The Agreement (Darkest Lies Trilogy Book 1) by Bethany-Kris (motivational books for men .TXT) 📕

She’s probably okay.

And since she wanted to be left alone, he started to stand, but she grabbed his hand before he could move away.

“Not you, I didn’t mean you,” she whispered, high-blue eyes with pupils blown small flying wide to meet his instantly.

Jesus.

Roman took in a sharp breath. The muscles in his abdomen tightened as she held his hand with a feather-light grip, almost as if she was scared to grab harder. He could have easily pulled away from her, but he didn’t want to. Why would he? This was the best he’d felt in weeks, especially when she nudged his fingers towards her mouth.

He watched in amazement, before he truly understood what she was doing, as she brought his thumb to her lips. The warmth of her mouth pressed against the pad of his thumb, kissing it softly before she let go.

Roman wasn’t even sure if it actually happened—he had to be dreaming. How high was this woman? There was no other explanation. Karine leaned back in the chair again, and looked up at the stars like she had forgotten already.

“At least tell me what you took so I can try and help you, it could be dangerous.” That was what he chose to say, trying his best to snap her back into the moment again. He opted to ignore the kiss for now because he didn’t want to embarrass her. Or he was just a fucking liar because he didn’t know what to say about it. Except that maybe he liked it. That was problematic enough. “Did you mix anything, maybe?”

A smile creased the corners of Karine’s perfectly pink lips as she asked him, “Why would you want to pull me out of this? That would be the opposite of helping me.”

Maybe she was right.

Who was he to judge?

If anyone knew the powerful allure of substances that took you to another planet, even if only for a short time, it was Roman. However, her speech was starting to slur even more, and her eyes glazed over in a way that disturbed him. She was barely even able to keep her eyes open anymore as she spoke. Roman had already made up his mind to go find someone who would be able to help her. Maybe he needed to call an ambulance.

Have you taken this mix—whatever it is—before? It helps to know your limits, Karine.”

She didn’t respond.

“Karine ...” he said firmly when her eyes finally closed. Her head stayed tilted to the side while her limbs seemed to have gone entirely limp.

Fuck.

He hadn’t come to this place to watch a girl OD right in front of his eyes.

“Please, go—please. She will be fine.” The flustered voice of a woman came from behind him, and he turned to find the older woman from earlier. The same woman from the pool house who had interrupted their conversation then, too. She rushed onto the patio, but had carefully shut the door behind her first. As if she didn’t want to draw attention. “Please just go.”

Roman didn’t think so.

“She needs help,” he growled at her.

Once next to him, she knelt beside Karine, lifting up her wrists and seemingly checking her pulse. She came off more affected by Roman’s presence than Karine’s state. But the way she was quick and tender when she checked Karine over, placing palms against her cheeks and leaning in to listen for steady, even breaths, he had to wonder ...

Was this her grandmother? Although, the woman didn’t quite look old enough for that. And the two women didn’t look at all alike, so he figured a mother was out of the question.

A friend, maybe?

“She’s just tired, but she is okay,” the woman continued saying, her back still turned to Roman. “I know her, yes? She trusts me. Please, go now.”

The woman seemed to get more agitated the longer he stood around. Even though he didn’t know what her role here was, or even Karine’s in this house—well, shit ... he knew well enough to stay out of it.

He had to remind himself once again that this wasn’t Brighton Beach. Little Odessa’s Devil wasn’t king in the windy city. Roman didn’t get to come into a man’s home—especially one like Maxim—and ask questions about anything. He was the only one watching his own back.

Roman backed away from the two women, not at all satisfied that Karine was okay but knowing he didn’t have much of a choice but to leave her with someone who seemed ... accustomed to the scene in front of her. So to speak.

Neither of the women noticed him leave as he made his way around the back of the house. He didn’t want to go to the front of the house by walking through the party again.

It wasn’t his scene. The music was shit. The men had no fucking sense of humor. Hell, even the chicks who were milling around the place—serving as decoration—weren’t doing anything for him.

That was probably Karine’s fault. He was sure she had spoiled him with that strange encounter earlier looking like the very image of sin. That was, at least until he could somehow get her out of his system. His interest never stayed for very long; he tended to like that about it.

This shouldn’t be any different.

Right?

As Roman walked, he thought about Karine’s kiss. He could still feel her lips on his thumb, the soft imprint had yet to leave. He brushed his thumb against the palm of his hand, and it still felt warm from her touch.

He needed to dash her from his mind and move on with the rest of the night—he had enough shit to deal with already. Yet, something told him he wasn’t getting rid of Karine anytime soon. At least not from within the confines of his mind.

That place was a prison.

He planned to keep her captive in there just a little bit longer.

• • •

He would have liked to just slip away without being