Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 131651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 658(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 658(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“It’s a start. I feel a lot better about this than Fairfax’s offer to throw it on the private market. Guess that counts for something.”
“Sure,” he agrees. “What’s the next step?”
“Well, I need to head back to New York to meet with them and hash out all the details, sign the contracts, and so on. Then it’s just a matter of turning it over.”
Holden’s expression darkens. The corner of his mouth turns down.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
“C’mon. You don’t get to pull that lemon face for nothing.” I sigh and drink my tea now that it’s cooled. “Let’s hear it. What part do you hate? The museum or—”
“It’s not that.” His jaw flexes. “Just don’t like the thought of going back to New York City so soon. It’s Fairfax’s home turf.”
I frown up at him, trying to read what he’s really hiding behind his gruff, beardy expression.
“So what? We’ve already turned him down.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s the end of him. He caused us a major vulnerability. You could’ve gotten hurt.” He bristles, setting his mug down on an end table and bracing his hands against his thighs as he searches for the right words. “I spoke to him recently about the break-in.”
Oh, shit.
What? I shouldn’t be surprised.
I bite back my irritation, but those piercing brown eyes grab mine like he can sense exactly what I’m thinking.
“I know you wanted me to lay off it, but I couldn’t, Clee. Russian mercenaries were involved. Fairfax even said he’d identified the leak.”
“Okay, but they’re gone now. Aren’t they?” My blood cools.
“We don’t know. Hell, if it really was Fairfax’s own people, his partners, they had an easy ruse,” he growls. “I can’t rule out anything with his connections. And if he hears you’re bringing the egg back to New York City—”
“Wait, wait. Hang on.” I hold up my hand. “This is where we’re going with this? You think Fairfax was behind the break-in?”
“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.
“You think. 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 something else?”
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.
The big, 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. What do you 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 with us.” I breathe raggedly. “Because—because, if you want me to stay, you need to say it.”
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.”