Not Just Friends (Hot in the City #3) - T. Gephart Page 0,84
those things changing the situation.
“Wait!” Tibbs pointed a finger in my chest. “When you met me with her key, you’d been with her the whole time? I was going out of my mind trying to get a hold of her, and you’d been there the whole night fucking—”
“I love her, man. LOVE her. I’m not with her because I was bored or to use her for sex. I could never do that. Not just because she’s your sister, but because I’ve always cared and respected her. But it’s different now, and I can’t be without her. She’s in here.” I tapped my chest, my words not even close to how much I felt for her. I couldn’t back down, my chest rising and falling with each heavy breath as I stood my ground. “You know me, Tibbs. Look me in the eyes and tell me you think I’m capable of ever hurting her.”
Cap was in between us but hadn’t said another word. Not sure if that was because he didn’t know what to say or was waiting to see if Tibbs was going to take another swing. I didn’t know either, looking at him and hating the way he’d had to find out.
But I refused to fight my best friend.
I just wouldn’t do it.
Even if he wanted to lay me out for no other reason than lying to him, I’d take it.
“We were going to tell you.” I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “We were waiting till your old man came back because Presley wanted tell your family all together. This isn’t just a fling, dude. It’s the real deal. And I only have two regrets about this whole thing. One, that I hadn’t made her mine sooner, and two, lying to you.”
“Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuccck,” Tibbs huffed out a breath, squeezing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “You’re making it really hard for me to be pissed at you right now.”
“I won’t hurt her, Tibbs. Ever,” I promised, knowing it was the easiest promise I was ever going to make. “I’m not Lewis.”
“Shit, shit, shit. I forgot about Lewis,” Tibbs cursed out, turning back to Cap. “Sorry, Cap, but we both need to go.”
Cap hadn’t even had a chance to argue when my phone rang, it was Presley and I didn’t even hesitate to pick it up. “Presley, are you okay?” The words out of my mouth before I could even say hello.
“Jared, he’s got Hayden.” I could tell she was trying to keep calm, her voice wavering all the same. “Lewis grabbed her from the Diablo parking lot, and he’s taken her somewhere.”
“Lewis did what?” I asked, the words not making sense.
Tibbs yanked my arm, the mention of the cocksucker’s name in connection with his sister getting his attention.
“Presley, I’m putting you on speaker. I’m here with Tibbs and Cap, tell us exactly what happened.”
Hitting the speaker button, I lowered the phone. “Go ahead, Presley, we can all hear you.”
“Mack came to the club to set Melinda straight, thinking she’d said something to Hayden. But it wasn’t her. They hadn’t even met. I was checking the surveillance footage, seeing if maybe I could work it out. That’s when I saw him grab her near the staff entrance and force her into his car. I’ve called the cops, and they’ve put a trace on her phone, and Mack stormed out of here like a bat out of hell.”
“Pres, it’s me,” Tibbs piped in. “Lewis is in deep. Gambling debts. At least fifty K. He needs money, a lot of it and fast. We haven’t been able to find him because he wasn’t just dodging the police but loan sharks as well. He’s in serious trouble so I guess he got desperate.”
“Then why didn’t he just take me? Why would he hurt her? I swear if anything happens to Hayden, I’ll never forgive myself. I brought her here. It’s my fault.”
Even though I couldn’t see her, I could hear it in her voice how hard she was trying to keep it together. But she wouldn’t allow herself to crumble, fighting back tears and panic, trying to keep her voice normal.
She was so strong, but I hated that she needed to be. And the mention of Lewis potentially taking her instead made me so fucking angry I couldn’t see straight. “None of this is your fault. You didn’t do this. This is on him, Presley. They’re going to find her and she’s going to be okay. Stay where you