She hasn’t mentioned the messages.
I don’t like that.
She shouldn’t be keeping things like that from me.
She shouldn’t be keepinganythingfrom me.
How am I meant to protect her if I don’t know everything?
She may not recognize the significance.
She might even be embarrassed.
And she does have a lot on her mind—least of which is the pressure of staying with Adrian.
Hell, she might even think they’re from a wrong number.
They’re pretty specific, although the sender hasn’t used her name.
After all, the issue with your average psycho—your typical narcissist, specifically—is they all operate from the same playbook.
One creep’s “I’m going to destroy you,” or “how could you do this to me?” sounds eerily similar to the next.
It’s no excuse.
I’ll have to address this with her later.
Make sure she understands what happens when she keeps things from me.
She won’t do it again.
I turn to my colleague. “Hey Jake.” I send the text. “Trace the number. We’re going to make some trouble for the sender.”
He smirks.
His phone buzzes.
“Got it, boss. I’m on it.”
He’s already moving.
CHAPTER 26
IVY
Islump onto the couch the second the door shuts behind Adrian, the humid air clinging to my skin like a second layer. He’d burst through the door just before with a quick, “Hey, grabbing my charger. Fisting date—be back late!” before vanishing again.
Thank god I don’t have to answer all the questions he’d have if he wasn’t rushing off to shove his fist up someone’s ass.
I laugh softly to myself. Then the silence presses in, amplifying everything I’ve been trying to ignore.
Too empty.
My body hasn’t caught up with the distance. It’s still there—with him.
My thighs shift against the leather—a restless, unconscious movement.
Heat lingers low in my body, heavy and insistent, refusing to settle. My tongue drags slowly along my lower lip, chasing something that isn’t there anymore—but I can still taste it. Faint. Metallic. Warm.