Filthy Dirty Secrets: Filthy Dirty Alpha Book 2 by Grace Morgan Page A

shoes onto my feet.
    “Lola—”
    “I have to go,” I say, the words coming out with more force than any I’d ever spoken to Burke. I take a step back, shocked at my own vehemence. I’m always the collected one, and now Burke has rattled me. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to be the person I used to be again, or if the change he has wrought on me is permanent.
    I reach the door before he can ask me any more questions—and before he can even pull his pants on.
    He calls after me to wait, but I slam the door behind me. My entire body is shaking when I hit the elevator. What did I just do? What am I walking into?
    Carter is waiting for me when I reach the lounge. “What took you so long? I’ve been trying to call you.”
    “We have to go now.” I don’t stop moving and Carter jumps up and falls in behind me.
    “Something happen with Burke?”
    I can’t begin to explain what’s going on with Burke, so I just shake my head. “You’re showing me what happened to Hope. That’s all I care about right now.”
    We get out of the club and into Carter’s car. He still has dark circles under his eyes from last night, but other than that he looks fine. I wonder what hangover concoction he found and if he’d be willing to give me the recipe for next time.
    I huddle in my seat as we drive out of town, shivering despite the heat. I’m still afraid of where Carter is going to take me, but I’m too overwhelmed by other emotions to really feel it. I finally tore down Burke’s control, only to discover what the real price of being with him is—me.
    If I choose Burke, I’ll be utterly consumed. There will be no Lola left to chase after lost women. I’ll be the one who’s lost.
    I shiver again. I can’t deal with how strong my connection to Burke is. I need to get some distance from him to think.
    Watching the landscape fly past the window as it changes from city to open country, I wonder again if Carter’s taking me out here for some sinister reason. “How far are we going?”
    “Louisiana.”
    I start to laugh, then stop. He isn’t joking.
    “We’re leaving the state?” My thoughts about him possibly having done something horrible to Hope resurface—and the fact that I don’t know him nearly well enough to decide he had nothing to do with it. If he was really responsible for Hope disappearing, getting in this car could’ve been the last mistake I ever make.
    Carter doesn’t answer, and I drop my head against the back of my seat. There’s nothing I can do about it now but trust my gut that Carter won’t hurt me. “We’re not going to be back before lunch, are we?”
     
    * * *
     
    The drive takes six hours. I fall asleep then wake up to nightmares of seeing Hope’s bones in a shallow grave. Carter doesn’t say anything. I wish he’d talk, maybe explain himself, but he doesn’t seem to be in a talking mood.
    I could probably get him to talk about Burke, but I don’t want to talk about Burke.
    I think about offering to drive some of it, but he seems pretty focused, and I have no idea where we’re going.
    I try not to wonder what Burke is doing right now and fall back asleep.
    I don’t know what time it is when Carter shakes me awake. My mouth tastes like sandpaper and my head is groggy. I scrub a hand over my face and blink as I look around.
    It’s still light out, so it must not be too late. The car is stopped on a driveway in front of a beach house. There’s nothing else around for as far as I can see except sand, sky, and blue ocean with the tide rolling quietly in.
    “What the hell? Is this where she died?” I mumble.
    “What? Don’t be ridiculous.” Carter pulls on my elbow and drags me out of the passenger seat. Then he goes to the trunk and pulls out a bag.
    Oh. Shit.
    Did I completely misjudge him? Was my gut totally wrong?
    Is this the part where I get chopped up and put in grocery bags? Seagulls cry overhead like they’re just waiting to pick at my remains.
    I tense, ready to fight