Catching Summer (Second Chances, #6)(62)

Smirking, he shook his head, regarding me as if I was a child. He might have been older, but that didn’t mean shit. “Does she know you’re here? Kind of childish, don’t you think? I told her you were dangerous, and you just proved my point. Only a hotheaded, arrogant adolescent would confront someone like this.”

“So you think you’re better than me? Is that it? You may be older and a doctor, but that’s not going to get you Summer. She loves me, not you. Stay the f*ck away from her.”

His smile faded. “No wonder you have enemies. You’re selfish. You know very damn well that whoever’s after you wants your blood. What if they go after Summer to get to you? I’m not going to let that happen. Eventually, she’ll see that I’m the better choice.”

I stepped forward but maintained a distance. If I moved too close, I had no doubt I’d slam his head into the hood of his car. “Stay away from her,” I warned.

“I think you should let her decide what she wants. Judging by the way she kissed me, I’d say her feelings are divided.”

“You’re a f*cking liar,” I spat. “She wouldn’t lie to me.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself. Now if you don’t mind, I have a plane to catch, so…”

Every muscle in my body wanted to propel me forward and just beat the f*ck out of him. He was taunting me and there was nothing I could do about it. Sometimes I hated that I was restricted from things because of my profession. The repercussions would be severe, and he knew it. Getting in my car, I glared at him one more time before storming out of his driveway. I couldn’t go back to Summer, not yet. Instead, I drove to the tavern.

When I walked inside, I went straight to the bar. “Double shot of whiskey.”

Grayson sighed and poured my shot. “I take it Summer told you.”

I tossed the liquid back and felt the burn all the way down to my stomach. “Yep, and I just got through confronting the douchebag.”

His eyes went wide. “Wow. I’m surprised you didn’t kick his ass.”

“Believe me, I wanted to. That f*cker actually had the nerve to say that she liked kissing him. I wanted to rip out his goddamned throat.”

“He said that? It’s a f*cking lie. I talked to Summer right after it happened. I told her she should tell you.”

“She tried, but when the cocksucker had flowers sent to the house, I lost my temper and left. She’s probably pissed at me right now.”

“You trust her, don’t you?” he asked.

I sighed and pushed the tumbler toward him. “I do. I just let my anger get the better of me. The thought of another man kissing her makes my blood boil.”

Grayson’s gaze lingered on Lara, who was busy chatting with some of their customers. “I know what you mean.” Then he focused on me. “I thought it was strange how Philip came here every night. I kept thinking, how desperate could the guy be? If I was interested in someone, I know very damn well I wouldn’t be stalkerish. Lara would kick my ass if I was like that.”

“He’s been here every night?” I asked incredulously.

He nodded. “Yep, but only for the past week; before that, it was just once a week. Summer always kept it professional, though. I never once thought there was anything going on from her end. He, on the other hand, is creepy as f*ck. I’ve seen him looking at her. It’s like he’s obsessed.”

“Then we need to make sure he stays away from her. Have you told her any of this?”

He shook his head. “She always tends to see the good in people. He’s her doctor, for Christ’s sake. She had no reason to think there was anything weird going on.”

Pulling out my wallet, I handed him my card. “Close my tab. I need to get back home.”

Once my bill was paid, I hurried out to my car and dialed Jason’s number. “I don’t need to arrest you, do I?” he asked.

“No, it’s over. However, I do need to ask another favor.”





Chapter 30


Summer


Evan had been gone for two hours without so much as a phone call to tell me where he was. Even I didn’t know where Philip lived, so there was no way he could get there. Or at least I hoped he couldn’t. I was tired of crying, and for what? I hadn’t done anything wrong. When the garage door opened, my heart started to race. A confrontation with Evan wasn’t what I wanted, but he was going to listen to me. The door opened and his steps thundered down the hall. He didn’t see me sitting in the shadows in the living room.

“Summer?” he called, charging into the bedroom. When he didn’t see me, he turned on the light and rushed out. “Fuck, f*ck, f*ck.” With panicked eyes, he pulled out his phone and called my number. It just so happened that it was in my lap and rang when it went through. His attention snapped in my direction and I stood, shutting off my phone. “Why didn’t you answer me?” he asked softly.

I walked out of the shadows and faced him. “I didn’t know if I was ready. I see that you’re back in one piece. I take it you didn’t find Philip?”

He threw his phone on the couch. “Oh, no, I found him,” he said, stalking toward me, “and it’s clear his intentions are to pursue you. He made it perfectly clear to me.”

I gasped. “Oh no, he—”