Brutally Beautiful(97)

Relief swept over Samantha’s face as she pulled her friend into my bathroom, bringing her duffel bag full of clothes.

Sitting in my leather recliner, I listened as the women spoke, sometimes in whispers and I tried desperately to keep my rage under control.

“Before I leave, I just want to change my look again, maybe go blonde this time, cut it short,” Sam’s voice explained.

“Where are you going to go, Sam? I just don’t understand it? How did he find you? I don’t get it. He looked dead,” Jen whispered.

“I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around this all night and I can’t figure out how he knew where I was, or how he is even still breathing,” Sam whispered.

Hushed words whispered back, “Have you stopped to wonder if it might be your father?”

A few heart pounding beats of silence filled the room. Her father? Her father wanted her dead too?

“I…I don’t want to believe that, Jen. My father,” I heard her clear her throat and struggle for the right words. “It could be him, but, I’m not staying here to find out. It’s only going to be a matter of time before someone else comes here to finish the job. I just want to leave so everyone here is safe.”

“Do you want me to…”

“No!” Sam yelled. “You shouldn’t have come with me in the first place. You need to stay here with Dylan and have a life.” The shower turned on and I heard things being moved around. “And, I also need you to make sure Kade is okay. Make sure Dylan and Kade stay close, okay?”

I didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation, because I didn’t want to hear anymore. She just needed to stay here. I could keep her safe. She was going to fight me when walking out my door. Waiting inside the kitchen, drinking the rest of the coffee, I battled with my demons and with reasons to tell her to stay.

After thirty minutes, they walked out and we drove to the hospital in silence. Sam and I glanced at each other often, but no words were exchanged and it started to weigh heavily on my shoulders. She wanted to leave that night and I wanted to be inside her a million more times before she left.

The three of us made our way to the front desk and grabbed visitor’s passes, and then waited for the elevator to take us to the sixth floor. When we stepped into the elevator, I couldn’t help but stand close to her, touch her neck and skim my fingers through her soft silky hair. I f*cking wished that Jen wasn’t there, because I needed Samantha, right then. I needed her more than anything.

Jen eyeballed us weirdly. “Oh, my GOD! You two had sex didn’t you? Holy shit, you had sex last night?”

Samantha’s face instantly turned bright red. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you’ve got that up all night f*cking look and the way you’re eye f*cking each other right now…you’re both itching to have elevator love, right here.” Then she broke out into a chorus of Love in an Elevator by Aerosmith. “Gah, just don’t get hot and heavy in front of me. Sex in an elevator is just wrong on so many levels. Get it? So many levels?”

“Yes. Very…punny,” I chuckled, stepping closer to Samantha. Screw it, Jen was right and I wanted my hands on her, now.

“Well, I usually take steps to avoid elevators, especially if someone like Kade Grayson is on the elevator. You might end up getting the shaft,” Sam whispered giggling.

Oh, it’s on. No one could play word games as well as I could. “Yes. Elevators aren’t very fun. It’s like being trapped in a box. Although I’d like to be trapped in your box, and I didn’t hear you complaining about my shaft last night.”