Fever (Breathless #2)(84)

Drugs. Lots of drugs. Prescription pills. What looked like marijuana and other stuff she had no idea of but it looked . . . bad. Really bad.

“I found this in your bedroom,” Jace bit out. “With this shit in it. I hope to f**k you didn’t know what was in it when you agreed to let him leave it here.”

“I didn’t know,” she whispered.

“Jesus, Bethany. How long are you going to allow him to manipulate you? Until someone kills you? What’s it going to take for you to wake up and see the truth staring you in the face?”

“He won’t hurt me!” she shouted. “Just stop it!”

Jace tossed the bag back onto the couch, his entire body shaking with anger.

“I won’t have it. Not here. Not where you are. As long as you wear my collar, you’re under my protection. He’s not allowed here, Bethany. Either you tell him that or I will and next time I won’t come alone. I’ll bring the police and I’ll have him arrested. I don’t give a f**k if that pisses you off or not. My one and only concern here is you. I don’t give a f**k about a man who holds you in so little regard that he’d expose you to this.”

“I won’t choose between the two of you!” she yelled. “I won’t! You don’t understand. I can’t turn my back on him. I won’t!”

“So that’s it then,” Jace said grimly.

“It doesn’t have to be! Why can’t you just leave so I can work this out with Jack? Why can’t you trust me that much?”

“It’s not you I don’t trust,” he said just as loud. “Damn it, Bethany, use your head! Do you know what would happen if you were found with this shit? It would be you going to jail, not your precious Jack. You’d take the rap for him, and do you think it would make any difference?”

She shook her head. “No. No! Just go, Jace. I’ll take care of this. Just go.”

“You forget this is my apartment,” he ground out.

She went even whiter, feeling sensation leach from her face. She went numb to her toes. Then she turned around and walked stiffly to the door.

“Bethany, stop.”

It was a command. One that, for the first time, she ignored. When she heard him start after her, she started running. Out the door toward the elevator. She got inside, hearing Jace as he ran down the hall shouting her name. She punched the button repeatedly, praying it would close.

It slammed shut when he was two feet from the door, his curses ringing in her ears as the elevator began its descent.

When she got to the lobby, the doorman tried to stop her. Jace had probably called him. But she darted around him, ignoring his pleas for her to stop. She ran outside, and into the street, nearly getting hit by a cab that came to a screeching halt mere inches from her legs.

Before he could get out, she ran to the passenger side and threw open the door.

“Are you crazy?” the cabbie bellowed. “I could have killed you!”

“Just drive,” she choked out. “I don’t care where, just get me out of here, please.”

She must have looked deranged. Tears she hadn’t even realized she was shedding now formed wet trails down her cheeks. The taxi driver’s face softened before he turned around and then accelerated, waving at angry drivers behind him who’d been forced to stop when he’d braked so hard. Horns blared but faded in the distance as they sped down the street.

Chapter thirty

Bethany walked the last block to her apartment, numb. Numb from cold. Numb from the relentless rain soaking through her clothing. She hadn’t gone far in the cab. She hadn’t had much cash left on her from her shopping trip. And so she’d walked. Endlessly, her thoughts in turmoil, hurt crashing through her heart.

Jace had a right to be angry. She didn’t refute that. But he hadn’t even given her a chance to explain. He’d been so furious. And then he’d reminded her that he owned the apartment. That she was there due to his generosity. He’d reminded her that she had nothing. Nothing but the hopelessness of their situation.

He didn’t trust her. He’d hammered that point home to her over and over. And she couldn’t exist in a relationship where he suspected the worst at every turn. She’d never be able to overcome that. No matter how hard she tried, how much she gave to him, she’d never get to a place where she had his trust.

She wasn’t even sure why she was back. But she needed her things. She’d take some of the clothing. Certainly not all of it, but she knew she needed the coat. And the jeans and the shirts. She could take the food she’d bought for Jack and then maybe wait for him to come back. Had he already been back? Had she missed him?

At least they’d have something to eat for the next while. She could check with the shelters she frequented and maybe, just maybe, one would have a bed.

Or maybe she should just call Jace. Try to explain. He deserved that much at least. He needed to know why she could never turn her back on Jack. She’d never fully explained. Never shared that part of herself.

Would he understand? Could he possibly understand?

But what good would it do if he was never going to trust her?

When she trudged into the entrance of her apartment building, the doorman looked alarmed. She waved off his concern and headed for the elevator, only wanting to be somewhere warm and dry, even if it was temporary.