Page 33 of Ruthless Deliverance

And it’s been quiet until I hear Philip shouting my name down the hallway. There’re two hard knocks on the door before it flings open. But hey, at least he knocked this time. But he doesn’t look happy. “Anything you care to tell me?”

“No. Not really.” It’s the truth. There’s nothing I care to tell him but a few things I should.

“I see. So, you don’t want to explain to me how you ended up at the Kincaid compound?”

Well damn, not what I was expecting him to be enraged about, but still something I’d rather not approach. “How’d you find out?”

“Do you think I’d really not have the place under surveillance with their academy being our prime target?”

“Yes. I never would’ve guessed since you told me that Creed was safe and shouldn’t be investigated.”

“I said stay away from him, not that he wasn’t a part of this. And what did you do? Knock on his front door.”

“So fire me.” Please. Take the decision from me. It seems that everything else has been stripped away.

“Stop being a brat, Danica.” He takes a step back, his hand brushing over his mouth as he rolls his shoulders back.

I search his frustrated body language, but it appears more disappointed than annoyed. But I’m not sure if it’s me he’s disappointed in or the latest development. He doesn’t have a handle on either, so it could go any way. “You can’t fire me. Can you?”

His hand props on his side, the other pinching his nose. He genuinely looks like he’s fed up to say the least, but I have a feeling it’s not just with me. “No. I can’t fire you. I need you on this case. There’s no one else. I need someone I can trust to do the right thing and not get corrupted. I thought that was you.”

“Thought?” Yeah. I’m screwing up. But surely he can trust me enough to do the right thing when the time comes.

“You disobeyed a direct order. What the hell am I supposed to think other than you’re off screwing around and not taking this case serious.”

“I didn’t want anything to do with that shithead. He’s pursuing me. I know, hard to believe, but he won’t back the fuck off no matter what I do.” Especially since he knows why I’m here, but we’ll keep that part out. Philip wants to solve the case and so do I. That’s the goal. That’s what is most important. “I’ll leave anything incriminating him out of the report, but I really believe he can help get the case wrapped up sooner. And we can do so and leave Precious untouched in the end.”

“This isn’t about saving his ass. I told you to stay away to save both of our asses because I want it to end well for us, not him.”

“What does he have to do with that?”

“Everything. There won’t be a happy ending for the two of you, so if that’s in your mind, get it out. Now. The Kincaids aren’t a family to reckon with.”

“I’m not that naïve. And I want nothing more than to get back to my life before I’d ever met him. But if he is a ticket to help me do so faster, then I want to utilize him. This place is making me crazy.”

“Are you sure it’s this place? Or maybe it’s that we’re exposing our weaknesses?” Philip gives me a quick eyebrow lift gesture then steps out of the room.

What was that? Things obviously aren’t going his way either, but damn, that felt more personal than work-related. Because, sadly, he’s right. Nothing has changed about me since I arrived here. I’ve been stripped out of my comfortable, placid environment that I’ve built up. This place pushes me out of my element. And I don’t like it. At all.

30

CREED

Patience. It’s never been my strong suit. And she’s really testing it. Or more like I’m allowing her to test it. And she does exactly that as she pulls into a parking spot on the far side of the lot, nonchalantly steps out of her car, and makes her way towards the school. She knows I’m here. And she knows I’m waiting on her like the pathetic fool she’s turned me into. It’s more than evident as I waited, slightly worried that she would bail on the case, and me, just to disappear like she did after she hauled ass from the gym on Saturday. I figured she’d be at the field party Saturday night, snooping around again. Instead, she ghosted me even after I’d sent in Luna to try and coax her out.

Walking along the sidewalk, I step beside her just as we’re walking through the doorway. “It’s a little late to avoid me now.”

She stops so abruptly a girl behind her bumps into her before muttering a quick apology. The crowd keeps moving, parting around us like rapids rolling by boulders on their way downriver, while we stand facing each other in the middle of the hallway.

“Clearly.” She turns instantly, resuming her trek to first period, though her stride isn’t as quick. There’s something off.

“What happened?” I ask just before we step into Garbo’s classroom.

“Nothing.” Sitting down in her usual seat, I drop down in mine. It’s not far from hers but not close enough for the conversation to continue.

Leaning in her direction, I smile as the word leaves my mouth. “Liar.”

I swear her head detaches from her body as it slowly rotates my way, a look of pure loathing aimed at me for a solid minute before she slowly turns her attention to her phone.