Page 76 of Ruthless Contract
There was no telling what she’d do if she expected I was emotionally compromised and couldn’t think clearly about the situation. If the roles were reversed, I’d be pissed at her for not telling me.
I’d be angry as hell at her for putting us all in danger over something as fragile as love. Love came and went. It bloomed, and it wilted. I was a florist. I saw high-profile brides when they were at their happiest.
I also ran an intel hub, so I often heard the gossip when their marriages ended. Not knowing it was run by me, some even hired The Circuit to spy on their significant others. Spying on cheating husbands was actually how our hub started back in my grandmother’s day.
So, I knew that today’s love could be tomorrow’s hate. Though I knew that, I still couldn’t let go of the feelings I had for Rome. I wasn’t stupid. I knew they were irrational. I knew they were risky.
Yet, they were important to me. He was important to me. And I’d be the first to admit I was a hypocrite, because I knew I’d be angry if Ivy did this. Even so, I couldn’t tell her how I felt. I was a fucking idiot.
“Blossom, will I lose you to a...” Ivy started.
“No,” I hurried and said before she could finish her question.
Even as I uttered that word, I knew I was already lost and didn’t know how to find my way back.
“Good.” Ivy leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. “Remember what our goal is. Remember why you hacked him in the first place.”
“I know.”
“Don't get distracted by his handsome face and those nerdy glasses.”
I groaned. “I know.”
“I know you're a sucker for a handsome nerd.”
Such a sucker.It was embarrassing, actually. But she wasn't wrong. I had to think about the bigger picture. The problem was that the bigger picture kept getting overshadowed by Rome's face.
At first, Rome was simply a threat I was monitoring. He was someone I was trying to hack to see what intel he’d found on the people who’d spied on Marcel Cattaneo. But the more we talked, the deeper our connection grew, and the more dangerous the situation became.
Rome may be interested in Juliet. He may even find me, Blossom, attractive. But if he ever discovered who I really was, he would hate me for my connection to the intel leak. It wouldn't matter that I hadn't approved it.
It wouldn’t matter that no one on my team had wanted Marcel to be kidnapped. We hadn’t wanted anyone to be kidnapped. It wouldn't matter that the situation was complicated. All he'dsee was betrayal. Then whatever this was blooming between us would wilt and die.
“I'll find out if he suspects me of being the hacker he's been talking to,” I told Ivy.
“Find out, and then cut ties with him for good.”
Easier said than done.
“Our plan to pin the incident on the dead hacker is good,” Ivy continued. “We can't mess it up by being sloppy. Okay, Blossom?”
“Okay.”
“By the way, when was the last time you went out on a date?” she asked. “With a real man?”
“A real man?” I frowned.
Did she think I normally dated aliens or something? I mean, I had dated some weirdos in the past. But damn!
“I mean, a real date. Not a hacking date,” she explained.
“Months,” I admitted. “But in my defense, I’ve been a little busy.”
“You need to get laid.”
“Whoa. That escalated fast.”
“I’m serious.”
