Return To Sender (The Hart Brothers #2) - J. S. Cooper Page 0,45
if she finds out?” Henry said softly.
“That’s the problem, I don’t know.” Wade sounded like his voice was going to crack. “But she’s getting too close.”
“Like the last girl.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want to do to Savannah what happened to her.”
“So what next?”
“I have to send her away for good.” Wade sounded as distraught as I felt. “I have to protect her.”
“From who?” Henry asked the words I myself wanted to ask.
“From me.” Wade said and then I heard footsteps and panicked. I stepped back, grabbed Lucy and hurried towards my bedroom. I closed the door behind us and locked it.
“What did you hear?” Lucy asked me, her face pale.
“Not much.” I pulled her towards the bed and we sat down on the mattress. “I think Wade is going to send me away. He thinks we’ve been asking too many questions. And he’s worried he’ll have to do something to me, to shut me up.”
“Do what to you?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I just don’t understand. It doesn’t make sense. There’s something in the basement they don’t want us to find.”
“Oh?”
“Henry said something about what if they venture and Wade cut him off and said they we won’t find it.”
“The basement?”
“Well, he didn’t say the basement, but what else could it be? He was pissed off that Henry mentioned it, remember? And he told me to stay away.”
“True.” She nodded. “So what’s in the basement?”
“Or rather who.” I felt faint. “Lucy, what if the last assistant is dead.”
“What?” She sounded sickly. “Like murdered.”
“Well, what if it wasn’t a murder exactly. What if some accident happened or something and she died and they hid the body in the basement.” I felt lightheaded. “And they’re worried I’ll find the body and they’ll go down for murder.”
“Oh shit.” Lucy nodded. “That makes sense. But they could just say that it was an accident, right?”
“Yeah, but maybe it was shady?” I took a deep breath and buried my head into my hands. I was close to tears and close to pulling my hair out. I’d never felt so frustrated in my life.
“Oh Savannah,” Lucy hugged me to her. “Are you okay? This is a lot, isn’t it?”
“He wants me to leave.” I shook my head as I felt tears starting to come. “Why does he want me to leave? I would understand.”
“You’d understand if it was an accident, but what if it wasn’t?” Lucy whispered the words I didn’t want to hear. I looked up and stared at her. There was a sadness in her eyes that made me cry even harder. “Maybe we should be happy that he’s going to let you leave.” She stroked my head. “It’s better than him locking you up as his slave or something.”
“Locking me up as his slave?” I smiled through a hiccup. “What?”
“Haven’t you read any of those dark romance books? There’s always some hot brooding guy that kidnaps some sweet woman and than has her as his sex slave.”
“Lucy, what are you talking about?” I giggled as I wiped my tears away. “I wasn’t kidnapped and I don’t think Wade wants me as his sex slave.”
“I know, but I just wanted to see you smile.” She tapped me on the nose. “You’re strong girl. The Hart brothers might be hot, but we’re strong and smart. And I promise you that no matter what happens, you’re going to be okay.”
“I just never felt this way before, you know?” I sighed. “I love him and I just wish he could trust me and —.”
“It’s not about you, Savannah. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did have some sort of feelings for you. I’ve seen the way that he looks at you.”
“Yeah, he has lust in his eyes.”
“It’s more than that.” She shook her head. “He stares at you when you’re not even looking. He watches you. He studies you. And there’s a light in his eyes. I can tell. He has feelings for you. He is fighting it, but it’s more than lust. When you laugh or smile, he lights up. Not his face, but his eyes. I can see it in his eyes. You know I can read people well.”
“Can you though?” I laughed, feeling happier. “So you’ve noticed him watching me?”
“I didn’t want to say because feelings make it so much harder to walk away, but I won’t have you thinking he doesn’t care. But yes, there’s a way he watches you walking and talking and a softness that comes over him when