CHAPTER 027: Safety First

A couple of minutes after I hang up the call, I see an Aston Martin pulling into the hotel’s driveway at a crazy speed. It sounds a lot like it’s heading in my direction. I quickly step aside, not wanting to add ‘hit by a car’ to my list of today’s problems.

That is until I see Luke flying out. He doesn’t even bother to turn off the car before he’s out of the door, his face hard.

“Julie,” he says, “what happened? Did that son of a bitch kick you out?”

I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. The words feel caged somewhere deep inside me. How do I explain the mess I’m in? How Ryan has stripped me bare of everything, left me stranded, powerless… humiliated. I try again, but all that comes out is a shaky breath.

Luke’s eyes narrow. He’s watching me carefully, taking one slow, measured step at a time. He stops right in front of me, close enough that I can feel the warmth of him, close enough that I can smell his faint cologne, something deep and woody that makes me want to pull h