Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
Barrett
The bed is cold. It’s always cold, but I know it isn’t right this morning. I held Sage while we soaked in the bath before tucking her into my bed already half asleep. I should have a supple, warm woman tucked against me.
I must have been more sated than I thought for her to slip from the bed without waking me. I’m not entirely upset about that, although it should terrify me.
Holding my breath for a moment, I listen for water running in the bathroom, for the steps of bare feet against the floor, for the click of the front door.
I hear nothing. I bolt from the bed, grabbing a pair of sweats as I pass my closet.
When I reach the front door, my eyes drop instantly to the small table where I made her put her clothes. It’s empty.
A car engine starts outside. My heart calms. She can’t get past the gate without me. I open the front door and settle my body against the frame until she meets my gaze through her windshield. I crook my finger at her.
She shakes her head—too fast. Panic dances in her eyes and I see decisions push and pull at each other. She wants to come to me. Her tongue darts out, licking at both of her lips. Her hands are tight on the wheel, but she hasn’t pulled away. Yet.
I have choices too. But both will have her back in my house soon. I wait, crossing my arms.
Sage looks away and backs away from the house, turning her car around to head to the gate. I can’t deny the disappointment sinking to my gut as she chooses to get away from me. That she chose to sneak away while I slept.
But I stay where I am until she returns. I can’t see down the road from my house, but I can hear her car until she’s closer to the bottom. I trust Rafe and Fain not to let her out. She doesn’t belong to them so they won’t get involved, not without my permission first.
Just as I expected, her little red car pulls back into my driveway. Sage slams her car door and storms toward me with gritted teeth, stopping at the bottom step.
“I have to go to work and I can’t show up in the same clothes I wore there yesterday. Open the gate.”
“You aren’t going to work.” Campbell has taken an interest in her. I can’t chance sending her back there.
“I can’t just not show up.”
“Call in sick.”
“I never call in sick. I’m never sick. You can’t keep me.” Her voice hitches higher and higher every time she speaks.
“Inside.” I step aside to give her space.
“You’re kidding. I’m not going inside. I have to leave.” Her panic grates against my chest. This isn’t how I imagined this morning going.
That doesn’t mean I’ll allow an argument to break out. “Get inside.”
“No.”
My smirk is my only warning. I leap over the two steps, landing in front of her and bending at the waist. Throwing her over my shoulder, I clutch tight at her kicking legs while I carry her back inside.
“Barrett! Put me down!”
I smack her ass and shove her heels off her feet before I get stabbed with a stiletto. “It isn’t Barrett who has a hold of you.”
“I’m not playing those games right now.”
I drop her on the couch, following her down to cage her in with my arms on either side of her head. “I already made this clear. I don’t play games.” We’re practically nose to nose.
She’s panting, her breath hitting my chin, but the trouble she’s in registers in her gaze.
“I don’t want you to go to work.”
“Why not?” Her words soften, no longer on the offense.
I hesitate. I shouldn’t tell her about Campbell, that he’s the target and the things he’s involved in.
But as much as I want to, I can’t keep her here against her will, not if I intend to really keep her at a soul-deep level.
Not if I want to keep her in the way that really matters.
Not letting her go now will create resentment.
“Why don’t you want me to go to work?” Her hand shakes as she lifts it to rest against my cheek.
“You will keep your office door locked the entire time you are there and you won’t let anyone in your office with you. Do you understand?”
She blinks up at me. “I can’t exactly do that.”
“You will if you want me to open the gate for you.”
“Is this about why I came to you last night? Is this about Dorian?”
“Sage,” I warn. It’s all I can give her.
After a moment, she whispers, “Okay, Daddy.”
I sigh. “Good girl, pet.” I straighten, and her eyes follow the line of my body, landing on the bulge in my sweatpants, quickly forming into a tent. One word from her, one look from her, and I’m fucking ready to devour her. I grin. “You can have it when you come back after work.”
“If I don’t?”
“Then I’m going to come find you. I don’t think you want to know what happens if I have to come find you.”
“Oh, I think I do,” she whispers softly enough I don’t think she meant for me to hear.
I bend down and grasp her chin. “Challenge me another time, pet. This is too important.”
She nods and I back away.
“Leave before I change my mind. If I touch you again, I’m throwing you back in bed. I’ll open the gate when you get to the end of the lane.”
She’s nibbling her bottom lip as she grabs her shoes from the floor and backs herself to the door.
Deep down I know it’s a bad idea to let her go, but she isn’t someone I’m just fucking. Since taking on this job with Rafe, we’ve studied how Campbell works. He doesn’t traffic anyone whose absence would be noticed. Sage’s absence would be noticed.
Once I open the gate, watching her drive through on the security camera, I dial Rafe. I want to nail down the timeline for this job. Now I have a reason of my own to see this through as soon as possible.