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He was nothing but a means to a bite?
A flash of Cadence’s face as she told him he was just a rebound washed across his mind.
His breath was pulled from his lungs as he saw the memory.
“I’m sorry, Gunner, you’re just not it. I just wanted to get over him…you were just a way to get over him.”
Gunner squatted and clenched his fists against the roaring in his ears, stared in horror at the cracked sidewalk as the memory of Cadence wrecking him played over again.
…you were just a way to get over him…
Hallie was different. Right? She was supposed to be different.
Lucia had made it seem like he was doing something good—like he was heading in the right direction, but was he?
Or was Hallie just another lesson?
Chapter Thirteen
Hallie balled her fists on her thighs to stop the shaking. She had been scared for so long, but that wasn’t what was causing her trembling.
Now she was angry.
Her entire life had been in a chokehold.
How dare a man consume her life like this. How dare him.
She looked at the text thread again. Derek had landed at Laramie Regional Airport two hours ago on a red-eye flight, and he’d wanted to meet at a hotel nearby. She knew better than to meet a stalker at a hotel. She wanted something more public, so she’d agreed to meet him here. She lifted her gaze to the sign that read Barker’s World-Famous Breakfast Sandwiches.
She’d been here before and it had been slammed first thing in the morning, but today there were only a few groups eating at the picnic tables outside.
She’d gotten here early, but all that had served to do was give her time to count her regrets. There were so many.
After this, she would be free.
She would come back to her car, turn her notifications back on, and tell Gunner it was done. She would tell Corey it was over.
She just had to talk some sense into Derek and make him see that she didn’t belong to him. She belonged to herself.
The sound of a fast-car engine filled the gravel parking lot, and she checked the side-view mirror to see a Ferrari pulling into the parking lot. Of course. She didn’t even know where he would track down a rental company with Ferraris here. Then again, he could’ve stopped at a dealership and just bought the damn thing for fun. She’d seen him do way more frivolous things just for clout.
Bright side, he wouldn’t be able to kidnap her. She could definitely fight being dragged into a small car like that. Especially this close to the police department. She lifted her attention to the department sign just two doors down. She’d chosen this place carefully.
The car revved as it parked one empty space away from her. She watched him get out, standing smoothly, pulling his designer sunglasses off his face. He wore gray slacks, a navy button-up shirt, and dress shoes. He was tall and chiseled and looked like some Ken doll come to life, only she knew how ugly he was on the inside.
Derek was a monster in disguise.
A trill of nervousness filled her stomach, and she steeled herself to greet him. Her door creaked open. He stood at the front of her car, hands buried in his pockets, watching her.
He had the smile of a snake.
“I don’t know why you insist on driving this old rust-bucket around, Hallie. You know you can have any car you want.”
“I like my car. I bought it myself.”
The smile slipped from his lips and slowly returned, but she’d seen it—that flash of anger.
Chills rippled up her spine. “I have something I want to say to you.”
