Page 67 of Merciless King

He was still asleep.

I tiptoed through the room, scooped up my keys, grabbed my handbag, slid on my shoes, and opened the door, pulling it shut soundlessly behind me.

And rushed down the hall.

An image of us slow dancing filtered through my mind again. We’d danced a long time. Or rather, Van had held me up and I’d clung to him like a drunken, lovesick limpet. I cringed again as more flashes of memory invaded.

Van half carrying me out of Tomas’s house.

Me trying to kiss him when he was trying to get me in his car.

The elevator opened and I climbed in and leaned against the wall, squeezing my eyes closed.

They snapped open.

Oh God.

I’d told him he had a nice butt…then I grabbed it.

Nope.

No way.

I couldn’t face him this morning.

Maybe ever.

16

Van

If she thought she could hide from me, she still hadn’t fully grasped the kind of man I was.

But she was about to find out.

When I’d walked into Tomas’s house, following the sound of the music pumping down the hall, I’d expected to find Steph, Lulu, Sunny, Willa, and Ruby dancing around the living room, having a blast. This was not new. None of those women gave one fuck what anyone thought. They knew how to have a good time. It was a sight to see, and one their men thoroughly enjoyed. They had formed a tight group, or as Jude called it, an unholy alliance, though not so secretly, he loved it. All the guys did.

Because every one of those women had overcome some serious shit, and if anyone deserved to find that kind of loyalty and sisterhood, it was those five.

I had not expected to find London in there, or how seeing her with those same women, welcomed into that sisterhood, would make me feel.

London belonged there.

I couldn’t take my damned eyes off her when I walked in and found her dancing around that pole, laughing, looking sweet and sexy, and, shit, happy.

I’d wanted to go to her and pull her into my arms, like Hunter did Lulu, or Tomas with Steph. It felt like the natural thing to do. But I’d fought it. And holding myself back had been insanely hard. So hard that instead of just leaving, I’d broken my own rules to leave her alone and had gone to speak to her. I just needed to know how she was. Leaving without at least talking to her—I couldn’t do it.

And looking at me all wide-eyed and tipsy, she’d admitted the truth. That she’d lied to me, that being around me didn’t hurt her, that she’d said that shit for my benefit. Christ, to make it easier on me. She thought I’d be pissed off, but what I felt was relieved.

I’d given up fighting and pulled her into my arms. London was soft and warm and perfect against me, and several things had become clear. I had no intention of letting her go. And I’d do whatever I had to, whatever she needed, to get that across to her.

I grinned remembering the way she tried to kiss me, the cute shit she’d admitted while I had her in my car.

I grabbed my keys from my desk drawer and left the office. I’d given her the morning to think about what happened last night, what she’d told me. To hide from me. But she had to know I was coming.

I walked out to reception. Lulu was sitting behind her desk, looking queasy. I smirked at her. “Not feeling too good, sis?”

She scowled and flipped me off.