Free Little Bird (The Tangled Series) by Liza Gaines

you want if you’re hungry.”
    Savannah nodded but didn’t say anything for fear she’d make a fool of herself and beg him to take her to his bed. Lord knows she was far more interested in spending the day having sex with him than she was in actually getting any work done.
    Lee bent, brushing his lips across her temple before straightening and heading for the door. Savannah shivered, a content sigh escaping her lips as she watched him go.
    Lee stood in front of Cara’s closed apartment door, staring blankly at it. He’d knocked and now he waited. Of course, she wasn’t going to answer but he didn’t feel quite ready to try the key in his hand just yet.
    The end of their marriage hadn’t been so much a divorce as it had been an amputation. The limb had been diseased for so long there was no slow or gentle way to cure the sickness. When the end finally came, the only option was surgical. It was fast and final, more than a little brutal. Even though it was for the best, there was still the occasional phantom pain. Unfortunately, Lee was wrestling with one of those phantom pains just now.
    Lee didn’t miss their marriage and he didn’t miss Cara. By the time the end came, there hadn’t been anything worth missing in a very long time. No, his phantom pain was missing the man, the boy, he used to be before he knew what he was capable of doing to someone he was supposed to love. That’s what their marriage had really cost him—any delusion he might have had that he was a decent guy. Somehow, going into her apartment felt like having to confront that fact all over again and he really fucking hated the way that made him feel.
    “Hey, can I help you?”
    Lee looked up, startled to see an elderly woman standing in the hallway watching him suspiciously. Right, of course. He’d been staring at Cara’s door like a damn idiot for who knows how long. If that didn’t look suspicious, he didn’t know what did. “Uh, sorry, I was just looking for Cara. You know her?”
    “Of course I do. Who the fuck are you?”
    Whoa. The old lady was cursing at him, which was more than a little unexpected since she looked like your average sweet little grandma type. “I’m her ex-husband, Lee.”
    “Oh, you’re the cheating fuckhead. What do you want with her now?”
    Lee flushed, gritting his teeth. Jesus, he knew he’d been an asshole but did Cara really have to tell everyone about it? And what was with this woman’s mouth? Not that he was a prude, he cussed as much as anyone, but hearing it from her was just weird. With a shake of his head he held up his hand, dangling the key they’d found in the box last night and hoping like hell their guess it was for her apartment was correct. The last thing he needed was one of her neighbors calling the cops on him. “I have a key, she gave it to me. I think she’s in trouble and I think she needs help. Have you seen her recently?”
    “Not since Sunday.” The woman narrowed her eyes, obviously still trying to decide what to make of him. “She visits her folks on Sundays and she hasn’t been back since.”
    “Is that normal?” Lee was putting every effort into looking calm and non-threatening but his patience was wearing thin. This was his own damn fault. If he’d just tried the key first thing instead of standing there like a fool, he wouldn’t be stuck having this conversation now.
    “No. Not usually. She stays with her folks every now and then but not this long and not without letting me know. She’s real good to me. My kids don’t come around much and she looks out for me.” Affection and appreciation were evident in the woman’s expression. “I try to do the same for her.”
    “Besides me, have you seen anyone else hanging around her apartment lately?”
    “No.” The woman shook her head.
    “Okay, well, I’m going to go in, all right?” Lee shook the key in his hand. “I just want to check on things.”
    “Okay.” The woman edged closer to him, obviously still