The Day Our Promise Breaks

Chapter 570

The distance between them closed, inch by inch.

Their breaths tangled together, heavy and warm.

But just before his lips met Evelyn's, Brooks stopped himself, holding back.

He gazed down at the softness so close he could nearly taste it.

Brooks' breathing lost its rhythm.

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, tension thrumming through him.

A storm of emotions flickered in his eyes.

But in the end, the kiss landed gently on Evelyn's forehead-a feather-light touch.

A whisper of a kiss.

Gone before it could even begin.

It wasn't that Brooks didn't desire Evelyn.

On the contrary, he ached to be close to her.

But he wanted their next step-any deeper intimacy-to happen when Evelyn was fully awake, fully aware.

Halfway through the drive, rain began to fall, tapping insistently against the windows.

Evelyn slept on, undisturbed by the storm outside.

When the car finally stopped in front of Evelyn's new place, Brooks glanced over and saw she was still sound asleep.

He signaled for the driver to leave them alone.

He didn't wake her.

Sitting so still for so long, his legs prickled with uncomfortable numbness, but he didn't move, not wanting to disturb her.

he picked up his tablet, slipped on his Bluetooth earpiece, and dealt with

he'd glance over at Evelyn, his gaze soft, simply waiting for her

At the hospital

came to check on

brought the latest updates about

little over a

boarded the boat when she realized something was wrong. The route was all wrong, the opposite of what

pointed to sent a chill

made Dahlia's skin crawl, a

knew exactly what awaited her

she'd felt at escaping

there was nowhere to

had nothing left but her body, and used it to please the

hardly going to say no-Dahlia had been

along, did everything she

keep them satisfied, hoping

to the northern border.

them not

made a deal

go would mean

which side

man to the next, all

arrived, she was

welcomed every customer, doing

a brutal month this way, always waiting for a

dreamed of something straight out of a movie: seducing

someone who could

set her sights

put on her best act, used every trick

And finally, it worked.

enough to risk everything

the moment she stepped out of that compound, Dahlia

as she was alive

the compound wouldn't mean escaping

had set things up in