Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Perri asked about my B and B and promised to book a vacation to come and see me. We chatted for a bit longer before she had to get back to work. I stayed at the coffee shop after she left, checking my messages from back home. Trying not to think about the fact that Ramsay had never responded to my voicemail.
Concentrating on London had made it easier to not think about the man I’d left behind.
I answered texts from Taran, Cammie, and Quinn, and then left the coffee shop to do a little shopping. If there was one thing New York had over Glenvulin, it was the stores and the restaurants. I’d noticed Taran loved a purse of mine, so I wanted to spoil her with something pretty as a thank-you for letting me stay with her. Cammie always wore unusual necklaces, so I was on the hunt for something special to bring back for her too.
As I turned the corner, distracted by a million things, I wasn’t looking where I was going and pain ricocheted up my shoulder as I collided with someone walking in the opposite direction. I stumbled as a male voice snapped “Watch it,” and I opened my mouth to apologize.
And stopped when our gazes locked.
Hugh.
Of all people.
Hugh’s expression slackened with surprise. “Tierney. You’re back?”
“No, I’m not back.” I skirted around him, not wanting to engage with him at all after his visit to Scotland.
“Wait.” He grabbed my biceps, and I shrugged him off with enough force he dropped his hold and raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not … Sorry. Look … I wanted to say, I read the article in the Chronicle. I’m sorry about what happened to you. Are you doing okay?”
He actually thought we could have a normal conversation. I guffawed. “Seriously? We’re not doing this. Ever. The world knows why I gave up the shares in my company and that it was for a pretty good reason. Good luck trying to put me under a conservatorship now, asshole.”
Hugh had the audacity to blanch.
“Yeah, did you think I’d forget that horrendous threat?”
“I shouldn’t have said that.” He nodded, fake remorse etched carefully into his features. “I said it in the heat of anger.”
I scoffed. “The fact that the thought even entered your mind tells me all I need to know about you, Hugh.”
The fake remorse fell as easily as it appeared. “Is that right?”
I took a step toward him. “What happened to Michelle?”
Rage flashed in his eyes and he bent his face toward mine, hissing in warning, “Nothing. And you and your boyfriend better leave well enough alone.” How easily he switched from remorseful to aggressive was slightly terrifying. “I’d have thought a knife in the gut would’ve smartened you up, sweetheart.” He moved to leave me behind with a sinister smile thrown over his shoulder, but my rage at powerful men like him getting away with actual murder overtook my sense.
I grabbed his arm, my fingernails biting into him. “If that was a threat, I’d think again. If you haven’t noticed, assholes who do very bad things tend to find Karma once I dig up their shit.”
Hugh almost bared his teeth at me but seemed to think better of retaliating. Instead, he shrugged off my grip and marched around the corner out of sight.
I trembled with anger.
At him.
At Nick.
At Halston.
With Halston, I’d only half dealt with it. We still had the trial. The verdict.
Hugh had gotten away with whatever he’d done to Michelle and God knows what other controlling crap he’d tried to pull with women.
And Nick … he was abusing one of the people I loved most in the world.
If I could help London get away from Nick, then at least one of them would be dealt with for good.
It was difficult, though, when my best friend didn’t seem to want help.
Thoughts of shopping abandoned me and I found myself walking back to the hotel instead. If I were a painting, I was sure I’d be shrouded in wintry dark clouds of grim thoughts. As I moved through the lobby heading toward the elevator, however, a familiar voice called my name.
A shot of adrenaline spiked through me as my head jerked left.
Walking slowly toward me was London, wearing big sunglasses and a ball cap. Her fingers threaded nervously together in front of her as she approached.
Not wanting to draw attention to her, I reached out, took her hand, and hit the call button for the elevator.
We didn’t say a word as we waited and then stepped inside. I swiped the key card over the panel and we rose to my floor. The whole time I kept her hand tightly wrapped in mine.
I could feel how violently she was shaking, but I held it together as I led her into my hotel room.