Sal (The Ride Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

dropped to the floor.
    His eyes immediately found mine, boring into me with heated intensity.
    “Here you go,” I said quietly, giving the baby back to Cole. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetie. Love you,” I said to Scarlet as she looked at me with wide eyes. “It’s fine,” I mouthed to her reassuringly, even though I knew she wouldn’t believe it for a second.
    I couldn’t have gotten out of there any faster than if I was on fire.
    “Kat, dammit, wait a second,” Sal’s voice commanded from behind me. I didn’t even fathom stopping. I cursed when I realized I’d have to wait for the elevator. I briefly contemplated taking the stairs, but knew in my haste I’d end up face planting somewhere along the way. He easily caught up with me as I punched the button impatiently.
    “You’ll break your finger, Birdie,” he noted casually as I slammed my thumb into it.
    “Don’t call me that,” I snapped as the doors opened and I shot inside.
    Somewhere along the way, Sal had started to call me Birdie. I was never sure where it came from, but I’d always loved it. I was “baby” or “babe” sometimes, but Birdie was something special just for us. Hearing him use the term now pissed me off.
    Of course he followed me, his imposing form standing next to me as we silently descended. He’d gotten bigger, more muscular in the time he’d been away. He’d always been ripped but leaner than the other guys; now he was significantly bulkier. He seemed to have put on pounds of muscle, which further sculpted what had already been a drool-worthy body. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his beautiful tattoos that covered both arms and led up onto his neck. I’d never dated someone with tattoos before Sal, and I was surprised at how much I loved them. Sal’s were beautiful and colorful. Though, of course he hadn’t told me the stories behind most of them. That was Sal for you.
    He kept himself carefully guarded. I’d always struggled to get to the heart of him. There was so much about him I didn’t know. And his lack of public affection had always bothered me. When we were alone, he always wanted to be close, but being in public was a different story. I’d never been satisfied with that and had always hoped he’d come around. I was willing to be patient because I loved him. I’d thought we had time .
    When the doors opened at the ground level, I bolted out as though the devil himself were behind me. “Kat, just give me a fucking second,” he said sharply as we neared my car. I stopped with my back facing him and sucked in a ragged breath, pissed as all hell at the tears forming in my eyes. He’d never seen me cry, not many people ever had, and I didn’t want him to see my vulnerability now.
    “Sal,” I said quietly as I turned to face him, looking up into his dark, stormy expression.
    His eyes widened at my tearful expression.
    “You have no idea…” I choked out. I’d been close to saying how he had no idea what he’d done to me and then thought better of that line of conversation. It would make me feel too raw to express how much he’d hurt me. My tear-filled eyes were already showing him enough. I changed tactics and tried to unsuccessfully clear my throat. “If you ever cared about me at all, let me be,” I said as his eyes looked down at me with something I’d never seen before. Was it tenderness? Regret?
    “I mean, I’m sure you did us both a favor anyway,” I continued, proud that I hadn’t let any tears fall. “Clearly, I wasn’t the girl for you.” I took my keys out of my bag, determined to get out from under his gaze as quickly as possible.
    “What the fuck does that mean?” he growled.
    “Sal, please. I can’t do this with you.”
    “I’m not giving up, you should know that,” he told me firmly.
    Great.
    He let me get into my car without another word. I resisted the urge to watch him in my rearview mirror as I drove away.

Chapter 5
    I t had been two weeks since that day