AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then he’d shut down just like he was doing right now.
The lengths he’d gone to in order to keep me safe from the men who’d been following us had broken down the barrier around my heart. His utter fury with my father had smashed it all to pieces. Cobra was one of the good guys, the trust I had warming as well as infuriating given his brooding demeanor. Still, he didn’t deserve the baggage I’d unloaded, and it had nothing to do with what we were going through. Maybe I needed him to trust me.
Cobra’s eyes were huge, and I could tell he was holding his breath.
For a few seconds I took some crazy comfort in the silence, although the awkwardness helped form another knot in my stomach. The larger-than-life man had saved my life for a second time, killing at least two people in doing so.
He was risk taker, an important soldier, and if I had to guess, I’d say he saved dozens of lives during his service to our country. Now he stared at me as if I was crazy.
I turned away, noticing the kitchen. “Is it okay if I get something to drink?” He’d already told me it was, but I had to find something to say to break the tension.
“Sure. Help yourself.” His voice sounded far away, devoid of emotion or belief.
After walking in I slid against the wall, finally releasing a breath. Of course he didn’t believe me. Why should he? After all this time, I doubted anyone would. A mere mention if grabbed by members of the press, my father’s career would be ended. How many times had I wanted to initiate the scandal? Dozens.
But who would believe the nerd daughter?
There was no proof that my father had anything to do with Angela’s death, but it was something I’d believed since a few days after the tragedy. That had put a rift between my father and me. Also the fact my parents never talked about her remained disturbing, as if they were trying to hide something.
As my mind continued swirling the vague memory, I moved toward the cabinets, opening one after the other, shocked to see the place was well stocked with food. When I finally found a cabinet holding several bottles of liquor, I hesitated. I’d never been much of a drinker, at least until the past few months.
I wasn’t going to stop now. I pulled out a bottle of whiskey, finding a glass with ease. I couldn’t help but notice that every can, every bottle, plate and glass was organized neatly. I also knew that trait. When everything in my world turned into chaos, I was able to keep my room or my apartment spic and span. Just the way I liked it.
Don’t fall apart now.I thought about the last few months able to accept the reason my mind had peeled away the layers protecting me from what I believed to be the truth was because of the recent events in the laboratory. I’d tried to ignore the signs, pretending as if my instincts were based on the continued animosity I felt for my father.
“You gonna pour me one of those?” he asked from behind me.
His sultry voice sent a wave of shivers down my spine. “Sure.” Every bootstep seemed to echo more than it should, matching the slow but hard beats of my heart.
I didn’t turn around, merely sliding his glass down the counter a few inches.
“I shouldn’t have said that. You didn’t take this job for additional baggage. I’ll do everything I can to obey you.” Just saying the word made my tummy flutter. Why? Why him? Why now?Because you need someone you can trust like you had before.
“Why do you believe your father is responsible?”
“A gut feeling and no, I wasn’t there. Angela lived away from home because of how much she hated our father. He’s always been a horrible man.” I looked away, remembering the horrible time as if it happened yesterday.
“Look, I have no right to judge anyone, Isabella, but you can’t blame your father for something you’re not certain of.” He took a swig of his drink, studying me as if I was crazy. Maybe I was. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“Hell, no. The subject of my sister has been off limits. I’ve been forbidden to talk about it.”
He sighed and I could tell he doubted me. “How old were you?”
“Twelve years old. And no, I didn’t see it happen, but why wouldn’t they mention her name after her death?”
“That happens sometimes from the level of grief.”
“I know you don’t believe me. I’m not crazy. I just can’t prove it.”
He slowly turned his head, his damn gorgeous eyes piercing a hole right through me. “I do believe you, at least I believe that’s what you think happened.”
After swallowing several times, I nodded. Of course he had to be the voice of reason.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, already refilling his glass.
“No.” What could I say at this point? There would never be a single way I could prove my accusations.
“Okay.”
