Fever (Breathless #2)(86)

The doorman nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll do my best.”

His shoulders sagging, Jace turned toward the door, wondering where the hell to look for Bethany next. His cell rang as he was about to step into the rain and he pulled back, lifting his phone. He didn’t recognize the number.

“Jace Crestwell,” he said impatiently.

“Mr. Crestwell, sir, she’s here at your apartment building.”

Jace recognized the voice of Roger, his doorman. His pulse sped up and he ducked into the rain, motioning for his car that was parked a short distance away.

“I’ll be right there,” Jace said. “Do not let her go anywhere.”

“You need to hurry, sir,” Roger said in a quieter tone. “She refused when I tried to get her to wait in your apartment. She wouldn’t even wait inside the lobby. She’s outside in the rain and she’s soaked through and shivering.”

“What?”

Jace couldn’t control the fury in his voice.

“Sir, I tried. She’s not right. She’s upset about something. It’s not good. You need to get here fast. I’ll keep an eye on her until you arrive.”

Jace swore and rang off and then directed his driver to get back to his apartment as fast as possible. The entire way, Jace’s chest tightened with dread. He mentally went over what he wanted to say, repeating it in his mind. But somehow it didn’t seem like enough. It seemed lame. What the hell was he supposed to say to the woman he loved, the woman he’d completely and utterly f**ked up with?

He sat tense and waiting, dying a little more every time traffic dragged them to a stop. What if he didn’t make it in time? What if he got there and, as was the case when he got to her apartment, she was already gone? Was he doomed to forever chase an elusive dream? He wouldn’t allow himself to think it. Bethany was his. He wouldn’t let her go without fighting for her. Maybe she’d never had someone willing to fight for her, but that was going to change.

Finally the car pulled to a stop. Jace jumped out, in the rain, and strode toward the entrance, his gaze scanning rapidly for Bethany. His heart thumped when he didn’t see her. Maybe the doorman had been able to persuade her to go in. Or maybe she’d left.

He was almost to the entrance when he saw her. His heart damn near stopped when he saw her huddled against the building. She was hunched down, her knees drawn to her chest, water dripping from her hair and clothes, puddling around her on the concrete.

“Bethany.”

Her name came out in a long exhalation, a whispery sound he wasn’t sure she’d even heard. It was all he could get out around the tightness in his chest.

He squatted down and touched her arm. She started, her gaze swinging up to meet his. Her eyes were wide and fearful but most of all they were swamped with grief. Overwhelming emotion welled in their depths. It was like seeing into the darkest recesses of her soul.

He urged her to her feet, wincing at the icy coldness of her hands, her skin. She was chalk white and shivering violently.

“Baby, let’s get you inside.”

His voice was purposely gentle, as soothing as he could make it when his pulse was about to explode out of his temples.

He tried to pull her toward the door but she jerked back, taking a step away from him. Her wounded eyes stared at him, a sheen of tears making them shiny in the glare of streetlights.

“Don’t,” she said in a low voice. “Jace, I can’t. I came here because I owe it to you to say this to your face and not just walk away.”

He held up his hand to stop her because he couldn’t bear for her to complete what he knew was coming. He never wanted to hear those words from her. His heart was about to beat out of his chest and his eyes burned as he stared at the hollowness in hers.

“Baby, please, I need you to listen to me. But I have to get you out of this rain and cold. You’re freezing. You’re going to make yourself ill.”

She shook her head, her arms clutching herself protectively. God, was she scared of him? Had he really made her think he would harm her in any way? He wanted to puke at the thought that she feared violence from him. If only he could have those few minutes in her apartment back.

“No, just listen, Jace. Please. Don’t make this any more difficult. I have to do this before I lose myself. Before I lose what self-respect I’ve managed to gain the last couple of years.”

Her voice ended in a sob and she gulped in breaths of air. She was shivering so hard that it took everything Jace had not to forcibly haul her into his apartment. Only the knowledge that this moment, whatever it was she had to say to him, was the single most important moment in his life. He couldn’t afford to blow it. Not like he’d already done at her apartment.

“Tell me,” he urged.

Tears now ran unchecked down her cheeks, mixing with the rain pelting her face. Her hair was plastered to the sides of her face and clung wetly to her body. Raindrops glistened on her eyelashes, outlining beautiful, haunted eyes.

She was the most beautiful thing in his world and he was perilously close to losing her.

“Jack brought a bottle of pills this morning when he came. He brought them for me.”

Jace’s breath hissed out as rage consumed him. He wanted to track the son of a bitch down and beat the ever-loving hell out of him. How could he be so careless when it came to Bethany? A woman he was supposed to care about. And Bethany couldn’t see that Jack was bad news. Very bad news. Her vision of him was locked in the past.