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“So are you.” She laughs with relief as the tears fall.
I look past her at Jax entering the room, and he holds up a hand in triumph. “We did it.”
“Barely.” I shake my head and give him a high five.
“Did you sign the contract?” Kylie asks, still clinging to me.
“No. You guys happen to have impeccable timing.”
“That still doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear, but it’s better than jail time.” Jax pats me on the shoulder. “I’ll ask them to give you two a moment before they take you in for questioning.”
“Thanks, Jax.” I smile a little.
He nods before walking away, and I look down at Kylie all bandaged up, and it makes me feel nauseous. If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened and she would be safe doing some basic job downtown. I can’t go through this again; who knows? Next time, it could end far worse. As much as I want to just whisk her away, I don’t want to involve her in my messes anymore. And knowing Leo and Isabella, this mess clearly isn’t over. After this fiasco, it’s obvious she has a target on her back that won’t be going away as long as she’s attached to me. And if I know Leo or Isa, they will have someone in the wings waiting to swoop in and take their temporary reign, while they call the shots.
“I’m so happy that you’re okay,” I say, letting go of her. “But I think we should talk.”
Her face falls, and she takes a step back. “About what?”
“About us. I think that after what’s just happened, we should go our separate ways.”
“What?” She balks. “I just risked my life for you and you’re just calling it quits?”
“You lied to me,” I whisper fiercely. This was also weighing heavily on my mind. “The entire time we were working together, you were feeding your brother all the information.”
“It was to help you.”
“It was a lie. And I’m through with being lied to. I’m sorry, Kylie.”
I walk away from her before I lose my resolve, her eyes staring at me as I walk toward Jax.. Even though it breaks my heart to end it like this with Kylie, it’s better this way. She was supposed to just be a getaway fling anyway. I have to let her go; it’s what’s best for her. But as I’m lead farther and farther away from her, I know that’s anything but the truth.
CHAPTER36
Kylie
It’s over?It can’t be.
I replay Johnathan’s words in my mind ad nauseum as Jax drives us home after a long day of questioning. Maybe there’s a hidden message behind them that I missed. There’s no way that he can just drop me like that after all we’ve been through. But, as I return my badge and the weeks go on, I don’t hear a word from him. Unless it’s the information I’m prying out of Jax about the ongoing investigation, I have no idea what Johnathan’s up to. Jax was able to strike up a deal where Johnathan offered immunity for turning all of his information over to the attorney general’s office. Which means the police will continue to dig through the company from top to bottom. It’s intrusive, but it prevents Johnathan from being wrapped up in any more schemes. Plus, it keeps him safe from any vengeful associates the Guerra Family might have lingering in the shadows. Two weeks pass, and I find myself sleeping and eating more. I chalk it up to a broken heart and my period coming on and continue to mope around the house. No job, no Johnathan, and the lack of nutrition in my diet has me running to the bathroom more than I want to. So much for taking over New York.
* * *
“What?”This can’t be happening right now as I stare down at the little stick in my hand. My whole body goes numb, my heart racing. This is not the way I imagined this happening at all. But frankly none of this is. I never thought when I moved to New York, I’d become part of a criminal investigation, fall in love, be kidnapped, and dumped all within a few short months. Now this.
The more I replay the evens in my head, the more my sadness transforms into rage. After everything I’ve done to help him, this is how he repays me? I manage to find his address in Jax’s files and make my move. Enough of the silence. It’s my turn to talk now.
* * *
I standin front of his apartment building, frozen from fear and the cold. What if he rejects me on the doorstep? The anger inside has dulled to a low roar, and I force myself to walk into the lobby. I’ve already made it this far. There’s no sense getting cold feet at the last second. I punch the button to the eighth floor and watch the elevator doors close with a combination of excitement and fear. It hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen him, but it doesn’t make my insides stir any less. I make my way down the hall and muster up the last of my courage as I bang on his door.
“Coming.”
His voice makes my heart do a back flip. I can hear him shuffling on the other side, and I’m practically vibrating with anticipation by the time the door swings open. Johnathan stares at me in disbelief, his usual business attire replaced with sweatpants and a gray t-shirt.
“Kylie? What are you doing here?” Truthfully, he doesn’t look well, which makes me a little happy inside.
“I’ve come to talk to you,” I say, the anger slowly rising. “May I come in?”
He steps back and lets me inside, the faint sound of fake warfare blaring in the distance. I take in the modest décor and minimal furniture. For a man of many riches, he lives a normal-looking life.
