Page 31 of Twisted Redemption

That thought gives me the courage to gather my wits. After a moment, I find the strength to say, “You shouldn’t’ve left it at my house. Did you think I wouldn’t find it? I’m not stupid, David.”

But in my mind, I’m not talking to him. In my mind, I’m still standing in front of my father’s desk, telling him that I’m not stupid. That he underestimated his own daughter.

“I need it back, you bitch. Tonight.”

I snort. “I don’t owe you anything.”

“You don’t want to know what I’m capable of. Bring it by the bar. You have a half hour.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you’re capable of,” I spit out. Breaking my heart. “Go fuck yourself.”

I head back inside, settling on the couch and pulling my knees to my chest. Soph comes out of the bathroom a minute later, and Alex tucks her under his arm.

The small movement sends an ache through my chest that I try—and fail—to push down. However much I hate myself for it, I miss David. Or, at least I miss the way he used to hold me, even if he wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole in public. It always upset me, but he made up for it in private.

Still, I don’t think I’ll ever want that man to touch me again. But I do miss being touched. With a quiet sigh, I glance at Blaze. When he kissed me, I felt like I was the only thing in the entire world that mattered to him. It was... amazing.

As if he can sense me looking at him, Blaze’s eyes move to meet mine. His gaze is lazy and cold, but for a moment, I swear I see his expression soften.

I wonder what life would be like if I’d ended up with Blaze instead of David. Would we have dated in high school? Been married by now?

One thing’s for sure—I wouldn’t have to worry about a toxic ex screaming at me about a stupid hard drive.

Bring it by the bar. You have a half hour.

David’s words cause me to shiver, and I tear my eyes away from Blaze’s before he sees the fear in them.

David owns a bar about twenty minutes from here. We used to hang out there often, and the thought of stepping inside there again makes my stomach twist.

Besides—I couldn’t give David the hard drive even if I wanted to. It’s safe inside the Grayson Security building, where he’ll never be able to get his hands on it.

Still, the fact that he was possibly inside my house, even though he’s now heading back to the bar... it terrifies me.

I’d ask Alex if I could spend the night here, but I don’t want Angel to be alone. Nor do I want to let any of the guys know that David is bothering me. They’re all way too overprotective. And while David may have broken my heart, I know he’d never hurt me physically.

But how the hell did he get into my house?

If he broke in, Dominic and Blaze would’ve received notifications that my alarm went off. They have those notifications set up for everyone they care about—even though I wish they didn’t.

So did David lie about breaking in? Is he just trying to spook me into giving him the hard drive? Maybe he’s frustrated with me because I’ve been ignoring him.

That must be it. I changed the code for the system after we broke up. And changed the locks. I don’t think David has the know-how to bypass the alarm and pick the locks.

He was just bluffing. Everything is fine.

Still, a small ball of panic begins to form in my chest. I know I should just tell them—maybe Felix, or Dominic. One of them can come back with me, check the house, and set my mind at ease.

I bite my lip, imagining Felix scolding me when he finds out I didn’t block David. And considering the four of them don’t keep anything from each other, Blaze will accuse me of turning off the security system, even though I finally remembered to turn it on.

I don’t think he’d believe me. And god, I can’t handle the way he snapped at me last time I didn’t turn it on.

You’ll be fine. You’re just being a baby.

The second the movie ends, I shoot out of my seat. “I’m gonna get going. I have an early morning tomorrow.”

Sophia wraps her arms around me, and I give her a reassuring squeeze. Alex is eyeing me with concern, but I just smile at him and kiss him on the cheek.

“What?! Where’s my kiss?” Felix steps into my path, hands on hips, grinning. His eyes spark with mischief, and I can practically feel Blaze’s glare burning a hole in my back.