Beautiful Broken Promises(81)

“Do not get dressed. I’ll get rid of whoever this is,” I seethed.

She hopped off the counter as I dragged my feet toward the front door. I took a deep breath and tried to reel in my temper before I bit off our visitor’s head. When I opened the door, some dude a few years younger than me stood on my porch, appearing way too damn impatient. As soon as he saw me, he started to peer around my shoulder, trying to look in my house.

“Yeah?” That was as nice I could get. My dick was in the waistband of my shorts and my girl was probably naked on my bed. This guy had better beat feet.

“Raegan Hayes here?” he asked. At the mention of her name, I immediately started to take him in. Who the hell was this?

“Can I help you?” I bit out.

“Yeah, by getting Raegan for me.”

“Not your servant. Tell me who you are and I’ll think about getting my girl.”

“Your girl?” He faltered backward and I immediately locked up.

“You’re on my porch, man. I think you can show some respect and let me know who the hell you are.”

“Name’s Adam,” he spouted off, while continuing to look around my body. He had an accent that sounded like he was from Jersey, or at least he was trying to sound like he was from there. My inner New York cop wanted to come out and interrogate this douchebag. I already didn’t like where this was going. “Ree Ree!” he shouted past me.

“Get off my porch, *,” I growled. From behind me I heard a gasp and the shuffling of feet. I stepped inside and shut the door on my foot, letting it stay open only a crack. Raegan was barreling toward me and her eyes were as wide as a deer about to be struck by an oncoming eighteen-wheeler.

“Whoa, baby.” I held my hands out to stop her. “If you think for one second I’m about to let your fine, NAKED ass out this door, you’re sadly mistaken.”

She looked down at her body and gasped, apparently realizing she was almost completely exposed. She dashed down the hall and returned with a cotton dress thrown haphazardly over her head. I didn't like how quickly she was trying to get out there to see this guy.

“Ree Ree?” I asked her in a hoarse whisper, as she ran on bare feet back toward me.

“You’re mad?” she breathed. She lifted her hands up to my chest and I loved the warmth that poured out through my thin shirt.

“Never at you, babe.”

“I just need to know why he’s here. Please, just let me talk to him. Alone.” Her voice was small, but it was also final. There was that word again… alone. Except this time it didn't include me.

“I don’t like this,” I admitted. Maybe to anyone else this would seem as if I was being a possessive caveman, but our situation wasn’t normal. She had been kidnapped, for Christ’s sake. I think my feelings were justified. Now someone from her past life was here—in Texas—and all of my protective instincts were lighting up. I wanted to grab Raegan, go get our kids, and keep them all within my sight.

“I don’t either, but he’s harmless…” She waved it off as if she really believed her words.

“I’ll be on the other side of this door. That’s as alone as I can let you be. Please, don’t push it, Rae.” I straightened her dress for her, pulled it up higher to cover her cleavage, and looked into her blazing green eyes—the very eyes that I had come to enjoy seeing open every morning and close every night. No one was going to take that away from me.

She moved for the door and I leaned in to kiss her forehead, right over her scar. I didn't mean to remind her it was there, but it was my comfort that she was actually here. She rubbed her fingers over it self-consciously and shut the door behind her.



RAEGAN -

Shit, shit, shit, shit! When Lane and I had been interrupted in the kitchen, the last person I ever imagined would be at our front door was Adam. Adam Murphy aka Braden’s father. Even though he didn't deserve that title.

I could tell that Lane didn't know who he was yet; he just didn’t appreciate the attitude I have no doubt Adam gave him. Adam had nothing on Lane—literally, nothing. His build was scrawny compared to Lane, and not once had he ever looked at me as if I rose and set the sun all on my own, which was basically the way Lane looked at me on a daily basis.

There had been a time when I would have followed Adam anywhere. I knew he was an extreme gambler and he set off on trips to Vegas constantly. If at any point he would have asked for Braden and me to come with him, I would have. I would have dropped anything for Adam. I was also nineteen and an idiot.