her. He hadn’t said anything, but he didn’t need to. He was intimidating enough. Those gray eyes of his seemed to have sized her up.
And found her wanting.
Join the club.
Then there was the guy he’d called Duke. He wasn’t covered in tats like the cold guy. And he wasn’t as friendly-looking as the guy behind the computer.
Who were these guys?
Friends of Ink, obviously. Maybe part of his MC. They’d staged all this to speak to her. Because of the note. Why couldn’t they have just let her be? She figured he’d see the note and realize that she’d been lying to him. He’d be furious at her, she knew that. But if it meant he was safe it was worth it.
Instead, he was promising to take care of her if she just admitted to the truth of her feelings. And she wanted to do that more than anything. But what then? He couldn’t take on Forrest. It would be a suicide mission.
And if Forrest found out about this meeting…
Her breath grew fast.
“Betsy! Betsy!”
“She’s panicking,” Duke said. “You need to calm her down.”
“I…I…”
“Betsy. Look at me. Look at me.”
Even the guy behind the computer screen glanced up to give her a concerned look. “I have a paper bag. Here.” He reached into his computer bag and pulled one out.
Duke grabbed it and walked over to her. She shied back against her chair.
“Don’t touch her,” Ink snapped, grabbing the bag. “She doesn’t like to be touched.”
How could he still be protecting her? Why?
He blew the bag out then placed it over her mouth. “Big, easy breaths, brown eyes. That’s it.”
Brown eyes. She hadn’t realized until then that she’d been worried she might not ever hear him call her that again.
“Doesn’t like to be touched?” Duke asked incredulously. “How’s that working out for you?”
“Seems like it’s working just fine for him,” computer-guy muttered.
“Brody,” Ink snapped, turning to glare at the other guy.
Brody’s cheeks went red but his eyes flickered to where Ink had one hand on her thigh, the other on her arm, helping her breathe into the bag.
The one leaning against the wall still hadn’t said a word. He just continued to watch her.
“It’s not my touch she has a problem with,” Ink snapped back. “It’s everyone else.”
That was so true. She loved Ink’s touch. Craved it. Needed it.
Needed him.
You can’t have him. You can’t have anyone.
Why had he done this? Why hadn’t he just walked away and written her off?
“Deep breaths, brown eyes. Work on calming down for me. That’s it.”
Why was he being so nice now? He’d been cold earlier. When he’d ordered her to strip, her insides had frozen. She’d known he’d be angry. She’d betrayed him. Lied to him.
But now, he was acting gentle.
She reached up and drew the bag away as she felt her breaths even out. She still felt ill. Off-balance. But she could breathe.
“Do you always carry paper bags around?” Duke asked Brody.
Brody nodded. “I have panic attacks too.”
He did? They all looked over at him.
“Usually over spiders,” he admitted.
Ink sighed. “Brody.”
“What? Spiders are scary as fuck.”
“Watch your language,” Duke snapped, slapping Brody upside the head.
Brody looked over at her and winced. “Sorry.”
“I’ve heard a lot worse.” A few swear words wouldn’t be enough to worry her.
She kept her gaze away from Ink. She had a feeling that as soon as she looked at him, she’d be confessing everything. Including her real feelings for him.
However, he must have grown impatient with that, because he reached out and snagged her chin, raising her face.
“Tell me that it was all a lie.”
“I wasn’t there by chance,” she cried.
“I know that.” He waved that away. “We’ll talk about your sons and who is behind all of this in a moment. I’m talking about you right now. Tell me that you’re not my sub and this will go differently. But tell me that you are, that your feelings were real, your submission was real, your Little is real and then you are mine. And if I claim someone. I never let them go.”
Maybe it should have scared her. And she knew she couldn’t have him. But she also didn’t have it in her to lie to him.
She just shook her head. If she told him and he went after Forrest, he’d be signing his own death warrant.
She had to protect him.
Her gaze dropped. “I can’t.”
It fucking hit him hard.
She couldn’t admit to having feelings for him? To wanting to be his sub?