Roped In (Armed & Dangerous #2)(14)

Storming out the door, I rushed upstairs and packed my bag.

“Hadley, wait,” Blake shouted. He raced up the stairs, but I locked the door before he could get in. As fast as I could, I searched through the phone until I found the number for a cab service. Blake knocked on the door, his voice softer. “Please open up, so we can talk.”

Dialing the number, I flipped him off even though he couldn’t see me. “Go f*ck yourself. It’s too late for that.”

I requested the cab and hung up quickly. The sooner I could get out of that house, the better. Once I was all packed, I stood by the window until I could see the cab coming down the driveway. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I slammed open the door. Blake’s head jerked up and he lifted his hands in defeat. At least he’d had the decency to put his pants back on.

“Don’t go,” he said. “Let me explain.”

Huffing, I pushed past him and rushed down the stairs. “I don’t want to hear a single thing you have to say. It’s obvious you don’t want me here. You treat your horses better than you treat me.”

“Where the hell are you going to go? You’re under my protection.”

I stopped at the door and opened it wide, the cab crunching on the gravel as it came to a stop. At this point, I was more exhausted and lonely than angry. Taking a deep breath, I turned around and faced him. “I’m a big girl, Mr. Evans. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to keep me safe. But I have to say, I’m sorely disappointed.”

His jaw clenched. “With what?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Robert talked so highly of you, saying you were the best. I guess I didn’t expect you to be such an inconsiderate ass.” Turning on my heel, I rushed down the driveway and got in the cab.

“Where to, young lady?” the man asked. He was probably the same age as my dad, with white hair and a scruffy beard.

“Anywhere but here. A hotel would be nice.”

He put the car into gear. “You got it.”

We started down the driveway and when I turned around, Blake was nowhere to be seen; the door was already closed. I thought I was strong enough to put up with him, but I wasn’t. Picking up my phone, I dialed Logan’s number, hating myself for what I was about to do.

“What’s up?” he answered.

I held the phone closer to my ear, whispering low. “I couldn’t do it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I couldn’t stay, Logan. I refuse to listen to Blake’s bullshit for another minute. It was a nightmare.”

“Jesus Christ, where are you? You shouldn’t have left.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to stay at a hotel and figure something out.” We entered the city of Jackson Hole and the driver pulled us into a hotel parking lot. The place looked interesting with its dark wood exterior and rustic feel.

“Will this do, Miss?” the driver asked.

“Yes, thanks,” I said, handing him a twenty. I got out of the car and he drove away.

Logan cleared his throat. “What hotel are you at?”

“I’m not telling you. You’ll go right to Blake. The last thing I need is to deal with him or Robert.”

“Who said I was going to call them?”

Rolling my eyes, I strolled toward the door. “It’s not like you can’t find me anyway. The phone is . . .” Then reality struck. “Fuck me,” I growled. It didn’t matter where I was, they could always find me as long as I had the phone.

Logan laughed. “Sorry, buttercup. If Evans wants to find you, he can – with or without the phone. It’s what he’s good at.”

I scoffed. “He sure doesn’t act like it.”

“True, but he really is a good guy. I think it would be in your best interest to go back; at least before he finds you.”

“Not gonna happen. If he wants me back, he’s going to have to drag me, kicking and screaming.”

“And he will, sweetheart. I know I would, if you had left me. Maybe you two should pretend to be ex-lovers instead of siblings. I think it works better.”

I snorted in disgust. “As long as he keeps his hands to himself.” Not to mention, keeping every other part of his body away as well. He was trouble.





Blake

“Dude, what the f*ck are you doing?” Logan snapped through the phone.

He’d been trying to call me all night, but I’d spent the majority of it going through Hadley’s file and researching everything about her on the web, including her NHL star boyfriend. I hadn’t bothered to look at her file beforehand, as I’d been too pissed about the assignment. I shouldn’t have let my anger cloud my judgment. The more I learned about her, the stupider I felt. Thankfully, her phone acted like a beacon. I would’ve found her without it anyway. It turned out she picked the hotel Jerrod’s mother worked at, so it was easy to reserve the room adjoining hers. The hotels were vacant this time of year.

“Are you even listening to me?” he roared.

I glanced at the picture I had pulled up on my laptop. It was Hadley at the Country Music Awards, holding her award. “It was a mistake,” I admitted. “I never should’ve pushed her as hard as I did.”

“You think? Why the hell did you f*ck with her anyway?”