Julian's POV
The door clicked shut, the sound of the lock sliding into place. I stood in the center of the rug, my chest heaving, my mind a frantic blur of adrenaline and terror. Catherine was in the bathroom now and I was standing here in a room that smelled like a distillery and a sin.
I swept my gaze across the floor, spotting my discarded shirt. I yanked it on, fumbling with the buttons as I kicked the empty bourbon bottle under the edge of the bed. I barely had time to rake a hand through my hair before the knock came again.
"Julian?"
I didn't have a choice. I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to look like a man who was falling apart, which wasn't exactly a lie. "Come in," I called out, my voice raspy.
The door creaked open, and Lisa stepped inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, her nose crinkled.
