Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 144571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
“No. I feel like an asshole.” He glanced into the kitchen. “Where’s Kala? I need to grovel.”
His father’s expression grew even more grim. “She left half an hour ago. She told Hunter if he wouldn’t take her, she would find her own way back. He did it because… Well, I don’t think he’s ever seen her cry.”
He’d brought his gorgeous girl so low. He pulled out his cell.
I’m going to be back not long after you, baby. We need to talk. I love you. Love you. I’m so sorry for the way I behaved. Please meet with me. Tell Hunter he better keep you safe. You are everything to me.
He sent the text and looked to his father.
“We need to get back to Dallas. I have to get my girl.”
* * * *
Kala stared at her parents across the conference table. “I’m fine.”
If only they were the only ones who’d shown up. Unfortunately, Lou was here, too. At least TJ was off somewhere probably trying to find a street food vendor.
Her father’s brow cocked. “Sure. That’s why you didn’t go to your own home last night and instead spent the night in a sex club.”
Well, she’d known damn well what would happen if she went back to her place. First her sister and Bri would be all over her asking what happened with Cooper, and then at some point in time Cooper would show up, and she couldn’t handle it.
He would show up because he was stubborn and didn’t like to fail at anything. She was good at failing, so she accepted the reality of their relationship better than he did.
If she stayed with him, it was only a matter of time before he resented her. It was better to break it off now when there were still some good feelings between the two of them. They still had a shot at seeing each other every now and then and wishing each other well.
Like well was what she wanted for him. She wanted spectacular, fabulous, amazing. He deserved a beautiful life and everything he could possibly want. Even if it wasn’t with her.
“Cooper already came by this morning, and he looked like shit,” Lou announced. Her bestie had come in with a bag for her, a fresh change of clothes, and some makeup. “He said he was an asshole.”
“He wasn’t. He was fine.” Kala was calm and cool. She hadn’t slept much but she’d used the punching bag they kept in one of the rooms. She’d tried to cry but it wouldn’t come. Thank the universe she had a key to this place because otherwise it would have been a motel room. She’d known she needed time alone. Not that Hunter had been very talkative. He’d just flown the plane and told her if she wanted to talk, he was there. He’d told her whatever Cooper had done, he would be horrified to know how it affected her because he loved her.
But he didn’t.
“That is not what he told me.” Her father naturally had found her. Stupid trackers. She knew what happened. Her dad called Lou and her bestie pinpointed her location. Lou had done something to them—there had been a whole lot of technical stuff. The end result being she had a brand-new tracker. Not that it stopped Huisman last time, but maybe the next asshole who drugged her and tortured her wouldn’t have the same level of tech.
“You know I am always on your side,” Lou began cautiously.
This would hurt most of all, and it was precisely why she should have thought this whole thing through. Lou and Cooper had been friends for years. It wasn’t fair to ask her to choose. She wasn’t going to ask her to choose.
Lou was the only one who had always been hers. Always. Except now she was TJ’s and she was happy.
“It’s okay.” She was going to stay calm through this. Get through it. Tomorrow would be easier. After they settled the situation with Zach, she could move into her new role and start to find the distance she needed. She could sink into a long-term op and not come out for months, maybe years. “I’m not going to make things difficult.”
Her mother’s brow cocked. “You’re not going to make things difficult? This time? You choose this time to go down easy, baby girl?”
She should have known her mother would have problems with her stance. But there would be no explanation that would serve her mom or any of her and Cooper’s friends. He was the sunny guy everyone loved and she was… She was Kala. They were always going to come down on his side. So she wasn’t wasting her time and energy. “Yes.”
A frustrated huff was her mother’s only response.
Good. They were getting the picture. “So can we get off the topic of my love life and get down to business since I’m due to leave for DC in a couple of hours?”