Hooked (Never After, #1)(20)

“Wendy.” He smiles. “I’m Ru. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Her hand rises in a small wave. “I’ll leave you to it. Good night.” She smiles, but it’s strained, and my chest pulls when she moves toward the door. I grab her wrist as she walks past. “Let me take you home.”

She shakes her head. “No, that’s fine, really. I’ll grab a cab.”

My teeth grind, wanting to argue, but knowing I may scare her away if I come across too strong. “At least let me walk you out.”

She bites on her bottom lip and nods, turning toward the door.

My palm goes to her lower back, my eyes narrowing at Ru when I see the giant grin on his face. “You.” I point. “Stay there.”

He raises his hands in the air, chuckling. “Go handle your business, kid. We’ve got all night.”

I walk Wendy out front, ignoring the few patrons left in the bar—Moira and Curly in the corner cleaning up for the night. When we make it to the street, a cab is already there and waiting.

She moves to open the door, but I stop her, my arms caging her in, the metal of the car’s roof cool under my fingers. “You’re sure you won’t allow me to drive you?”

She spins, smiling up at me. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing across her bottom lip. Her pupils dilate under the yellow glare of the streetlights. “When will I get my date, darling?”

“When do you want it?”

“Yesterday.” I press into her. “Now.” She stumbles into the cab’s door. “Tomorrow.”

Her hands push against my chest. “Tomorrow works.”

I lean down, my lips brushing against her ear. “And how will I find you?”

“You can pick me up from the coffee shop at seven.” She rises on her tiptoes to brush her lips across my cheek. “Good night, James.”

And then she slips into the cab, closing the door behind her.

I move to the front, knocking on the passenger window until it’s rolled down, taking in the nameplate of the driver, and lowering my voice so Wendy doesn’t hear. “Anything happens to her and there will be no corner of the earth that can hide you from me. Understand?”

The cabbie’s eyes widen as he takes the fold of bills from my hand and nods.

“Good man.” I tap the top of the cab and stand at the curb until they turn the corner, wondering what the warm sensation is in my chest, and why I feel as though tomorrow can’t come soon enough.





12





Wendy





My closet is destroyed, mounds of outfits covering the floor. I groan, glaring at the piles. How is it possible to own a million pieces of clothing but not have a single solitary thing to wear?

Nerves race down my spine as I look at the clock and realize I have half an hour before I’m supposed to meet James at The Vanilla Bean.

Crap.

I could have had him pick me up here, but the thought of him seeing where I live has my stomach churning. If he sees the mansion, he’ll wonder how I’m living in it, and considering he’s the first person in my life who seems to like me for me—instead of who my father is—I’m hoping to avoid that as long as possible.

Plenty of men have tried to swoon their way into my heart, all of them with an agenda in their smile. Their gazes were sweet, but it was only a matter of time before their eyes lit up for my father in a way they never did for me. Not that I fell for them in the first place. I learned at a young age—six, to be exact—that people were more interested in how I could serve their well-being instead of them caring about mine. Even children understand the sting of loneliness, and when my mother died, everyone I had grown to depend on slipped away. As if I were the problem. As if my grief was too much of a burden for them to bear.

And maybe that’s why I feel such a pull to James. Because for the first time in my life there’s someone who wants me for me, not all the other bullshit that comes along with it.

Sighing, I settle on a black dress, tight enough to show off my curves but simple enough where it doesn’t look like I’m trying too hard, and I finish getting ready before heading down the stairs.

Jon is sitting in the family room, a hundred pieces of a model airplane deconstructed and taking up the entire coffee table. I plop down in the chair across from him.

He glances up, eyes widening as he takes me in. “You look nice. Big date?”

I smile, my chest warming at his compliment. “Thanks, yeah, actually... I do have a date.”

“Cool.” He smiles. “I’m gonna get a head start on the homeschooling stuff.”

His words smack my insides, making my chest heavy with indecision. I haven’t told him about the boarding school. It doesn’t feel right to know and not tell him, but Dad said he would come home. He should be the one to see the look on Jon’s face when he realizes he’s being sent away.

I glance around, noting the finished model airplanes set up in various spots. It’s something Jon’s always been into, but since we moved, he could fill up the whole house with them. “How you doing with everything?” I ask.

He tilts his head, eyes narrowed on the pieces he’s gluing together. “Vague question, Wendy.”