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“If you can’t handle the truth, well, maybe you should rethink your position. Are you truly adept at being a law enforcement agent when enforcing the truth is less important to you than stalking innocent businessmen?”
Her voice turned stony. “My call today has nothing to do with your import/export empire. It’s to do with Aela’s business ties.”
“As you well know, Aela’s perfectly innocent of any crime. Our attorneys have apprised us of the situation, and if you continue to call her, I’ll consider it harassment and I’ll be taking it up with the DA. Now, you’ve wasted enough of my time, Special Agent. I hope Aela never hears from you again or your career will be on the line.”
Before she could reply, he cut the call then passed my cell back to me.
“When have you talked to the attorneys?”
He arched a brow. “I speak with them every day. I’m still dealing with business. I’m just doing it from home rather than in the office.”
I shook my head. “How are you supposed to get better if you’re not resting?”
“You know what this world is like, Aela,” he rasped. “It never stops. Not for any man.”
My shoulders slumped, rounding as I dug my elbows onto my knees and asked, “Think she’ll give up?”
“She’ll have no choice. There’s truly no reason for her to continue bothering you. You did nothing wrong. You’ve been more than courteous in sharing your accounts with them and have answered all their questions.
“She’s only digging in because she wants to turn you.”
My laughter was harsh. “Turn me? Do I look like a fool?”
His gaze turned somber. “You’d be surprised. There’s a wave of it going around. That’s two men who’ve turned on us in the past six months.”
“Two?” My brows arched. “That comes as a shock.”
“Trust me, no one is more astonished than Da.”
“I’ll bet.” Uneasily, I muttered, “I wouldn’t have turned on you. I mean, I don’t know enough to be able to.”
“There’s always some piece of information you can sell, but I know you wouldn’t. You’re not a sellout, Aela. You never were.”
I tipped my chin up. “I’m glad you know that.”
“I do.”
“You going to tell me what the truth is? What you were talking about before Caroline called?”
His stare was intense when he looked at me, raking me over hot coals with the cocktail of emotions in his eyes.
Many people might say Declan was a cold man, and I’d agree with that. He was dark, so filthy dark that it obscured the truth of his nature.
But to me,withme, there was only one point in my life where he’d ever let me see that side of him. Where I’d felt that darkness and had been tainted by it. It had started on the day of Deirdre’s funeral. The day my life had begun to turn upside down.
“Would you say that I liked Deirdre?”
I frowned. “No. Not at all. I never understood why you were dating her. I mean, aside from her position. I can imagine you two getting together would have pleased your father.”
“You’re right. It did. And you’re also right—I didn’t like her. I fucking hated her.” His lips firmed. “Everything about her revolted me. She made my goddamn skin crawl.”
“Then why did you stay with her? Why was I your side piece?”
Deirdre had madehisskin crawl… that was nothing compared to what that word did to me.
Side piece.
God, I hated it. I hated it so fucking much. I hated what it meant, what it represented, and what I’d been. What I’d allowed myself to become. I’d kept the tag as a reminder of what a man could do to me. But really? Declan was the only guy I’d ever debase myself for.
