“Well hello there, you sexy man.  If only I would have known how popular I would become tonight.  You’re lucky we decided to leave in the morning to go to Davey’s parent’s house.  Did you hear?  I’m meeting the parents.”  He sighs deeply, and I growl again, hoping he takes a hint and gets to the point.

“Where is she?”

“Right to the point, I see.  Well, my hunk of silence, she’s safe.”

He just stops talking, and I’m seconds away from blowing up on him.  I know he doesn’t deserve my wrath, so I try to push it down.

And fail.

“Sway!  Where in the hell is my woman?  I need to fucking find her two hours ago!”

“AH!  Now that’s just what I needed to hear, sweet cheeks.  You know, I’ve been waiting for the moment when you would let the smoke clear out of your delectable ass.  You’ve been so foolish.  So Sway is going to help you out now, and please, Maddox, do not make me regret this.  That girl deserves her slice of happiness, and you’re lucky that I feel like that is you.  You can find her at the Marriott over on Brookfield.  I watched her walk through the doors and check in with my own eyes—so, my love, that is where you’re going to go get your woman.  You can thank Sway later.  Toodles!”  He giggles softly as he hangs up.

Two seconds later, I’m out the door and making my way to my Charger.

Chapter 19—Emmy

The pounding at the door wakes me after what feels like just two seconds of sleeping.  My whole body feels like it weighs a hundred extra pounds.  I should have known that Sway wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.  I was so focused on getting the hell out before Maddox came home that I didn’t give a second thought to who helped me.

I stand at the door, my forehead planted against the wood, and breathe deeply.  I have to remember that, whatever he says to me in anger, he doesn’t mean.  He never means it.  I can tell when he’s looking right at me that his eyes are begging for me not to believe what comes out of his mouth.  I have to stay strong and let him know that he’s off the hook.  He won’t have to deal with my stupid love anymore.

“Open the door, Emersyn.”

His voice hits me with a force so powerful that, even through the thick door, it makes me shiver.  Stay strong, Emmy.  You can do this.  Just let him know that you’re done.

Wrapping my fingers around the door handle, feeling the cold steel against my skin, I try to let it center me.  One last little push to stand strong and put a cold layer of ice over my heart.

I swing the door open right when he’s about to knock again and his fist stops just inches from my face.  I gasp.

“Shit,” he growls.

We stand there just looking into each other’s eyes.  I have no idea what’s going through his head right now.  Why he’s even here.  I said everything I needed to in that letter—unless he didn’t get it.  Shit.  I don’t think I’m going to be able to get that all out to his face.  Writing it all down about killed me.

He’s still wearing the clothes from earlier—a dark-green Henley and jeans that are worn in all the right places.  The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off the weaving lines of his tattoos.  Reds and blacks dance together over almost every inch of his forearms.  I know the design travels up both arms and ends by wrapping slightly around the back right on the base of his neck.  Depending on the shirt, sometimes I can see a few of the lines licking up his tan skin.  I’ve studied his forearms for so long that I imagine each and every sweep the tattoo gun must have taken.  I know he has more along his ribs, but I’ve never had the pleasure to study them.  I just know that it’s more blacks and reds.

When he clears his throat, I move my gaze from his thick, muscled forearms to meet his eyes.  His deep-brown, very worried eyes.  He isn’t masking his feelings from me right now, and as shocked as I am, I’m more confused than ever.

“What are you doing here?”

I haven’t let go of the door handle, using it to help hold my body from falling to the floor.  He stands before me, still in the hallway, and at my question, he looks to his left and then right before meeting my gaze again.  This time, the worry is replaced with…determination?

In a move so quick that I gasp, he’s pushing his way into the room and helping the door shut with a kick.  I back up as he stalks towards me, my eyes wide and my breathing erratic.