known that.
“Um, excuse me. Why?” I tugged on the back of his jacket just before I crashed into his back as he suddenly stopped.
“Ashton.” My gaze shifted up and over Ashton’s shoulder to find my boss only a few feet ahead. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“Good morning, Susan.”
Apparently the two of them were on a first-name basis. My stomach instantly bottomed out.
Fucked his way through his social circle. Lex’s words came running back to me, leaving a burning sensation deep in my stomach.
“I’ve actually come to take this beauty home for the day. She isn’t feeling well.”
Susan looked between Ashton and me, I’m sure trying to figure out what we were to each other. “Why didn’t you say anything, Kiera?” I looked back over at Ashton, and he appeared unaffected by her use of my fake name. “I would’ve let you go home earlier, had I known you weren’t feeling well,” she assured me.
“Really, I’m fine,” I said before Ashton curled his arm around my waist and pulled me close.
“I assure you that you will feel better after a good night’s sleep.” I was stunned as I shifted my gaze between Ashton and Susan, who was now nodding in agreement with him. Of course he looked smug, knowing he had control of the situation and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. But I was secretly pleased with the idea of him whisking me away and making the hell of the last few days a distant memory.
Ashton turned with me still securely tucked against him and led me down the hall. “Give my best to your parents,” Susan said just before we turned the corner and were no longer in her sight.
I laughed lightly.
“What’s so humorous?” he asked.
“When the two of you began talking, I had a flashback to something Lex told me.” The entire idea felt ridiculous now.
“Do you plan on explaining further, or are you just going to leave me hanging?” he asked when we stepped into the elevator and he pressed the Down button.
“He oh so kindly assured me that you were a good man, even though you had slept your way through your social circle.” I tried to hold back my smile as realization struck him.
“And you thought I’d slept with Susan?” He narrowed his eyes at me, and I could no longer fight against my smile. I nodded.
“She’s a college friend of my mother’s.” He shook his head as the doors slid open and laced his fingers with mine. When he tugged me along, I couldn’t keep from smiling. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in nearly three days.
We were far from okay, but knowing he could forgive me for the lies I was forced to tell him gave me hope.
ASHTON
“I DON’T CARE WHAT IT takes, Beck. I need you and Knox on this. If what she says is true, this guy has everyone on his payroll. I need anything we can use to bring him and his father down,” I said into the phone as I paced the floor of my home office.
Kinsley had fallen asleep hours ago, and from the sound of her snoring, I knew she was in desperate need of rest.
“He’s fucking dirty. He’s got a lot of people in his corner that should have been protecting her instead.” My hands were shaking. The more I thought about the things she had gone through, the more fucked up my head became. There was nothing I wanted more than to bury that bastard and his father for all the heartache they’d caused Kinsley.
“I don’t want her to worry anymore,” I confessed as I squeezed the back of my neck. “As long as those bastards are free, she’ll fear them. Dig up anything and everything you can.”
“I’m gonna have to tread lightly on this one, brother,” Beckett replied. “If these guys have an in with the local authorities, who’s to say their reach stops there? I can’t send up red flags, and poking my nose into their business will do just that if I don’t play this right.”
“I know.” My brother was correct, and I knew he would handle this. He was a good man and one hell of a detective. I trusted him and Knoxville fully.
“Just keep an eye on her. Make sure she’s not alone.”
“I got that taken care of. You just focus on taking the asshole down.” I didn’t need my brother telling me how to take care of my girl though. I