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This woman could cut me like no one ever could. She wouldn’t know the truth, not yet, but in time... “Everything’s changed, Princess. That’s why you’re here.”
I watched the length of her hair bob back and forth as she shook her head again. “You make my head hurt, Sebastian. I’m so tired of cryptic words and hidden meanings. I get it from everywhere. I had hoped once that you were different.” Her voice trailed off.
I wasn’t different. I know that now. I was the same man she’d grown up with–a ruthless, cold-hearted bastard who used a woman to get what he wanted. When she looked at me, she saw nothing but the image of a self-centered, egotistical criminal who lived his life in the shadows of a world he could never give her.
“Alright. I’ll accept that part of the deal. I’ll try to escape and if I succeed, you let me go.”
My gut clenched. “Agreed.”
“And what happens when my brothers come for me? And my mother? Sebastian, she’ll be worried sick. She’s not well, you know. The last thing she needs is to worry about me. She does enough of that as it is. I can’t–”
I put a finger over her worrying lips.
“I have a plan for that as well, if you’ll indulge me.”
“Of course you do.” She sighed. “Okay. Lay it on me. What’s the plan?”
“You pretend.”
“I... pretend...? Pretend what, exactly?”
“That you’re staying here of your own free will. That it was your choice to come away with me for the week. That way, your mother doesn’t have to worry.” Before I was done, Lilly was already shaking her head.
“It won’t work. Gabriel’s too paranoid these days after you... He won’t fall for it.”
“No, he won’t, but he’ll use that information to make your mother feel better, so she won’t worry. I don’t give a fuck what he thinks.”
“He’ll snap. So much has happened... he won’t be okay with it,” she insisted, a worried frown marring her beautiful face.
“He doesn’t have to be okay with it. This might surprise you, Princess, but I don’t live my life to please your brother. He doesn’t have to know the details, Lilly. It’s too late, anyway. I didn’t want the world sounding the alarms last night, so I took the liberty of sending a text from your phone.”
I took her phone out of my pocket, pulled up the text I’d sent late last night, and slid the phone across the table.
Lilly read the text, then rolled her eyes as she pushed the phone back to me. Was I surprised that she didn’t keep it or call me names because I’d kept it from her? Hell, yes, but I’d take the gift of cooperation as long as she kept giving it. She was making this much too easy... easier than I deserved.
“He won’t fall for that.”
“Maybe not.”
“Especially with three men missing. What did you do to them, anyway?”
“I didn’t do anything to them. They were dropped off after we left town last night. They weren’t gone for more than two hours. They were released just after I sent that text.”
“They’re okay?”
“They were when they were let go. I can’t speak for what Gabriel has done to them after they lost you.”
Her laughter was genuine, sending a jolt of desire through me. I fucking loved it when she laughed.
“Lost me?Are we using that euphemism now? The second half of your plan is that I’m supposed to pretend I’m here of my own free will so that my mother won’t worry that you’ve actually kidnapped me.”
“That’s correct. I told you this situation wasn’t permanent. Just tell her, and everyone else, that you’ve been working hard and need to rejuvenate for the week to gear up for the work you have to do before the shop opens.”
“That sounds pretty irresponsible, even for me.” She sat back in her chair and eyed me across the table. “Aren’t you going to tell me why? Why am I here, Sebastian?”
Was this the moment of honesty? Was this the make-or-break moment in this crazy,damned if we do, damned if we don’trelationship? Would she believe one word about the crazy fucked up truth?
I topped off my wine glass. “Because your brother is going to kill me for something I didn’t do, and I’m not about to sit back and let him. You’re my insurance policy to make him think twice.”
