Page 172 of This Bitter Sweet Temptation
“Nothing proven. However, we know he wants the egg.” Holden’s honey-brown eyes darken to amber as he thinks. “He lowballed you and wanted to flip it, but that doesn’t mean he’s done. That leak brought tactical goons to our doorstep the minute you turned him down. Coincidence, sloppy leak, maybe, but it’s awfully damn convenient. Whether he misjudged his contacts or he had a hand in this mess, it’s the same result. And if they’re prepared to break into a mansion crawling with cameras, what else will they do?”
I shake my head because I’m not having it.
I won’t be afraid.
“You act like he runs New York.” I huff and stand up. I need to move and shake off this claustrophobic feeling. “The guys who broke in don’t know where we are. If they did, if it was all Fairfax, they’d come after us. We could fly out tomorrow without anyone figuring it out.”
“He’d know,” Holden says grimly.
“Youthink. But you don’t know that for a fact and—holy shit, is this my life now?” I’m so tired of every decision going under this blanket of fear. “We can’t live like this, Holden. If we let him control us, if we let them freak us out, that just means they’ve won.”
“Won? This isn’t a damn game, Nile.”
He stands, stopping a few inches in front of me.
“You think I don’t know that? I’m not some little girl.” I glare up at him, jabbing a finger against his chest.
He looks down flatly.
“Is this the only reason why you’re blowing up in my face? Or is it somethingelse?”
His fingers wrap around my wrist, warm and solid. Not too tight—I can break away if I really want to—but just enough pressure so I can’t stab him in the chest anymore.
All the feels boiling in my chest rattle like rocks. Too sharp and too shaken not to scratch me to pieces.
I asked for this, didn’t I?
Here it is.
Thebig, ugly conversation we’ve needed.
“Is talking down to me the only reason you’re not blowing up? You’ve been acting weird all day,” I snap. “Ever since we talked about our future.”
“I woke up and you were gone,” he says.
“And? I told you I was going out.”
His mouth twists.
“So fine. We didn’t spend the day together. Not the end of the world. But… you’ve been avoiding me even when we’re together. So tell me, Holden. Whatdoyou want?”
“What the hell do you mean?” His voice softens to low thunder, but there’s a thread of frustration I haven’t heard before.
“I mean withus.” I breathe raggedly. “Because—because, if you want me to stay, you need tosayit.”
He’s quiet for a long time.Too long.
Like there’s any doubting his answer as he drops my wrist and steps back. The emptiness is breathtaking.
“For fuck’s sake,” he snarls, scraping a hand down his cheek. “Clee, we always knew this was a partnership with a limited shelf life. That hasn’t changed, no matter how much we might want to delude ourselves. We can’t do that. We shouldn’t.”
“Delude ourselves? Really?” I thought he couldn’t hurt me more.
Turns out, I was wrong, and now I’m trying to pull an arrow out of my chest.
For a second, his eyes flash with all the turmoil in my heart before they shut down.
Cold. Hard. Remote.
