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“You’re a child,” she says, setting her glass on the table beside her. “And my security system is fine. It’s worked for the last year.”
“I’m going to bring in a security team I liked to work with back home. They’re going to bring your house up to my standards and then both of us will have less worrying to do.”
“I don’t need my house brought up to your standards.”
I shrug and take another sip of the wine. “It’s really not optional. I don’t know what made you think it was.”
“You’re infuriating. You and Brennan. Both of you act like you can walk in here and control my life. I appreciate the attempts at keeping me safe, but nothing has happened in well over a year. I’m safe.”
It’s the way her gaze holds mine until she says that she’s safe that gives away her lie.
“You’re not safe and there’s more going on than you’re willing to tell Brennan about. He knows it. So, why don’t you tell me what is going on and we can try to figure out some sort of arrangement for this entire situation that will work for both of us.”
She takes a deep breath before reaching for her wine and downing the glass. Brielle doesn’t say anything as she gets up and heads to the kitchen. I watch as she pours another glass of wine, drinking half of it before topping it up.
Good to know that white wine was the right choice.
“I was the only witness to my parents’ murder when I was twelve. I watched them get on their knees and the guns pressed to their heads. I tried to hide behind the furniture. I didn’t want to see what happened next. I heard the gunshots. I turned my head the other way and closed my eyes shut. I couldn’t bear to look. If I did, I wouldn’t have been able to leave. Then someone said to get the girl. I took off running the other way as fast as I could. I left out the back. I never looked back and I didn’t stop running for as long as I could breathe. I was determined that nobody was going to get their hands on me.”
“And how’s that been working out for you?” I ask before sipping my wine.
“I’m alive, aren’t I?”
I tilt the glass in her direction. “Fair point.”
Brielle stares at me for a moment. It feels like those green eyes see straight through me. Like she’s tearing me apart, piece by piece, trying to figure out what’s going on and why I’m here.
While I agreed to help Brennan because he asked, this situation is beneficial for me too. It’s easier to make sure that she isn’t taking pictures of me and my business.
After all, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?
Until I decide whether or not she is a real threat, I want to keep my eye on her.
“Why are you here and acting like this?” she asks as she settles back on the couch and pulls her blanket around her again. “You don’t know me and from what little time we have spent together, I would say that you don’t like me very much either.”
I shrug. “I don’t trust you. There’s a big difference. Although, I wouldn’t say you’re wrong about me not liking you either. To be honest, I don’t know you well enough to form much of an opinion and I have no intention of getting to know you that well.”
Her jaw flexes and she puts her wine on the table. “Good.”
I’m surprised by her answer. She’s already made it clear that my presence in her life is unwelcome, but after last night I was expecting a different attitude.
I may have been the one to suggest that we wouldn’t talk about it or let it happen again, but she seems only too happy to go along with it. Hell, it seems like I’m doing her a favor by keeping her at a distance.
“If this is going to work between us, you need to be honest with me.”
She rolls her eyes and pulls her knees to her chest. “I don’t need you babysitting me. What I need is a way to live my own life without having to look over my shoulder every few minutes.”
“Well then, tell me what the hell is going on and I can see what I can do to make it stop. Maybe then, you might earn yourself a little bit of freedom.”
“Fuck you.”
“You already did, Brielle. So, let’s move past that. What are you hiding from Brennan?”
Brielle’s eyes narrow. For a second, it looks like she is minutes away from launching herself across the room at me. I wouldn’t put it past her to try and drag me out of her house.
“You may as well just tell me. If I find out on my own — and I will find out either way — then I’m going to be spending even more time with you. It really just makes the most sense for you to tell me what is going on now.”
She grits her teeth together and looks around the room. If she even tries to escape to avoid the conversation, I have no problem going after her. To protect her, I need to know what I’m up against.
