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“No, Eve. Of course not.” I squeeze her shoulders. “Why would you even think that?”
“Because I begged you to go to Bowen, but now I don’t want to go anymore.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about. Why don’t you want to go?”
She can’t answer before the loud ringing of my phone interrupts our conversation. It’s early and I doubt it’s work related.
“Hang on.”
I run-walk down to the bedroom to answer before it stops ringing. It’s the headmistress from Eve’s school.
“Ms. Martin … er, Mrs. Townsend,” she corrects. “I want to be the first to apologize for the mishap that occurred with Eve. I’m glad to hear that she’s back with you, safe.”
I can barely get out my hello before the headmistress at the school is profusely apologizing over and over. I allow her to apologize only half listening because I’m too focused on one question.
What did she just call me?
CHAPTER26
Kyle
“No.” Riley adamantly shakes her head.
“It wasn’t a question,” I reply while buttoning the cuff of my sleeve. “We’re going to be late.” We’re about to leave Townsend offices to go to an after-work lounge where we’re going to meet with Dean Walsh.
Riley is going to pass him phony files via the thumb drive he gave her.
“This wasn’t the plan.” She plants her hands on her hips. The move distracts me for a moment before I refocus.
“Plans change.”
“How are you going to come with me to meet him? That doesn’t make any sense. Our cover will be blown.”
A muscle in my jaw ticks. She has a point. The original plan was for Riley to meet up with Dean at the location he specified, which is a hotel. Presumably his hotel room.
I’ll be damned if I let that happen. The thought alone causes heated anger to course through me. After spending the past few days listening to the recorded conversations Riley had with Dean, I refuse to let her be alone with the bastard.
He’s unstable.
The idea of him being with her in a closed room makes me almost blind with rage.
“You’re good at lying, aren’t you?” I tell her. “Make the story believable.”
She tosses her hands up, exasperated from my unbendable nature, I assume.
Tough shit.
“This is because you don’t trust me.” Her eyes roll toward the ceiling. “God, what do you think I’m going to do? Sit on his dick while you listen in?”
I’m around my desk and grabbing her by the arms before she finishes that sentence. The tiny gasp she lets out causes the jealousy raging through me to burn even more. “What the hell did you just say?”
I keep my voice even, but I allow my glare to burrow into Riley’s eyes.
She swallows but shakes free from my hold. “You’re the one who wanted this fake marriage to get your revenge on Dean for trying to set you up. If he sees us together, he’ll—”
“Believe it’s working. Dean isn’t smart enough to think I’ve figured his scheme out. Since you’re so good at what you do,” her eyes narrow on me when I say this, “then you can make him believe that I’m so in love that I just had to marry you.”
She blinks. “You’re doing this because you’re so damn controlling and manipulative that you can’t bear not being in the room. You think I’m going to screw you over somehow. You still don’t believe I wasn’t working with Dean even after those recordings I let you listen to.”
