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My fingers close tighter around the phone. “How did you know that?”
“Hmm?”
I don’t dare lift my gaze. I can’t. I’m afraid of what I’ll see. But I need to know. “You guessed somebody died. How did you know?”
“Did I guess somebody died?”
“You said it’s tough losing part of a family.” Slowly, I raise my head. “What else was that supposed to mean? Don’t play games. We both know what you meant.”
His face is a blank mask. “Someone in your family died? I’m sorry.”
“Stop playing! It was Paul. How did you know Paul died? I only found out about it yesterday. There’s no reason you should know.”
“Oh, I…” His face scrunches up like he’s either constipated or mad at himself.
“Because if you know,” I continue, “you’re either listening in on my phone or…”
He waits, his face immobile until he prompts me. “Or?”
I don’t want to say it. But it’s right there in front of me, spelled out in mile-high, neon letters. I can’t avoid it. “Or you had something to do with it. But that’s not possible, right? I heard there were no signs of foul play.”
“How could I have had anything to do with it?”
“Then are you tapping my phone somehow?”
“How could I do that to a cell phone?”
“You tell me! You’re the one who broke in here last night. You’re the one who knows that my cousin’s dead when, as far as I know, the family’s trying to keep it quiet.”
He snorts and even rolls his eyes a little. “They would.”
“So?” He makes that constipated face again, and something about it gets my blood boiling. “I’m going to ask you for the truth right now. The whole truth. How did you know about Paul being dead?”
“The truth? You’re sure about that?”
Absolutely not. I’ve never been less sure of anything in my life. I can’t even trust myself or my judgment anymore because up until less than twelve hours ago, I thought Talon was a regular, decent person who never did things like breaking and entering. “Yes. The truth.”
“All right. Yes. I knew about Paul’s death because I caused Paul’s death. Because it was my job.”
Maybe it’s sick. Maybe there’s something wrong with me. Maybe it’s the deadpan way he says it; I don’t know. All I do know is a giggle bursts out of me because that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. “Okay. Right. I know it was a stupid thing to—”
“I’m serious, Ainsley. I was assigned to kill your cousin, and I did. And because I know how to do my job, there won’t be any trace of what I used on him in his system by now. And there’s no chance of them connecting him to me because even the account you sent payment to is under a false name.”
I try to laugh this time, but all that comes out is a choked whimper. “Are you serious?”
“But nothing between you and me was forced. I need you to believe that. I’ve been honest with you about Paul, so you’ll understand I’m telling the full truth. I have nothing to hide from you. I trust you the way you can trust me.”
“Trust you? I’m supposed to trust you? You just got done telling me you murdered my cousin! And the escort thing, that was all a lie? You set me up!”
“You were my only way to get close to him.”
“B-But who would want to kill Paul?”
He has the nerve to bark out a dry laugh. “I only knew the man for a few hours, and I wouldn’t bother asking that question. You’ve known him your whole life. Do you think there was any shortage of people who wanted him out of the way?”
I run a hand up my arm, where goose bumps now cover my skin. “Do you know who it was?”
“That’s not how my job goes. No, I never know, and that’s by design.”
