Chapter 21

It was a waste of a day. There'd been no sign of Ara?a's men anywhere, and I was furious that it had cost me precious time with Lily.

I'd been so certain the man I'd seen would turn up again. Maybe Lily was right; maybe I was seeing trouble where there was none.

I headed through the lobby of Briarleigh at a fast clip, anxious to get back to her. I wanted to see her, make sure she was okay. But more than that, I needed to feel her in my arms, taste her sweet lips as I pulled her under me.

Two men stood in the hallway near the elevators, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled in alarm. My gaze swept over them, and I quickly assessed the situation. One man had dark hair and eyes, but I'd never seen him before.

The second man... I studied him surreptitiously, taking in his dark features and the long scar that split the left side of his face. Lily had called him John, but I knew almost nothing about him, least of all what had brought him to Pine Ridge.

The men turned and started toward me, drawing closer with every second that passed. There was nowhere to go. My only option was to pretend I was unaware of them and let things play out.

Unfortunately, they weren't inclined to do the same. Their gazes zeroed in on me, and I drew to a halt several feet away. My pulse thrummed wildly, and I balanced on the balls of my feet as I kept my limbs loose, ready for anything.

The man I didn't recognize stared at me, his assessing gaze sweeping from the top of my head down to my feet, then back up again. He met my gaze and cocked a brow, an insolent smile lighting his eyes even as his face remained impassive.

The man with the scar studied me intently, brows drawn slightly together. He didn't beat around the bush. "What are you doing here?"

So much for playing dumb. Did he recognize me, or was his hostility due to the fact that he was protecting Lily? I met his gaze and forced myself to keep my tone polite. "I'm here with a friend. Lily Anderson."

The man on the left snorted. "At least try to come up with something believable."

I switched my gaze to his. "I've been staying at her house for the past week. You can ask her."

He nodded slowly, disbelief etched in his expression. "And just how do you know Lily?"

I debated what to tell them. I couldn't lie and claim I was a friend because, as Lily herself had stated, she kept to herself and didn't have any close acquaintances. Even though we'd slept together, I couldn't claim to be a boyfriend or lover.

I decided on a half truth. "I was working my way west and came across this place. I had an accident, and Lily helped me out."

"Why not call the cops?" the man on the left challenged.

I shrugged. I still wasn't sure of that myself. "You'd have to ask her."

John rubbed his chin. "Why aren't you with Fox?"

So he did recognize me. My muscles went rigid. Clearly he didn't know about the incident involving Eva's disappearance. "We went our separate ways."

His lips pressed into a firm line as he stared at me. "So you thought this was a good place for you?"

"I haven't decided yet," I responded honestly.

The man on the left crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. "You here on business?"

I shook my head. "Pure coincidence. Nice place though. Quiet."

He nodded a little. "Good place to hide in plain sight."

My nerve endings vibrated at his words. Reluctantly, I dipped my chin in a small nod. He eyed me shrewdly before sticking out a hand. "Jack Prescott."

I shook his hand warily, and the other man extended a hand. "John Esposito."

"Rodrigo," I responded, offering the bare minimum. It wasn't lost on the men.

"You understand what will happen if you hurt her?"

I met Jack's gaze, molars clenched tightly together. This was a small town, and I knew the residents were protective of one another. It was something I could appreciate—just not right this second.

Neither man knew how much I'd come to care for Lily, and I resented their wariness. I would literally carve my heart out of my chest for her.

I gave a perfunctory nod and forced myself to be polite when all I wanted was to tell them both to fuck off. "Yes, sir."

Jack gave a sudden grin. "You might fit in here after all."

With a nod my way he clapped John on the shoulder, some sort of silent communication. With that, the men disappeared, leaving me baffled and more than a little uneasy.

I wasn't sure what Jack had meant by that statement. I didn't belong here; I would never fit in. Despite the fact that I'd become comfortable in the small town over the course of the past week, there was no way I could stay here.

Could I?

There had been no danger to Lily, aside from the man I spotted outside her shop. But that easily could've been a coincidence. If there were no immediate threats, and no sign of Ara?a's men, then staying here might be feasible.

I'd planned to find a job working under the table once I left anyway. Maybe I could pick up odd jobs around Pine Ridge. I could eventually even reach out to Fox. I planned to tell him about Ara?a's men, but first I wanted to figure out where they were and ensure they weren't after Lily.

Would it really be so terrible to stay here? It would be hard… but not impossible. Like a seedling the idea sprouted, growing steadily in the back of my mind. The more I thought about the future, the more I fixated on the possibility of staying here.

A million things were stacked against us… but I had one hell of a good reason to make things work.