asshole.â
âItâs Kyle, and youâve met me at least three times.â
Kim waved that off. âCan you take me or not?â
Kyle grimaced. âDo I have a choice?â
âNo, not really.â
CHAPTER Twenty-two
It was late when the police finally let everyone goâeveryone except Paul, that is, who was taken away in one of the squad cars. Lille watched him leave, still in shock that heâd shown up here with a gun. He hadnât called or tried to talk to her; heâd just arrived with a gun. Had he always been unstable, or had she broken him somehow?
Rubbing her hands over her arms, she walked with John, Mary, and Max back to Johnâs car. Kim had asked Kyle to take her over to the Box for some reason; Lille assumed it was so she could fill Jordan and Tyler in on the action.
âI think we should go home, make some green tea, and get to bed. Sound good?â Mary paused and looked at Lille intently. âLille, are you listening?â
Lille shook her head. âSorry, Mary, I wasnât.â
âYou really should have gone to the hospital.â
âNo.â Lille shook her head adamantly, though it made her head hurt. âNo hospitals.â
âIâll follow you in my truck.â Max sounded reluctant, as if he wanted her to tell him to stay. Part of Lille wanted him to stay. It would be so easy to lose herself in the sex, in the overwhelming lust she felt whenever she was with him, but she didnât want to lead him onâshe just wasnât built for real relationships.
âLetâs go,â she finally agreed, and went to get in Johnâs car, really wanting nothing more than to escape, to be by herself; she felt . . . trapped.
John and Mary glanced at each other and then followed Lille to the car, John settling himself behind the wheel. He started the engine and backed out, then turned and pulled forward, to where Max was waitingâfor what exactly, he didnât know.
âWeâll see you back at the house.â
Max nodded, watching them go, his mouth grim as he watched John stop at the end of the drive, then pull out onto the street. Lilleâs blond hair floated behind her as they picked up speed, but she didnât look back at him.
Max turned and walked back to the bar to make sure everything was locked up.
He kept seeing it in his head like it was a movie, the flat angry black of the gun, her pale skin. His hands fisted; he wanted to get hold of that motherfucker and beat him to a bloody pulp.
He walked through the pub. Keisha had left, hopefully not for good, and Kyle was gathering his things while Kim sat on a stool and waited, her legs swinging while she looked at Kyleâs iPad.
âFifty thousand and counting.â
âFifty thousand what, lass?â
Kim glanced over her shoulder at him, her dark, straight hair falling into her eyes. âViews. On YouTube.â
Max nodded. âYou post his name?â
âI did,â Kim said with grim satisfaction.
âGood.â Max patted her on the shoulder, surprised when she tensed and jerked away.
Max held up his hands. âSorry, lass.â
Kim shook her head. âItâs okay. Just jumpy.â
Max nodded; he understood that well enough. âKyle, Iâm over to the Box to pick up the dogs. You okay to lock up?â
Kyle nodded and shoved his hair out of his eyes. âCan you . . .â
âTake Kim home? I could, if sheâs up for it.â
âItâs okay,â she agreed.
âAll right, then, letâs go.â
Kim set Kyleâs iPad on the bar and hopped down. âReady when you are.â
When they arrived at the Box ten minutes later, Max checked in briefly with the night security, a man named Jackson, but all was quiet at the Box.
The dogs knew theyâd arrived before Jordan didâMax heard them barking as they approached. However, when they opened the door, Jordan