Page 184 of By His Vow

“Tatum,” he counters, studying me as closely as he can in the rearview mirror as he navigates the backroads of Chicago.

“Can we make a detour, please? It will only be a short one. I just need to pick something up.”

45

KINGSTON

Ididn’t go home after dropping Aubrey off at her hotel. Instead, I made the possibly stupid decision to swing by Kian’s place.

I was already a few too many whiskeys in, and the second he saw the look on my face when he opened the door to me, he immediately passed me another.

He wanted details, but to my surprise, he never asked. Instead, I turned the conversation to work, and that was how it stayed as we worked our way through half a bottle of his finest.

It was good.

Nice.

But it wasn’t where I wanted to be. Not that I thought anything good could come out of thinking about being at home with Tatum after our interaction earlier.

I had more chance of her cutting my throat after what I did, than I did her wanting to jump my bones and give me a nice little repeat of our filthy weekend.

She’s furious with me. I saw that in her eyes the second I walked into her office.

But what did she expect? She knew the terms we’re bound to. Surely, she didn’t honestly expect the weekend to stay between us. Did she?

“Shit,” I mutter, resting my head back as Lewis drives me home.

“She’s home safe,” he assures me, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror.

I think of her getting drunk with him tonight.

The second she swerved Lewis when she finished work earlier, I was alerted to her defiance.

The need to leave Aubrey behind and go and find her myself was strong, but as much as I hated the thought of her being out with another man—a man who clearly wants her—I knew nothing good could come of it.

I was angry, and so was she.

My fists curl on my lap as I remember the way they danced together last weekend. So familiar. Too familiar.

Anger licks at my insides and I sit forward, already impatient to be home. To see with my own eyes that she’s there and untouched.

Fuck. I swear to God. If he touched her…

I fidget all the way back to my apartment. Lewis keeps one eye on me, but he doesn’t say anything.

He’s been with me long enough to know that no words will help.

I need action. And they can only happen with her.

The car has barely stopped moving when I push the door open and jump out.

“Is that?—”

“You can go home, Lewis. Thank you,” I state as I march toward the elevator that will take me to her.

My foot taps against the floor and my fingers drum on my thighs as the car moves slower than I’m sure it ever has before.

The second the doors part, I burst out, my impatience getting to be too much.