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I sweated over my choices until I couldn’t handle it anymore and then I went to find Dovie I had to tell her why I had done what I did I knew she couldn’t forgive me—ever—but I needed her to know my reasons wereto turn o to Titus Of course, that meant he was the one I had to seek out I was ready for the full punish my heart out to Bax’s brother for him to do what he wanted with me, then so be it I deserved whatever the law dee with Titus, I could see he agreed To hi what criminals did in the Point

I was prepared to serve hard time, prepared to watch h iron bars, but then Titus did so that shocked us both He called the district attorney, who prorudgingly explained what kind of info I had on Novak’s operation to the higher-ups, and the next thing I kneas in a fancy office getting offered a deal if I agreed to testify in the case against the re in the federal case They offered me Witness Protection, offered ht hate ardless, he savedto love hiood inheap of it wrapped up in a towering package of dark eousness that couldn’t even look me in the eye anymore

And now he neededto have to look at s I had done and all ways that he couldn’t tolerateso close to hi those sky-blue eyes heat up and cool off with everything he was feeling, I couldn’t stop the longing fro all over ht How I had convinced myself Conner was an acceptable substitute for the force of nature that was Titus King was beyond itimate wonder of this world; the other was a cheap plastic trinket that fell apart as soon as you got it home

So there I was in the dingy bathroo at e that I could hardly seeto look when Titus showed up at my door any minute I knew it didn’t matter He would never see me the same way I saw him even if there was an undeniable pull between the two of us However, my vanity andwith er supplies I had stashed in my purse When I snatched Conner’s phone I hadn’t really planned too far ahead All I had on me were the clothes on my back and as in my purse, which wasn’t much, but it would have to do I heard the cardboard-thin door rattle as a heavy fist thudded against it, and took a deep breath to steady myself

I refused to be barefoot on this disgusting flooring, sosound across the ratty carpet as I made my way to the door It ht of being close to Titus again I peeked out the little hole in the door and pulled back at the ferocity of the scowl that was already on his face He hadn’t even seen le someone

I barely had the chain off the door and cracked open before he was barreling that big body through the space I wasn’t the only one who looked like they hadn’t changed clothes since our last encounter He still had on his wrinkled slacks and wilted button-up shirt fros under his eyes ht years He was only a few years older than ht now those years looked like decades He wasthe tie and his dark hair was h it

“We found two dead junkies and busted a drug trafficker at this o This is the best place you could find to hide out?”

As soon as he was in the rooainst it He was prowling back and forth in front of ry animal, and all I wanted to do was reach out a hand and try and soothe hihtly I could see the ropes of tension in all the hard lines of his muscular build and stamped across his face

I shrugged lightly when that electric-blue gaze finally landed on ht onhos in the last few years They don’t need to be in the middle of all this”

“Isn’t he going to look for you there first?” He e of the bed and then ross the mustard-yellow comforter was upon closer inspection Instead he crossed his arainst where I was leaning

“I don’t think so We weren’t close after Rissa died I was suffering so h I haven’t really spoken to them in years”

Titus grunted at me and wrinkled his nose as the people in the roo sex that shook the entire wall behind the bed

“You don’t have friends, any other relatives, no one that can give you a place to hide out while we figure out to handle Roark? The state attorney general is going to think you skipped out on WITSEC You’re going to be a fugitive until we catch hihts and until I can hand over the proof that he’s dirty to the right people”

I let ainst the door “Tell the feds I’ll still testify; I just don’t want to be in protective custody any dirty, he slept with me and broke protocol Why do I have to prove I’m on the up-and-up?” I could see the answer in his eyes They would believe the best of Conner because he had a respectable job even if he had used it to break the law, and I was just so bad choices

“Bax and Race weren’t involved in a oons”

I cringed involuntarily “No, but they were involved in his other cri to hold upto do it here”