned to Gin who stood awkwardly, swaying side to side rocking herself. “Hey, darlin’, you doin’ all right?” He lifted a hand to her face, and Gin jerked back a step. Max’s hand fell to his side, his pale eyes turning hard, his nostrils flaring. “This is so wrong, a man laying his hands on a woman in anger.”
I huffed. “You think that’s wrong? He almost killed Pops. The man and his goons are pure evil. Now I just need to figure out what I’m going to do to put this all behind us.”
Max was about to respond when my cell phone rang. I looked around the room, and all eyes were on me. The raid was supposed to happen last night in Indonesia. Pulling out the phone, I glanced
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