Kingston
My house is in ruins. Someone has broken in and destroyed everything on the first floor. I run upstairs and check the other floors. Nothing on the second or third floor has been touched.
I go in Thorn’s room and find the bag with Briar’s stuff and see that her tips are gone.
Fuck.
I have money but that’s not the point. She’s worked hard for those tips, she doesn’t have a bank account from what Thorn told me the other day so I’m sure that some of her paycheck was in there as well. It makes me angry.
I hear sirens and head downstairs and on the kitchen counter a note catches my eye.
‘She will be mine.’
Lane
I knew it the moment I stepped inside, figured it when her tips went missing, but this just confirms it.
How does stealing her tips help her fall in love with you, asshole?
I stuff the note in my pocket as Hayes walks in. He’s been here several times. We’re close friends. It’s why I called him earlier today.
“King.”
“Hayes.”
“Know who did this?” he asks as I nod.
“I do.”
“Does it have to do with what we talked about earlier?”
“It does.”
“Going to let me do my job?”
“I might,” I hedge, “but he’s long gone by now.”
“I’ll get on this. You have a place to stay for the night? Wait, I know you do. I’ll update you as soon as I can.” He walks out to talk to his officers.
I run upstairs and pull out a couple of suitcases, throwing her two bags in and some of my things. I can come back later or just buy new ones, I don’t fucking care. I take the other suitcase and throw Thorn’s bags in it as well and then grab his gym bag.
I close the suitcases and find Briar in the living room looking panicked.
“Some detective questioned me outside,” Briar whispers.
“He’s a friend,” I say as I pull her in for a hug. “We’re going to stay in a hotel.”
“Okay,” she follows me back out to the Expedition.
I hold her hand the whole way to the hotel, pulling up front and tossing my key to the valet and grabbing the large suitcases. I feel safer here at the hotel, my hotel, than I do at home. Yeah, I own it.
“This is amazing,” she breathes in as we walk through the lobby.
“Wait until you see the bathtub,” I wink, trying to make light of the situation.
I will keep her safe at any cost.
“Oh Mr. Kingston, so good to see you,” a man at the counter says as we approach.