but his eyes are hidden behind dark sunglasses and all sorts of alarms are going off inside my head.
My heart races and I don’t even consider answering when he calls out to me a second time. Instead, I slip both my bags back inside the trunk and slam it closed, deciding I’d prefer to be emptyhanded if I have to make a run for it. Speed-walking toward the house, I fumble with my keys. I have no clue who this guy is, or why he knows my name, but I do know I have to get inside and call 9-1-1.
“If you want what’s best for Scarlett, you’ll listen to what he has to say,” the voice calls out again.
I’ll want to hear what he has to say.
As if, the man speaking to me is speaking for someone else.
I turn only because this stranger mentioned my sister by name.
“I’m not coming over there,” I shout back, glancing around to see who might be witnessing this. Of course, the one time I need someone nearby, there’s no one.
“He doesn’t want any trouble, and he doesn’t want to hurt you,” the man says. “All he’s asking for is a conversation. Please, get inside the truck.”
Who the hell is this and what’s this about?
I’m a smart girl, wise enough to know a setup when I see one, and this has trap written all over it.
“I’m calling the police.”
That wasn’t a bluff. The next second, I have my phone in hand, but peer up just as the rear window lowers and I’m suddenly met by a pair of green eyes so striking I know who he is even before he tells me.
“I believe you know my son, West,” the man announces. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you in private if you’ll only give me a moment to explain.”
He’s got that Golden charm, as well as the devilish good looks. But I’m reminded of all West has told me about him—how he’s not to be trusted, how not even his own sons want anything to do with him.
But Scarlett’s name was mentioned and… why was Scarlett’s name mentioned?
“I promise to make this quick,” he adds, beckoning me to come closer.
I’m shaken and no longer focused on the cold or even the things Ricky and I discussed a short time ago. All I can think about is what a horrible idea this is, and how I would kick Scarlett’s ass if she even considered doing what I’m about to do, but I feel cornered.
A wicked smile I’ve seen on West flashes toward me when I pull the door handle and climb into the vehicle beside him. Wearing a dark, wool coat, matching scarf, and black leather gloves, I’m reminded of all the mafia movies Hunter’s made me watch over the years. This is the part where I get whacked and no one hears from me again.
Good going, Blue.
The window raises and with how darkly it’s tinted, no way someone will see anything that goes on inside. I clutch both hands in my lap, feeling sick to my stomach as I sit here, face-to-face with a man I believe to be nothing less than a monster.
Yes, it’s our first time meeting, but I know who and what he is.
“You’re taller than I expected,” he says, eyeing me like a prized animal whose up for sale.
This man has seen me naked, keeps a picture of me in some weird, secret phone, and now he’s lured me into his car. This can only go badly.
“What do you want?” My voice is shaky when I ask, and I wish I’d been able to sound stronger, more secure. But truth is, I’m terrified.
He smiles dimly, looking so much like the triplets it’s as though I’ve stepped into a time machine and traveled to the future. Only, he’s soulless, like I used to believe West to be, but this is no mistake.
“My driver was telling you the truth. I don’t want to hurt you,” he says. “But it’s time you and I have a little chat about my son.”
I’m breathing faster than I should be. “What about him?”
He smiles again and it only makes me more uncomfortable.
“That boy is going places, has a bright future ahead of him,” he adds. “So, I’m sure you’ll understand why I need you to keep your distance. You Riley’s are a sinking ship, and I can’t have him associated with your kind of trash.”
His gaze snaps toward me then and it shakes me to my