Chapter 82

I sit waiting with bated breath for what feels like an eternity, extreme anxiety coursing through me. Finally, the door opens, and voices come into the apartment. There seem to be two or three, and I can’t tell if any are Jake. I wait and listen. A male laugh that sounds like Daniel, and possibly Arrick too, and then I hear Jake’s voice, low and husky, and my heart constricts with relief.

The bedroom door opens almost instantly, and he sticks his head around sheepishly, his brows furrowed as he locks eyes with me like a child about to meet the principal. There’s no evidence of any fighting on him at all, no messy face or mussed hair, no torn clothing. I look away from him, conflicting emotions rising in my throat, relief and anger. I want to cry suddenly now that he’s finally here and safe.

He walks toward me; As he gets closer, I can smell the outside air from his clothes and the faint smells of nightclub and a lot of alcohol.

“You still mad at me, Bambina?” he as