He lifted up his shirt and pulled out the faded leather book.“I took evidence from a crime scene for you.”Just so they were clear about what he’d done.Not the easiest trick ever, pulling a sleight of hand and getting the book so all the nearby cops hadn’t seen him.
Good thing he’d been a magic buff once upon a time.He was good at making things vanish.
Certain people, too.They could vanish and never be found.
“You retrieved my property,” Lily clarified.“No big deal.”
A leather tie bound the book.“I am so curious about you,” he murmured.“If I open this book, will I find all of your secrets?”
“Don’t play games with me.”
Uh, oh, She hadn’t sounded cool and in control.Her words had frayed around the edges.His gaze lifted to pin her.“Why not?You’re playing them with me.”
She sucked in a breath.“I am not.”
“You fucked a Fed who thinks I’m a murderer.”Really, he didn’t care that Gage Emerick believed he was a killer.He did care that Lily had fucked him.“Why?”
“Uh, why did I have sex with him?Or why does he think you’re a murderer?Because if it’s the latter, you’d have to ask Gage where he came up with that idea.”
“It’s the former.”Gritted.“Why did you fuck him?”
Her delicate nostrils flared.“Because we were involved.We’d known each other for years.We dated.I…thought he understood me.”A quick clearing of her throat.“I was wrong.”She kept her hand extended and then…
In a fast swipe, she snatched the diary from him.
He smiled at her.
She brought the diary to her chest.Held it tightly.
“Maybe you should burn that,” he advised her.“Don’t want it falling into the wrong hands.By the way, you never answered myotherquestion.”
“You’ll have to be more specific.”She clutched the diary in a too-tight grip.“You’ve asked me a lot of questions.”
“What is the diary worth to you?Considering I just stole it for you?—”
“You didn’t steal it because it’s my property.You simply retrieved it for me.”
Ah, yes, an important clarification.One he was sure the authorities would appreciate.“You didn’t want the cops reading what was inside the diary.Iretrievedit before they could find it in order to protect you.Understand that I willalwaysprotect you, and I don’t really give a shit if that means I have to break the law.I’d bend it, I’d break it.I’d do it for you in a heartbeat.”
Surprise came and went on her lovely face.“Thank you.”Whispered.“For, um, getting the diary back for me.”She lowered the diary and put it on the seat beside her body.On the sideawayfrom him.Her fingers remained on the book’s cover.
Atlas tilted his head.“Do you have confessions in there?A list of dark deeds?I am intrigued.Just what sins have you committed?Come on, Lily.Tell me yours, and perhaps I’ll tell you mine.”
Her breath caught.
“Isn’t that what you want from your all-access pass into my life?”Atlas prompted.“My sins?”
“I want you…” Her fingers slid along the surface of the closed diary.“I need you to be better than the past.I have to be better, too.We can’t be like them.”
His jaw hardened.“I’m nothing like my father.”
“A twisted, sadistic killer with no conscience?”
Well, she’d certainly gone right to the heart of the matter.
“No,” Lily continued.“I don’t think you are like him.”
On this, they could agree.But… “Do you wonder…do you fear that I might be worse?”Atlas asked.
