Wesley snickered at that.
Bradley shot him a glare. “You have something you’d like to share, Wes?”
“Not a thing. Your sparkling personality pretty much says it all,” Wesley said with a straight face.
It was my turn to laugh. “Do you two need a moment? Just let me know. I’ll be glad to step outside.”
Bradley raised his hand, and before I could react, he slapped me across the face. I gasped, more from shock than pain.
Wesley shot to his feet, a look of pure rage on his face. “What do you think you’re doing?” he roared.
Bradley shrugged. “I’ve wanted to do that since we were in her room.”
“You can’t just bloody hit her whenever you feel like it.”
“I can, and I will if I feel like it. The Irish want her. They didn’t specify damaged or undamaged.”
“You arsehole!” I shouted at him.
He raised his hand again, but I was ready this time. My arm shot out and blocked him. I grabbed his dark brown hair with my other hand and brought it down. His face connected with my knee. He roared from the pain as he jumped to his feet.
He pulled his gun from the holster and aimed it. “You fucking bitch!”
“Lower your gun, you damn fool!” Wesley shouted as he pulled out his own gun and aimed it toward Bradley.
“She’s going to pay,” Bradley said. “The dumb bitch has always walked around and acted like she was untouchable. I’m going to show her just how weak she really is.”
“Put the goddamn gun down, you fool. We can’t kill her!” Wesley said.
Bradley glanced over at Wesley. I took advantage of the distraction. I jumped off the couch and threw my body against Bradley. I wasn’t big enough to topple him over, but I pushed him back a few steps. While he was trying to regain his balance, I reached for the gun. He righted himself just as my fingers circled the barrel. I grunted as we played the deadliest game of tug-of-war ever.
I fought not to scream as the gun went off. Thankfully, it was pointed toward the floor. At the muted sound of gunfire, Wesley joined the fray—or rather, he ended it. I heard another shot, but it was muted as well by the silencers that Wesley’s and Bradley’s guns had. I released Bradley’s gun and leaped over the couch for cover. If both of them started shooting at me, I wouldn’t have a chance, couch or not.
When no more shots rang out, I peeked over the couch to see Wesley standing in the exact same spot. My eyes darted to where Bradley had been. I sucked in a shocked breath when I saw him lying on the floor with a bullet hole directly between his eyes.
“Shit,” I said as I looked back at Wesley.
He carefully watched me as he lowered his gun. He flipped the safety on before shoving it back into his holster. “Are you okay?” he asked as he stepped closer.
I eyed him warily. “I’m fine. You good?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
We both looked down at Bradley.
I smirked. Father is going to be rather upset when he sees this.”
If I had been a normal girl, I probably would’ve shed a few tears for Bradley. Then again, maybe not. Bradley had been everything my father wished I were—cold, ruthless, and merciless. Bradley had killed without discrimination. He’d felt nothing. Wesley had done the world a favor by putting a bullet between his eyes.
Wesley didn’t speak as he walked around the couch and stopped next to me. He looked down at me for a moment before a smile broke out across his face. He grabbed me and pulled me against his chest. He tightly hugged me. I started crying as I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him. Being in his arms felt like being home.
“I’ve missed you, Bree,” he whispered into my ear.
“Me, too. God, me, too.” I sobbed as I clung to him.
“We weren’t supposed to see each other again,” Wesley said as he pulled away from me.
I wiped my eyes, feeling foolish for crying over something as simple as a hug. I couldn’t help it though. Wesley had been everything to me for so many years. Having him back with me and knowing the past few hours had been nothing more than an act made me want to do more than just cry and hug him. I wanted to grab him and run from this room. We would never look back.
“I know. How did my father find me?” I asked. “I didn’t do anything that would alert him.”
“You did good. We only found you because of the job you managed to acquire. They have a site, and they posted your photo as one of the instructors.”
I cursed, hating that something as simple as that had caused me to lose everything.
“If it wasn’t that, it would’ve been something else. Your father has been searching for you since the night you left. I’ve never seen him like this. He was determined to find you.”
“I hate him,” I said venomously.
“I know. I do, too.”
“So, what now?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You need to run—again. That’s all you can do for the time being. I need to plan.”
“He will start searching for me again if I run. We need to end this—now.”
“No. It’s not just him who’s searching, Bree. Everyone is. If you kill him, that won’t stop them. They’ll keep coming.”
“And what about you? I can’t run and leave you behind again. They’ll know you let me go.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.”
“No, you can’t. Come with me this time, Wes. We can run together. We’ll go someplace where they’ll never find us.”
He reached up and cupped my cheek. “And where does Reid fit into all of this?”
I stilled. “What do you mean?”
His eyes narrowed, and I suddenly remembered just how dangerous my best friend could be.
“He’s more than just your roommate, isn’t he?”
I hesitated before nodding.
“Bradley and I have followed you for over a week. I knew the moment I saw the two of you together, and so did Bradley. Do you love him?”
“What kind of question is that?” I asked.
“One that requires a truthful answer. Do you love him, Bree?”
“No, I don’t love him…yet. I could one day, but things are so new between us.”
Wesley closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch you with him and do absolutely nothing? I watched him touch you, kiss you, laugh with you while I hid in the shadows. I thought for sure that I’d lost you.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused. “You haven’t lost me, Wes. You could never lose me. You’re my best friend.”
“Is that all I am?” He traced my jawline with his thumb.
“I…” I started but stopped myself. I had no idea how to answer his question.
“When you left, I kissed you. Do you remember that?” he asked softly.
“How could I forget anything about the night you gave me my freedom?” I said, only half-teasing.
“Bree, I’ve loved you since we were kids. You just never realized. I know that right now isn’t the time to have this kind of conversation, but I need you to know in case something happens. I’m going to figure all of this out, I promise. I’ll make sure that you’re free from your father, okay? And when you are, you can decide where your heart lies.”
I stared up at him, speechless. Wesley loved me. He was my whole world. He’d been with me through everything. But did I love him? If not, could I? And what about Reid? I had no doubt that he hated me now, but that didn’t stop me from caring about him.
“Do you still have the cash I gave you when you left London?” Wesley asked, suddenly changing the subject.
I nodded. “Yeah—well, most of it anyway.”
“Good.” He smiled. “Here’s what is going to happen. You’re going to knock me out and get out of here. I want you to go back to your apartment and get Reid. If you don’t take him with you, he’ll be dead. Your father knows that you care about him.”
/>
“I can’t knock you out!” I was shocked that he expected me to be able to do something like that to him. “And Reid wouldn’t follow me anywhere right now, I’m sure. He probably hates me after what happened.”
“You don’t have a choice on either matter. You have to knock me out, or your father will know I helped you. If he finds out, he’ll kill me. And you’ll have to deal with Reid on your own. I can’t help you there.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
He stepped forward and roughly grabbed my arm. “You have to hit me, Bree. Hit me, and run like hell. I’ll find you once everything is settled. I promise you that I’ll make sure you’re really free this time. I love you.”
Before I could say a word, he leaned forward and deeply kissed me. My mind shut off as his lips and then his tongue explored. I leaned into him, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. Wesley had always been my rock. Experiencing this with him seemed natural even if my mind wasn’t entirely sure.
I started to pull away, but he held me in place.
“This might be the only chance I get to hold you like this. I don’t want to waste a moment of it. It’s stupid to take a risk like this, but I can’t let you go just yet.” He cursed softly before grabbing my hips and lifting me.
Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he groaned. I froze as I felt his arousal pressing against me. Wesley attacked my lips like a desperate man—fast, hard, and wild. Kissing Wesley was incredible, but if he wanted to take this any further, I wasn’t sure whether or not I could. Yes, I’d jumped into bed with Reid with barely a thought, but Wesley was different. Neither of us could go back to being best friends if we had sex.
“Wait,” I said against his lips. When he didn’t stop, I lightly pushed against his chest. “Wes, stop!”
He groaned before tearing his lips away from mine. “What?”
“I can’t, Wes. You’re my friend, and I can’t fuck that up. I need you too much to do something stupid.”
His entire body turned rigid as he released me. “Being with me would be stupid?”
“No! That’s not what I meant at all. It’s just…everything is so screwed up right now, and then you kiss me—again. I didn’t know you felt that way before I left. I just don’t want us to do something we regret because we’re in a desperate situation.”
He shook his head. “I’ve loved you forever, Bree. No matter what situation we find ourselves in, that will never change. You can’t tell me that you feel nothing for me.”
“We can’t do this right now, Wes. I can’t. I’m sorry. There’s too much happening, and Reid…” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You care for him. I get it. Just…don’t decide on anything until this is over, okay? Things will be different when it’s all said and done.” He swallowed roughly. “Hit me, and go. We don’t have much time. But, Bree, just…just remember to wait before you choose.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered before slamming my fist against the side of his head. I was sorry for more than just hitting him.
He crumpled to the ground. He was out cold.
I reached down and grabbed his gun out of his holster before walking to Bradley and doing the same. I needed all the help I could get at this point. I looked back at Wesley one more time before grabbing my purse and bag from where he’d placed them next to the door.
Then, I ran.
I took a cab back to my apartment. The entire way there, I kept replaying the last few hours over and over in my mind. My father showing up in my room, Reid getting caught in the middle, Wesley killing Bradley—it all seemed surreal.
I prayed that Reid would be home when I made it back to the apartment. I didn’t have time to track him down, but there was no way I could leave Dallas without him. That would be the equivalent of signing his death certificate. If he refused to leave with me, Reid would die at the hands of my father, and it would be my fault. I couldn’t let that happen.
When the cab pulled up in front of my building, I paid the driver and headed inside. The darkness had slowly turned into daylight, and I passed a few of my neighbors as I walked to my apartment. I was surprised when I noticed that my hands were shaking as I tried to fit my key into the lock. I was nervous. No, I was scared. Or maybe I was both.
As soon as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, I sighed in relief. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. Reid was still here. I dropped my bag and purse on the couch before literally running to the bathroom door. Without a second thought, I swung the door open. Reid hadn’t heard me. His head was under the water, drowning out the sound of the door opening and my footsteps.
I watched him without bothering to let him know I was there. The shower glass was fogged over, but I could still make out the contours of his body. Reid was a sight to behold. Even the fear of death couldn’t distract me from seeing him naked.
Sadly, my ogling had to end. Reid turned and saw me standing in the doorway. Without a word, he shut off the water and grabbed a towel. After drying off, he wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out. Neither of us spoke. Instead, we simply stared at each other. I longed to reach out and touch his wet chest, but I knew better. After last night, I was lucky that Reid hadn’t tried to strangle me. Touching him would definitely be crossing the line.
I struggled to find the right words to say to him. Neither of us had time for the conversation we needed to have, not now. Once we were safe, I would tell him everything. I knew I had to, but the thought terrified me. Reid would never look at me the same again.
“We need to go,” I finally said.
“Where?” he asked. His voice as well as his face were completely devoid of emotion. It was like he wasn’t even really with me.
“I don’t know. Away.”
“That doesn’t really give me much to go by, Bree.”
“You just have to trust me,” I said.
He exploded—finally. I saw the anger flash across his face a split second before he started shouting, “Trust you? Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell should I trust someone who has lied to me since the moment we met? You brought so much bullshit to my door that it’s unreal, yet you want me to trust you.” He laughed. “You’re fucking insane if you think I’ll ever trust you again.”
“Right now, you don’t have a choice. Please, just pack a bag and come with me,” I said, ignoring his outburst.
One of us had to keep our cool, and it was obvious that it would have to be me.
“Why?” he demanded.
“Because if you don’t, they’ll kill you,” I said calmly.
“Who will? Your daddy and his goons?”
I nodded. “Yes. So, please, just listen to me, and go pack a bag. I’ll explain everything once we’re away from here. I promise, no more lies. But we have to hurry.”
“I can’t just leave, Bree! I have a job, an apartment to pay rent on, friends—”
“None of that will matter if you’re dead!” I shouted, losing my temper. “Damn it, Reid. Go pack a bag, or I’ll do it for you. I don’t care what it takes to get you out of this apartment, but I’ll do it.”
He glared at me for a moment before finally nodding. “Fine. Give me a few minutes to get my stuff together.”
“Hurry.”
He shoved past me and disappeared into his bedroom. I grabbed a few of my toiletries out of the bathroom before walking back to my room to pull my bullets from their hiding spot. I had a feeling I was going to need them. Once I had everything in my arms, I headed back to the front of the apartment and stuffed everything into my bag. I picked up my bag and purse off the couch and walked to the kitchen to throw a few bottles of water, a few cans of food, and some boxes of pasta into my bag. I had no idea where we would end up or where we would get food. It was better to be overly prepared than not at all.
Reid appeared a few minutes later, fully dressed and with a bag slung over his shoulder.
“I’m ready,” he said with
out looking at me.
“Let’s go.”
“How are we going exactly?” he asked as he followed me out of our apartment.
“We’re going to have to take your car.” I hated to take it, but we didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want to take a chance with stealing one. Plus, I didn’t have time. Once we made it out of Dallas, we’d find another car.
“Is that a good idea? I mean, I don’t know a whole lot about being hunted like animals, but it seems like your dad did his research. Won’t he be able to follow us if we use my car?”
“It’s only temporary. As soon as we’re out of Dallas, I’ll steal another car,” I said as I stepped out into the early morning sunlight.
“Perfect,” Reid mumbled before following me to where his car was parked.
Living in the middle of Dallas meant that Reid rarely needed to use his car. Still, at the moment, I was extremely thankful that he owned one.
I stopped when we reached his car and waited as he unlocked the car. I pulled one of the guns from my bag before stashing it in the backseat. I opened the passenger door and climbed in. Reid stayed silent as he joined me.
He didn’t look at me as he pulled away from the curb. “What direction?”
“North.” That was the most obvious choice.
Texas was a big state, and a lot of land was to the south of us, but it eventually stopped at the Mexico border. North left an entire country open to us. I had no idea where to go, but north seemed best—for now, at least.
Reid’s car was an older model blue Chevy. It wasn’t the flashiest thing out there, but it seemed to run smooth, and that was all I cared about—well, that and air conditioning. Luckily, we didn’t have a problem with the air either.
“I need answers, Bree,” Reid said an hour later as we headed north on I-35.
“Soon,” I promised. “When we’re far enough away and we can stop, we’ll find a hotel, and I’ll explain everything to you.”
He snorted. “You know how ridiculous this whole thing is, don’t you? Jesus Christ, Bree. I’m on the run because of you. I was held at gunpoint by some British asshole because of you!”
“I know, and I’m sorry for what has happened, but now isn’t the time to explain it all to you. There’s just too much to tell you.”
The Consequences of Sin Page 13
