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Outside, I shot Mateo a text on the burner letting him know I’d be in touch soon with the details, then I headed straight for Cyrus’s place.
His maid answered the door and showed me to the den, where he sat by a roaring fire, a glass of liquor in hand.
He smiled up at me when I entered. “Adam. I trust your trip was productive.”
I drew out the envelope from my pack and dropped it on the table next to him. “If you count catching someone cheating you out of five grand, then, yeah, it was.”
He frowned, his gaze dropping to the envelope.
“Don’t worry. I took care of it. Your money’s all there.”
His eyes lifted back to me. “Sam tried to short me?”
I nodded.
With a shake of his head, he placed his glass down. “Shame. And we’ve been in business so long.” He took a breath. “Thank you for seeing to the matter. I’ll have my men handle it from here.”
By the tone of Cyrus’s voice, I was sure poor old Sam had just bought himself a one-way ticket to meet his maker, courtesy of his own stupid decision.
“Okay.” I turned to go.
“Care for a drink?”
I paused, surprised by his congenial tone. “No. Thanks. I’m good.”
He dipped his head. “Perhaps another time. Thank you again.”
I nodded and saw myself out, a bit unnerved by the whole situation.
I drove straight home, walked Lance, then took a long shower before calling Mateo and filling him in on the details of the trip and everything Cyrus had said. He thanked me, saying it was helpful, but somehow it didn’t feel like enough. I felt dirty. Unsettled. Like a fraud.
Alone.
I glanced at the time. I could head down to work early. Talk to Tobias. He was always a good sounding board.
I grabbed my keys and swung open the door, stopping short to see Faith standing on the doorstep, her hands twisted together, her eyes tired, but her chin up in defiance.
Like there was any other way.
“I’m sorry I was an ass,” she said, blinking rapidly.
I quirked a brow. “Not exactly the word I’d use.”
That gaze shot back up at me. “Don’t be a prick.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
We stared at each other a long moment and I found myself looking her over. She was pale. Drawn. Clearly exhausted. Something in me melted and wanted nothing more than to protect and love her. “Faith... baby... I didn’t mean—”
“Also, I might not be as—fine—as I let on,” she said, cutting me off like she needed to get the words out while she could.
I nodded and rolled my lips to fight the smile. “You don’t say.”
Her eyes got wide, then she relaxed and bit back a chuckle.
I opened my arms and pulled her to my chest. She didn’t fight me, melting against my body so deliciously that I forgot where I was even going.
“We’re insane,” she said, her voice muffled against my pecs, her hands sliding up my back.
Yeah, we were that.
More than insane, we were doomed. She couldn’t abide lies, and I couldn’t tell her the truth. It was only a matter of time before she found me out, and she’d never forgive me. It didn’t matter what my reasons were for lying or that her brother-in-law orchestrated it. He was family. I was expendable, with a history of letting her down.
All we had was now.
My fingers slid into her soft hair, and I closed my eyes to breathe her in, memorizing her smell the way I had that day under the bridge. “There’s nobody I’d rather be insane with than you, love.”
