Page 97 of Chasing Home

I nod. “Yes.”

Another guard touches the small black device in his ear and speaks in a low voice, not taking his eyes off us. My skin crawls with the distrust in their eyes.

“Wait there,” the first guy snaps.

As if I’d try to waltz past them.

Johnny tucks one of his hands into the front pocket of his jeans and nods before leaning back against the wall. He’s so nonchalant in front of these men while I stand frozen, focusing too hard on not puking.

Sensing that, he reaches a hand for me, and I stumble toward him. With a wince-like smile, I nod at the men.

It feels like hours that we wait there with not a single word spoken between any of the men or Johnny and me. I’ve contemplated ripping strands of my hair out by the time the guards move, clearing the way of the door.

When it opens, it isn’t Lee that greets us but the ice-chip eyes of a woman I’ve never seen before and wouldn’t mind never seeing again after this.

“I was wondering how long it would take for another Bennett woman to come sniffing around. Can’t say I was expecting you, though. Was your mother too busy to come?”

32

JOHNNY

I bristle at the tone the woman uses when she speaks to Aurora. The way she looks down her nose at her despite being shorter and purses her lips as she gives my girl an up-and-down glare tugs me forward half a step, making my presence known to everyone around us.

Whoever the woman is, she thinks she’s above us. Above Rory, specifically. It becomes even more apparent when she folds her arms across her chest and nods, as if giving us permission to speak.

“Who are you? And how do you know my mother?” Rory asks stiffly.

“I know of your mother. I’ve never met her.”

“Is that supposed to make a difference?”

“Yes, actually, it does. Now, I’ll ask again. What are you doing here?”

Rory pauses, but her expression is too closed off for me to read her right now. I fucking hate that but don’t let it clog my judgment.

I insert myself into the conversation without a care what this old woman thinks about it. “Where’s Lee? And who exactly are you to him?”

She flicks me a disinterested look that lasts less than a second before glaring at Rory again. I huff a laugh, giving my head a shake.

“If you continue to glare at her like that, you’ll need to ask those guards of yours to come a bit closer.”

“Johnny,” Rory whispers, letting her mask slip when she stares up at me, revealing a whirlpool of appreciation and nerves.

I let out a breath and settle my hand on her back again. Fuck, I love touching her like this.

“Lee is not here,” the woman says, her glare lessening slightly. “Even if he were, he wouldn’t want to see you. I would have turned you away in the lobby had I not wanted to tell you that directly. Don’t come back—you’ll only be hurting yourself with hearing the same answer again.”

“When will he be back? I’m not leaving without at least seeing him,” Rory pushes, standing her ground the way I knew she would.

We both know she’s lying. There wouldn’t be an entire team of security parked outside of his apartment if he weren’t here.

“Not for a while.” Another lie.

“Then we’ll wait.”

“That won’t be happening. The building has a very stern no-loitering rule.”

“I really, really don’t want to make a scene. But I’m going to tell you again. We are not leaving without me speaking with my father,” Aurora snaps.