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)
“Thank you, oh, Dom, thank you,” I whimper. I reach over and cling to his hands. “And I’m so, so sorry.”
He holds my hands for half a minute, maybe more, staring at me with heartache in his eyes. He looks like he might cry too.
“I want to forgive you,” he says, his tone dark. “But I can’t trust you. I thought we had something. I thought it was real. Now, any time I look back, I’ll never know if you really wanted to be with me, or if it was all part of the plan.”
“None of it was part of the plan,” I hiss. “He didn’t tell me to be with you, Dom. That part was real. What we had in this apartment, just last night, that was real.”
He brushes hair from my cheek, smiling sadly. “We had a good run. We had more than I expected I’d have. But it has to end.”
“Does it?” I ask, pressing my hand against his, adding pressure to the warmth against my face.
“It does,” he says firmly. “I’m going to help you.”
“You help too many people already,” I murmur.
He pulls back suddenly, curling his lip. “Is that a dig about Liam?”
“What? No!”
“My secret didn’t involve hurting you, Izzy.”
“It wasn’t a dig,” I snap.
“Hmm,” he grunts, rubbing his jaw.
“Are you trying to force yourself to be mad at me?” I demand. “Are you trying to make yourself hate me?”
His eyes widen with a moment of acknowledgement, then he turns away. “Have a good life.”
“Dom,” I yell when he’s at the door.
He turns, staring at me with wounded eyes. He doesn’t look angry anymore. He doesn’t look hateful. He looks like a lost little boy who’s discovered Santa isn’t real. It’s more devastating than if he threw something.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him wholeheartedly. “You deserved better.”
“Yeah,” he says. “I thought so too, for a little while.”
CHAPTER 20
DOMINIC
“All clear, sir,” Mikhail tells me down the phone. He’s the head of the security agency I hired to watch Izzy and her grandmother four days ago. It’s the first thing I did after leaving her apartment with a lump in my throat and a hole in my chest. “The grandmother is under constant care. Nothing has changed there. Miss Marlowe has remained in her apartment except when she visits her grandmother. A few times, she’s gone for a drive, but it looks as though it’s an end in and of itself. Her routes are random, and I can’t see any connection yet.”
“How does she look?” I ask, grinding my teeth as I stand at the window, overlooking the city.
You shouldn’t care anymore, my father warns.
“Sir?” Mikhail says.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
He clears his throat. “Apologies, sir, I’m just not sure what you mean.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”
What a lie that is.
“Just make sure they’re safe.”
I’m already paying for her grandmother’s care, so that’s one less thing to worry about. What’s not so easily fixed is this tugging in my chest. Every time I think of Izzy—which is far too often—my chest goes tight. I can’t shake this ache, this vicious certainty that I’ve done something wrong.
But she’s the one who betrayed me, for fuck’s sake.
I return to my desk, staring down at my cell phone. It’s like my thumbs have a life of their own. Without even really deciding to, I’m typing a message.
Dominic: I hate how this started. I hate that you betrayed me. I hate the lies. I hate that we didn’t get to be together long enough to make a real go of it. I was furious the last time we saw each other. Cold. But the more time that passes, the harder it is to ignore, Songbird… YOU HAD NO CHOICE. What were you supposed to do with them threatening your grandmother? Your only family?
I stare at the message, wanting desperately to send it. The only thing that stops me is the thought that maybe this is part of their plan. This could be a double bluff, with Izzy telling me they threatened her… but really, she planned to make me care, even if they were caught out.
Do I believe that? Or do I just need to believe it?
Ethan knocks on my door, tilting his head appraisingly as he walks across the office. He’s been looking at me like that a lot lately, as though he can see through the shield I’m attempting to put up.
“We’re going to be late,” he murmurs.
Ah, right. The meeting at Pike Construction. Aaron sent word this morning, wanting to talk urgently. Which means he’s discovered the documents were false. Good. It’ll be some small relief to wipe that smug look off his face.
Sebastian Armitage and Aaron Pike are waiting for me in Aaron’s office. Once I knew Sebastian was a large shareholder in the megacorporation, finding his true name wasn’t too difficult. I also learned he’s been abroad until very recently. Something brought him home. At first, I thought it might be my wealth and success. But I’ve been wealthy and successful for years.