Jacked (Trent Brothers #1)(138)

I studied the wood grain in the desk, unable to meet her eyes.

She started to slip away. “I’ll go get ready.”

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, needing her arms around me. I had to find a way to tell her that didn’t ruin us both, but for the moment it was easier to ignore it.

“Adam?”

Her cheek was tucked in the curve of my spine, making the strength I was trying to muster up even that more difficult.

“What happened?”

Two words. Two words that would lead to so many others I wasn’t ready to say. I didn’t want her to worry. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel bad about the decisions I was left to make, because there was no way in hell I was going to ruin her life while I was making a mess out of mine.

“Nothing, babe. It’s just a lot to take in.”

Her arms tightened. “Liar.”

My woman saw right through my bullshit.

“I need a minute.” The bathroom seemed like the safest place for me to hide while coming up with a plan. I untangled her and gave her a quick kiss. I knew she was disappointed and probably confused but I didn’t want to lie to her.

I hoped spending a few quiet moments locked behind a door would help, but the messages on my cell were nothing more than another irritating distraction. Several texts from the same unknown number littered my screen.





I stared at the texts, trying to determine if Nikki sent them, but something didn’t fit. I thought about replying—telling the sender to f*ck off—but instead, I just deleted them. Knowing my luck, Erin would accidentally see this stupid shit, which would undoubtedly cause unnecessary problems.

I washed my hands, my face; even brushed my damn teeth.

Staring at my reflection just made everything worse.

I switched the bathroom light off. Erin was sitting on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, one foot bobbing while her focus was absorbed by the wrinkled page in her hand. Several papers lay next to her on the bed.

My chest felt heavy.

She was engrossed in whatever she was reading until her eyes met mine. “I think I understand.”

Each breath was like dragging dirty air into my lungs.

“Did you sign this?”

She’d found the contract. My head swayed, giving my answer.

“Good. This…,” she exhaled, nodding, “this is a lot. Is this what you want?”

I’d rather have a punch in the face. It would be easier. “No.”

“I presume you already have a contract with them, or is this it?”

I should have sat down and talked this out but my legs weren’t cooperating. “That’s a contract amendment.”

“Amendment?” Her brow tipped. “Seems heavily in their favor.”

“I thought so, too.”

“Like here, in paragraph… what is it, fourteen B, they retain the right to withhold compensation for episodes that you fail to appear in due to your negligence. I suppose this is in case you’re injured again, but I’d have a contract lawyer look this over because, dayum. That’s pretty vague.”

My shoulders ached. I must have misread that paragraph. Apparently Melissa Werner was into f*cking me any way she could.

“They are not required to compensate you for regular wages lost during public appearances. My God. This is a train wreck. Don’t sign this, Adam.”

“I have to.”

She slapped the papers down on her lap. “Why?”

“I don’t have a choice.” My admission burned right up my throat because they were words I had no intention to ever say out loud. Self-loathing and regret made my skin feel like it was on fire. I knew I couldn’t stop bullets, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t take one for her.

I wanted to shred the paper into tiny bits until nothing existed but a pile of dust, because no matter how I tried to protect her I was going to be the source of her hurt.

Erin turned indignant. “Of course you do.”

The knock on the door caught both of our attentions. Erin gripped the front of her fluffy robe. I watched her run around the room. “Shoot. Let me get dressed.”

I really preferred knowing she was naked under that thing. Whoever was on the other side had bad f*cking timing. Or good timing.

No, it was definitely bad.

I peered though the peep hole, taking in the uniformed figure of a hotel staffer. Male, approximately twenty-two to twenty-four years old, didn’t look nervous. He seemed mostly bored than anything.

“Did you order room service?” I asked, unlocking the door.

He greeted me with a smile. “Mr. Trent? I have a bottle of wine for you.” He pushed the cart right past me, stopping a few feet inside.

Great. Just what a recovering alcoholic needed. “Whoa. Hold up.”

Erin was tying her hair back while I shifted into a new level of pissed, already settling on the fact that this would be over right then and there if this is the way she wanted to be around me. “You order this?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What?”

I pointed at the dark bottle sitting in a silver bucket. “Did you order this?”

Erin’s mouth popped open. “No. I… I didn’t order anything.” She scanned the cart. “Where did it come from?”

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t want it.”