Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“Please,” I whisper.
“We’re a long way past please,” he snaps. “Do you have something for me or not?”
“Yes,” I admit miserably, eyes blurry. “I’ve got pictures of accounts. Lots of them. Offshore. Like he’s splitting the money, trying to hide it.”
“Good girl,” he says, making my skin crawl. “When did you get your hands on these?”
“This morning,” I whisper. “I was going to call you.”
He snorts. “I won’t even ask if that’s true. I’ll send someone to the bar on the corner. You know, the one all your coworkers visit on Fridays. Be there in an hour, or I’ll drag that old bitch out myself.”
He hangs up, leaving me to run to the nearest bathroom, shut myself in a stall, and cry until my eyes hurt.
CHAPTER 18
DOMINIC
It’s the end of the working day—well, for those lucky enough not to be weighed down with tons of West Coast paperwork— when a knock comes at my door. When I call come in and Izzy enters, I rush to the door and close it behind her so we can be alone. This is the second time I’ve seen her at work today, and the only chance we’ve had to be alone.
“I just wanted to let you know I’m heading home,” she murmurs.
“You don’t have to ask for permission.”
“I’m not. I just—” Her shoulders slump. “Just wanted to see you.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me, feeling my heart and my body respond immediately.
She sighs and wraps her arms tightly around me. She presses her face against my chest like she’s going to cry.
“Izzy, what is it?” I ask.
She looks up at me, her eyes dry, but with sadness in them, nonetheless. “We do have a connection.”
“You don’t have to say that like you’re trying to convince me. I already know that.”
“I care about you,” she says.
I smile, leaning down and kissing her on the lips.
“I care about you too,” I say, keeping my lips against hers. I brush her hair behind her ears, revealing the music note earrings. “A lot, honestly. Maybe more than I should, considering how long it’s been.”
“And half our conversations have been through text,” she says, smiling.
I smirk and kiss her again. “Texting you is easier than talking to any other woman has ever been for me. I know I wasn’t fully honest—”
“Don’t.” She pushes her hand firmly against my chest. “You didn’t even have to tell me. It’s none of my business. That sort of thing? That’s family stuff that comes in weeks, months, not days.”
“It’s been weeks,” I say. Her tone is troubling me for a reason I can’t pinpoint.
“Not weeks of… us. A couple of weeks of knowing each other, but not this.”
I cradle her face in both my hands. “Don’t devalue it. That’s an order.”
She smiles with a hint of danger. I love it when she looks like this, like she knows this is crazy but wouldn’t stop for any reason. “Sorry, sir.”
I slip my hands down toward her ass.
Then my phone rings from the desk.
“California?” She asks.
I nod. “Just the usual logistics. Plus, there are a few politicians whose asses I need to kiss. I’m going to be a few more hours. I’ll text you when I’m done, see if you’re awake, maybe swing by.”
She takes a step back, nodding, but it’s too fast, manic almost. Something has gotten into her.
“See you soon,” she says, turning away and almost running from my office.
I take the call on the landline, putting my cell phone on my desk. During pauses in the conversation, I type out a message.
Dominic: You’ve got a lot going on right now, Songbird, so many things to worry about. I hope I’m lightening your load, not making it heavier. If something’s wrong, just know, you can always tell me, no matter what it is. I’d prefer an ugly truth to a beautiful lie, always.
She doesn’t reply for an hour. When her message comes, a dark feeling tightens in my gut. I’m not even sure why. Her message, on the surface, is sweet. But it leaves me with a strange sense of foreboding.
Izzy: I’ve loved our time together, Dom. Just being together, without even saying anything, has been great. Last night was the best date I’ve ever been on. And this morning, with Grandma, you were so amazing. And so honest, with the other thing. You’re an amazing person. I care about you.
I’m about to text her back when Ethan knocks on my door.
“Yeah?”
He strolls in, forehead furrowed in concern. “A man named Sebastian Goodfellow is here to see you. He wouldn’t give a reason, just said you’d want to see him. Between you and me, I didn’t like his tone.”
I swallow a ball of tension. Sebastian goddamn Goodfellow, the man who bankrupted my family, who was like an uncle to me before he revealed his true evil side.