Wicked Intentions (Steele Secrurity Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

her, though. She loved me, so we stayed together despite his protests and threats and bellowing.” Braxton paused and stared at a droplet of water as it slid down his glass. “As soon as we were old enough and didn’t need anyone’s permission, we got married. We had a go at it for a little while, tried to make it work. This is where I leave out the private details, but it all boils down to the fact that she’s estranged from her entire family because of me. Especially her dad. He won’t have anything to do with her as long as I’m still around.
    “The stress of everything is killing her. She’s torn between being with me and being with her family. I just can’t stand by and watch the beautiful woman I love wither away to nothing. So, I left and made it easier for her to move on with her life.”
    “Did you ask her if that’s what she wanted?”
    The waitress returned with their orders, momentarily saving Braxton from answering what should’ve been an easy question. When the waitress left, Larry took a bite of his sandwich and waited for Braxton to answer.
    In between bites of his food, Braxton continued recounting his story. “She’s not the kind of person who would say she wanted me to leave. She can’t stand hurting anyone else, so she’d take all the pain just to avoid inflicting any on someone else. Her dad or her mom called every day, pressuring her to come home, keeping her on the phone for hours at a time. She became more and more withdrawn from me. Selfishly, I hung around longer than I should have, but I just couldn’t let her suffer anymore.”
    “Did you file for a divorce before you left?”
    Braxton shook his head from side to side. “No. I won’t be the one to do that.”
    “You really do love her, don’t you?”
    “It’s always been her. It’ll always be her.”
    “You know, other guys your age don’t think like that.”
    “Those guys haven’t met Heather.”
    Larry leaned back and studied Braxton, taking in his words and his overall demeanor. Braxton felt the appraising gaze, knew he was being sized up and measured, but he didn’t care. The talk with Larry brought all the memories flooding back, tormenting him with mental pictures of the best and worst times of his life. His guts churned, the chicken sandwich and fries turned to lead in his stomach, and he had to work to swallow past the ball of emotions stuck in his throat.
    “For the record, I think you’re making a big mistake by leaving like this. She sounds like a great girl.”
    “She’s the best.”
    “Girls like her aren’t that common. Love like you just described comes once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky. You won’t find another one like her, Braxton.”
    He looked up and met Larry’s gaze directly. “I know I won’t. And I won’t be looking for another one either. Especially not after all I’ve been through.”
    The waitress appeared with their checks. Larry picked up both at the same time and insisted on paying. “It’s the least I can do for a young man who’ll be serving our country. My trip ends at our next stop, so this is the last chance I’ll have to do it.”
    “It’s not necessary, but I appreciate it. Thank you.”
    “Take care of yourself, Braxton. I hope everything works out for you.”
    At the next stop, Braxton felt a deep loneliness when he said goodbye to Larry. The older man had been the first friend he’d really talked to about his predicament. He’d talked to his father often, but familial bias tainted their discussions. His friends were his age and didn’t understand any of what he’d already experienced. Larry was the first person who wasn’t related, wasn’t too young, and didn’t have any preconceived notions about their relationship. He listened, he grasped the depth of their love, and he offered advice without being condescending.
    The ride from Georgia to South Carolina was both the longest and shortest of his life. He’d watched the sun rise and visualized Heather