AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I promise I would be a good father for both girls, no matter which one of them is my biological child. I want to give them two parents who will love and care for them.”
“It’s not enough.”
He crossed his arms and slumped back in the seat. “It has to be enough because it’s all I have to give. I’m not looking for a real marriage. I asked for that once, and I got burned.”
“I’m sorry you’re so jaded. But if you stay closed off, you’ll miss the chance for real happiness when it comes along.”
He rolled his head to the side to look at her. “Thanks for the relationship advice, but I don’t have the luxury of worrying about my heart. I have a daughter to think about.”
“That’s what I’m doing, too. I am a role model to Luna, and I take that job seriously. I watched my mom pick the wrong man for the wrong reasons and end up with nothing but sadness.”
She shook her head to clear those memories of her mother’s muffled crying late at night.
“If and when I ever marry again, I will choose the right guy for the right reasons.”
* * *
“What the hell were you thinking, going rogue on the plan?” he said none too quietly the moment she answered the phone.
“Well, that’s a fine way to say hello. I sure hope you’re not at the grocery store or in a coffee shop.”
He harrumphed.
“I’m smarter than that. I’m outside. No one’s around. For once, give me credit for knowing what I’m doing.”
“Sweetie, of course you do.”
“That’s better. Because you know you can’t complete our little project without me. Don’t forget that.”
How could she if he kept reminding her? She’d never relied on a man for anything, and she hated having to do it now. “We’re in this together. We’re partners.”
“Now, tell me why I didn’t know the bomb threat was coming.”
Bomb threat? Her breath caught, and she winced over her lack of control. Had he heard her gasp? She needed to think. Maybe this was something she could use.
“Ingenious, by the way,” he said.
The breath she’d been holding came out in tiny puffs. “I thought so.”
She hadn’t exactly confessed, a good thing since she didn’t have the basic details of the threat yet. How was she supposed to keep the upper hand with her partner if he caught her in a lie?
“As long as you didn’t make the call to the Colton Oil headquarters on your cell so the police can track you.”
“Do you think I’d make a mistake like that?”
“You? No way. You’re an expert at the game.”
Unfor
tunately, they didn’t appear to be the only ones playing it. Just how many enemies did these people have? She didn’t care who the real caller for the bomb threat was, as long as he or she didn’t get in her way.
“What about all the other little happenings around town? Did you hire someone else to do it?”
“Can’t a girl have a few secrets?” she purred.
“Not about—”
“Really, honey.” Her matter-of-fact voice was back, but she didn’t care. “Don’t worry about the other things. They’re just distractions from your real purpose. Remember, you’re one of the most critical parts of our whole plan.”
