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CHAPTER 1
Chris
Pacing around my extravagant front room, I can’t help picturing Peter and Sam. I had watched them when they were dating. Saw her smile every time a text came through on her phone. Listened as she raved about their first date, and then their second, then their third. Another piece of my heart chisels away. My face gets hot with anger.
Peter told me that Sam agreed to talk to him. But how could I trust a word that comes out of his mouth?
I know how Sam feels about me, and I know how she feels about Peter. She would have told me if she spoke to him. But that idiot has already done what he’s set out to do. Because here I am, reeling. Furiously stomping about, wondering if I should believe the tiniest voice in my head doubting everything.
I’ll go see Sam myself. Who knows what we’ll do tonight.
What Peter last said to me repeats in my head. I can’t seem to make it go away. My hands ball up into fists. I promised myself that I would keep Sam safe from him. I promised I would make sure she would never have to deal with his manipulative ways ever again.
But the truth is, Sam is a strong, independent woman. I can’t tell her what she can and can’t do. If I hover over her, she’s only going to end up resenting me. So I have to control my jealous rage, which is currently enveloping me. A weight sits on my chest.
I walk myself through how I’m going to ask the woman I love if she’s met up with her psycho ex-boyfriend without telling me. How can I ask her without making her think I don’t trust her? And if she has met with Peter, do I still trust her? I love Sam. I don’t want my jealousy to get between us. I can’t scare her away, not when I’ve finally just gotten her.
Still, I can’t unlock my fingers. My fists stay strong at my side. I can’t get Peter’s smug face out of my mind. His ridiculous smirk evokes the worst side of me.
I’ve never been violent. I don’t think it’s right to hurt others. But something about Peter begs me to make an exception.
I hear the door click open and I immediately call to her. “I’m in here.” She doesn’t answer.
When Sam appears in the kitchen, I can see why. Her cheeks are stained with tears. Her eyes are wide and her mind is clearly somewhere else. She’s looking past me.
“Sam, are you okay?”
For the first time since I arrived at home, I no longer care aboutPeter. My only worry is how to comfort Sam. What happened to her? Who did this to her?
She looks up at me as my anger melts into concern. Her eyes bore into my heart. I walk over to her and pull her into me. My arms easily wrap around her shoulders, and her forehead rests on my chest. I can feel her take three deep breaths. Her stomach pushes into me and I count as I feel it rise and fall.
“I’m okay,” she says at last, though not a single part of me believes that.
“What happened?”
“I found something.” She lifts her head to look at me. “My dad, he had a note on his desk threatening that they were coming for him.”
I’m taken aback. So, we were right after all. Don knows something more about the mysterious threat against our shared business than he has let on. “You found it on his desk at home?” She nods. “He’s definitely seen the note, right?”
“I don’t know. I guess it depends on where it was left. With the security he has at the house, there’s no way someone set it on his desk and walked away without anyone noticing.”
“Was he acting strange? If he’s seen the note, you would think he’d be shaken up.”
“He seemed normal at dinner.” Sam shrugs. “I’m just really worried about him.”
If Don has read the note, one question poisons my mind. Why hasn’t he called the police? Why aren’t the cops surrounding his house and questioning everyone all over again? But I remind myself that none of this matters right now. My focus needs to be on the eyes staring up at me.
“I’m worried about him, too. But he’s a grown man who can take care of himself. He has a whole security team. He’s well protected at the house. Nothing can happen to him there.”
“What about at work? The gas station? Anywhere else on the planet? Is he safe there?”
“Well, for starters, your father doesn’t go anywhere besides work and the house. And second the security team is top-notch. They work twenty-four seven right now. I’m sure they won’t let him go anywhere alone. He’s going to be okay. Nothing can happen to him anywhere.”
She nods and puts her head back into me. I’ve never seen her look so defeated. “Hey,” I say as I pull her chin back up towards me. “Remember the first time we kissed? When I woke up to see you in front of me and we just went for it?”
“Of course I do. How could I forget it?!” For the first time today, I see her smile.
“I should have never apologized for it. I knew what was happening. I wasn’t sleepy or tired. I just wanted you. I wanted to know how it felt to kiss you and I went for it. Sure, it wasn’t the most appropriate thing for me to do, but I wanted it. I wanted you. I couldn’t help myself as you were sitting in front of me. It’s like you’d been brought to me for a reason.”
“Yeah, I forgot something.” She smirks, her brows raised. I love when she gets like this, joking with me. Her sense of humor is one of the many things I love about her.
“Oh, is that all? Is that why you kissed me back?”
She blushes. “I mean, you were already kissing me. There was no reason for me to stop you.”
“And now?” I ask as I pull her chin even closer to mine. “Are you going to stop me now?”
She shakes her head and allows me to bend down to her. My mouth is an inch from hers. I can feel her breath on my lips. But I let her come to me this time. I let her kiss me like I did the first time, with passion and curiosity. It feels like we’ve never touched before. Like the first time over again.
