I thought she would be in class until I was gone…

  The door started to open, and I put down my laptop. I didn’t want to have anything in my hands that I could consider using as a weapon. Violence wasn’t really something I resorted to immediately in most cases, but a part of me worried that I might make an exception for Brittany. What she did to me was unforgivable.

  I tensed up when Brittany stepped into the apartment, but she didn’t see me at first—maybe she thought I wouldn’t be back after ignoring her calls. I could sense a difference in her demeanor. She checked the hallway a couple of times and carefully closed the door like she was scared to make any noise, then locked it. She immediately pressed her eye to the peephole, and after a couple of seconds, she let out a sigh of relief.

  Is she—scared that I’m going to do something to her?

  “Hiding from someone?” I took a step forward and stiffened my back as I spoke—anger flooded my veins.

  “What? Oh my god!” Brittany spun around and jumped like she had been slapped—she looked like she had been slapped too, her face was bruised, and there were cuts on her lip. “Gwyn! You’re okay!”

  Brittany sprinted across the apartment and hugged me. I was so startled by her reaction that I didn’t even have time to pull away before she wrapped her arms around me. I certainly didn’t expect that. I got my composure after a couple of seconds and pushed her away, which allowed me to get a better look at her face. Someone had done a number on her—my first thought was that she deserved it, but I wasn’t cruel enough to say it out loud. My anger faded and was replaced with concern.

  “What happened to you?” I tilted my head in confusion.

  “Those people at Pandora’s Box weren’t happy after you left…” She looked down at the floor. “Especially the guy with handcuffs.”

  “He hit you?” I blinked in surprise.

  “It was a warning.” She swallowed hard. “A warning not to come back.”

  “Damn…” I exhaled sharply.

  “I tried to call you. I wanted to make sure you were okay—are you okay?” She lifted her head to look at me.

  “You didn’t seem very concerned when you were laughing…” My concern shifted back to anger.

  “I got caught up in the moment.” Brittany’s eyes started to fill with tears. “I’m sorry, Gwyn. I shouldn’t have done that to you. I thought it would be fun—I didn’t realize how seriously they took those red bracelets.”

  “Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “Even after you traded my virginity for your bracelet?”

  “They didn’t tell me everything.” She shook her head. “I had no idea you would be forced into it if you weren’t interested. I thought that guy was playing around until everything went to hell—that’s why I was laughing.”

  Is she really this stupid, or is she telling me the truth? Either way, I’m done with this and done with her.

  “An apology isn’t going to fix what you did. I trusted you, and you betrayed me.” I reached for my laptop. “I talked to my adviser. I’m moving to another dorm.”

  “Wait…” She put her hand on my arm. “You’re moving out!?”

  “Is that really a surprise?” I pulled away from her. “You’re just lucky Keaton intervened, otherwise the police would be here instead of me.”

  “You…” Her face went ghost white. “You haven’t told anyone what happened, right?”

  “I should have.” I narrowed my eyes. “But I just told my adviser enough to get me the hell out of here.”

  “Please be careful, Gwyn.” Brittany grabbed my arm with more force than before. “That guy—he’s dangerous. He was pissed off after you got away, and I heard him tell someone that he was going to find you.”

  “I’m not worried about him.” I tried to pull my arm free, but she was squeezing me too hard, so I pushed her instead. “You’re the one that fucked up—not me.”

  I could tell her that Keaton already fixed that problem, but she deserves to worry for a little while after what she did.

  I didn’t agree with the receipt Brittany got along with her warning when she was thrown out of Pandora’s Box, but at least she seemed terrified enough not to try something like that again. Mr. Trentino was no longer a threat. Keaton saw to that. It was a misunderstanding, but it only got to that point because of what Brittany did. I couldn’t forgive her for it. The fact that I didn’t tell my adviser exactly what Brittany did was more than she deserved—and that was mostly self-serving. I was ready to put the whole situation behind me, and unfortunately, that also included Keaton.

  For an entirely different reason.

  Despite what I knew about Keaton, I still felt guilty when I got to my new dorm room. He would know that I wasn’t going to keep my promise in a few hours—if he hadn’t figured it out already. We didn’t exchange phone numbers, and he knew very little about me, so that would be the end of it. I wished I felt a little better about my decision. I couldn’t deny developing feelings for Keaton, even in the short time we spent together. He brought things out of me that I never imagined, and it was going to be difficult to come to terms with losing that side of myself. I didn’t know if I could trust anyone else enough to explore those fantasies with them.

  Exploring them with him isn’t possible anymore…

  * * *

  Life returned to normal the next day, outside of my new living arrangement. I thought about Keaton, especially when I sat down in a hard seat for my first class and was reminded of my last spanking, but the thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind once my professor arrived. Missing one day of class wasn’t that bad, but I felt like I was behind, which created a sense of anxiety I could get absorbed into. That was better than thinking about the guy I spent my weekend with—the guy who saved me, treated me with kindness, and lit a fire in my soul that was still burning.

  Forgetting him is the only choice I have.

  Time seemed to be the only thing that easily moved forward, but the longing dwindled after several more days passed. It felt like a vivid dream that I knew was real, but I didn’t want to admit it. By the end of the week, I was looking forward to a quiet weekend. I had schoolwork to catch up on, a dorm room where I wouldn’t be disturbed, and Keaton simply lingered on the edge of my thoughts—or so I thought.

  “Gwyn!” A voice echoed behind me as I walked to my dorm, and I recognized it instantly.

  Damn, he found me.

  “Keaton…” A lump began to rise in my throat as I said his name out loud and turned to face him.

  “It took me a while to track you down.” There was a hint of anger in his tone—which I understood. “What happened? Why didn’t you come back?”

  “I…” The lump nearly stopped me from speaking before I swallowed it. “I couldn’t, I’m sorry.”

  “Did I do something to upset you?” He tilted his head slightly. “I could tell something changed when you left, but I had no idea what it was…”

  “It’s complicated.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it. Keaton, I can’t see you anymore.”

  “Can’t?” He took a step towards me. “Or won’t?”

  “You don’t understand…” My emotions began to overwhelm me, but I tried to stand my ground.

  “Then explain it. Don’t I deserve that much?” His tone relaxed. “I missed you…”

  “I missed you too.” I squeezed my eyes shut when I felt the tears trying to come.

  It was easy to come to terms with my decision when I didn’t have to look into his eyes. But he was hurting too, and he felt betrayed. I could see that in his stare. I wanted to tell him the truth, but it was associated with so much pain. It wasn’t fair, but it was my reality. I couldn’t change the way it felt. Seeing Keaton brought both sides of it back with a vengeance until they were waging war inside me. Jordan Ramsey shattered my past. Seeing Keaton shattered my present. A future with a constant reminder of both wasn’t something I could mentally comprehend, no matter how much I craved Keaton’s touch.

  “Talk to me, babygirl.” Keaton cautiously pulled me into an embrace, and my will to fight began to evaporate. “If I did something wrong, just tell me what it is—then I’ll go.”

  He deserves that much, even if I have to admit the truth…

  “Okay.” I looked up at him. “But not here—let’s go to my dorm room.”

  He cared enough to track me down, but he may wish he hadn’t after I tell him why I ran.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Keaton

  When Gwyn didn’t show up at the Mikado Hotel as she promised, I went through a torrent of emotions. The first one was anger. I was pissed at myself for daring to believe I could find a relationship with someone. I stayed closed off for so long because I knew how complicated one could be—then Gwyn marched into my life and changed my perspective throughout a couple of days. I kept telling myself I knew better, and I said it so many times that I almost believed it until my anger shifted into a sense of longing for what could have been.

  I was busy during the day, so I didn’t have much time to think about Gwyn, but when I returned to my room—those thoughts came back. They got stronger every day, and I missed her. I longed for her embrace. It was a need that raged out of control. I didn’t just share my bed with her, I shared a piece of my soul—she was my babygirl, and I was her Daddy. That bond wasn’t one that could be broken like the promise she made. I had to know why even if she pushed me away—I deserved that much.

  It took some time to find her, but it wasn’t impossible. I knew she was a student, which narrowed the options down considerably, and Gio helped with the rest. I had resources, but he had connections that turned the pieces of information I had into a location—then it was a matter of waiting until she showed up.

  I was happy to see Gwyn was okay, but my anger returned when I realized she wasn’t going to be forthcoming with an explanation. I still missed her. That didn’t let go as easily as my fury, and I could see that she felt the same way when I looked in her eyes. When she finally caved and agreed to talk to me, I felt a sense of relief, but I wasn’t sure I was going to like what she had to say. There was something wrong. I didn’t think I had done anything to upset her like that, so I was apprehensive when we got back to her dorm room—but a little relieved when I found out she was no longer living with Brittany.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Gwyn looked over her shoulder at me once I closed the door. “I don’t have anything stronger than tea…”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I just want to know why you didn’t keep your promise.”

  “I’ll tell you…” She walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. “But I don’t think you’re going to like hearing what I have to say.”

  “Let me decide.” I sat down across from her.

  I’m pretty sure she’s right, just based on how she’s acting, but I still need to know…

  “I did have a great weekend with you.” She let out a long sigh. “I meant it when I said I would come back—the first time.”

  “Something changed…” I narrowed my eyes. “I could sense it when you gave me my wallet. I shouldn’t have let you walk away without knowing what it was.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered.” Another sigh passed across her lips. “You and I share a connection, and I didn’t realize it until I saw your driver’s license.”

  “You went through my wallet?” I blinked in surprise.

  Connection? What does that mean?

  “No.” She shook her head quickly. “It was an accident, but it changed everything in an instant—and brought back some memories I was trying to forget.”

  “What memories?” I tilted my head in confusion. “What kind of connection do we share—I’m pretty sure I would remember if we had met before…”

  “I’m from Penny Grove.” She exhaled sharply. “I went to school with Jordan.”

  “Oh!” My head snapped back. “You two were—an item?”

  “No.” Her tone was emphatic. “Absolutely not. Never!”

  “So, it’s the age difference? I knew that could be a problem…” My words trailed off for a moment.

  She’s the same age as my son—I was too wrapped up in our fantasy to realize they could know each other. We never even talked about where we lived…

  “It’s not the age difference.” She looked down at the floor, and I saw some pain registering on her face. “Jordan treated me like shit in high school. He forced me to do his homework, and when I tried to put a stop to it, he made my life hell…”

  “Seriously?” A sense of astonishment swept through me.

  I know Jordan wasn’t the nicest kid in high school, but he seemed to be pretty popular.

  “Yes, he even went as far as to have his friend Dillon pretend to be interested in me—then the two of them left me standing on the curb in my prom dress. Jordan videoed it and showed it to the entire school!” Tears welled up in Gwyn’s eyes.

  “What the fuck?” My astonishment shifted back to anger, but I wasn’t angry at Gwyn anymore. “He did that to you?”

  “That’s not all he did, but it’s the one that hurt the most…” Gwyn reached up to wipe her tears away.

  “Gwyn, I’m so sorry.” I moved from my chair to the couch and put an arm around her. “I had no idea. I would have put a stop to it if I had known…”

  “I’m sure that would have just made things worse.” She let her head rest on my shoulder. “I swore I wasn’t going to cry about this anymore.”

  “It’s okay.” I stroked her hair.

  I finally understood why Gwyn broke her promise, and I couldn’t blame her for it. We had an amazing weekend together, but my son had done awful things to her—I was going to have a long talk with Jordan the next time he came home. It was too late for me to undo the damage he had caused, but he was damn sure going to apologize for it. I had no idea I raised such an asshole. Maybe I should have been more attentive, but that didn’t excuse his actions—I raised him to respect other people, not mistreat them.

  “That’s part of the reason I agreed to go to Pandora’s Box in the first place.” Gwyn leaned back from my embrace. “I didn’t want someone to have that kind of power over me, and I didn’t want my first time to be with someone that could hurt me emotionally if things didn’t work out. I didn’t want them to be tied to that memory…”

  “Instead, it got tied to the worst one of all.” I exhaled sharply. “I’m so sorry, Gwyn. I understand why you didn’t come back.”

  “I don’t regret what we did.” She looked up at me. “But if I don’t separate that from all of the bad stuff I went through, it’s just going to taint the memory—and that’s the last thing I want.”

  “I get it.” I brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I don’t want to accept it—I want you, Gwyn. We can find a way to work through all of that. Will it be difficult? Sure—but what relationship is easy?”

  “I…” She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  “We can.” I squeezed her hand. “Just give me a chance.”

  “I’m sorry.” She looked down. “I really am. You do deserve the truth, but that’s all I’ve got to offer—I have to deal with this in my own way.”

  The truth was reflected in Gwyn’s tear-soaked eyes. It was over. There was no way to recapture the magic we shared before she realized Jordan was my son. I wanted to lash out, but I kept my emotions under control—even when my jaw trembled. If I cared about her, I had to let her go. It was the only way she could move forward. We shared something special, but that fire was doused the moment our connection was revealed. We both had burdens to carry, but we had to carry them on our own.

  “I’ll never forget you, babygirl.” I let my hand drop away from her face and sighed.

  “I’ll never forget you either—Daddy.” There was a hint of a smile on her lips, but it did nothing to mask her pain.

  The only thing we have left is goodbye.

  * * *

  I woke up alone in my bed the next morning, and it had never felt colder. I was angry at the situation, but not at Gwyn. As soon as I got my bearings and took a shower, I called Jordan. It went straight to voicemail, and I left him a message that wasn’t very friendly. I preferred to say it to him in person, but I didn’t know how long it would be until he came home. My bottled emotions needed an outlet, and since he was indirectly responsible for the wrath brewing inside me, he was going to be the one who got the brunt of it. He needed to know how his actions had impacted others—an impact that didn’t go away when he left for college.

  I’ll have to deal with him later. I need to get to the club…

  Outside of the meeting with Trentino, things had been pretty quiet since my team arrived to handle Gio’s security. I didn’t know if our presence was responsible, or if Gio had overestimated the threat. The De Luca family lawyers were busy trying to get Gio’s father out of prison, and it looked promising. I assumed that my time in the city would come to an end if they were successful. Nobody was stupid enough to make a move against the real head of the De Luca family. He wasn’t the kind of man that handled things peacefully, and his iron grip on the city would be reestablished once he was sitting at the head of the table again.

  “Hey, we need to talk.” Gio motioned to me as soon as I walked into Pandora’s Box.

  “Trouble?” I followed him into the office and closed the door.

  “Yeah, I think so…” He poured a drink and downed it immediately. “One of my guys—he said there’s talk on the streets. Trentino is planning something, and if what he heard is true, a few of the people I trust are thinking about switching sides.”

  “There are sides now?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “I didn’t think Trentino was a threat.”

  “I may have underestimated him.” Gio poured another drink and downed it. “He’s recruiting…”

  “Then, he’s planning to go to war.” I tensed up. “You need to put an end to this now before he can build an army.”

 

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