“You should know that working there started out as an assignment, but it meant a helluva lot more to me in the end. I discovered a side of myself, and I feel like I can explore it now without shame, partly because of you.”
Kyle McCreary adjusted his tie, trying not to look uncomfortable. But Payton softened. I’d cracked her armor, just a little.
“I thought you were my friend.” Her wounded voice stabbed into me.
“I was, Payton. I am. I swear I didn’t lie about that.” I pulled out a chair and sat across from her, getting her to make eye contact. “I can’t talk about cases. I can tell you that we’ve gotten convictions off of connections from the club. Some of them were white collar, but some of them . . . I’m talking about organized crime. Men who operate underage sex rings.”
Her lips parted as she inhaled a sharp breath.
Usually I didn’t give a fuck what anyone else thought, but with her, it mattered. “I’m sorry I had to deceive you, but I needed to do my job, and I’m not sorry about the results.”
Her shoulders pulled up tight to her ears and then relaxed, like she wasn’t sure what to do or how to feel. She said it hesitantly. “I can’t be friends with a liar.”
“No more lies, I promise.”
Her eyes sharpened, studying me. “Prove it.”
Prove it? My face contorted with confusion.
She cast a glance at her brother, and her focus swept back to me. “Did you watch Dominic and me on the monitor after your fake negotiations last year?”
I blinked. I hadn’t needed to watch them. I’d already landed the job, and her safety with her fiancé certainly hadn’t been an issue, but Joseph offered. How could I turn it down? “Yes.”
Payton didn’t seem to mind my confession. Like Joseph, she was a full-blown exhibitionist. Her eyes warmed. “What happened between you and Tara the night you stayed in the room at the club?”
Did she think I would lie about this? “I went down on her, and then I blew Silas.”
She crossed her elbows on the table and leaned on them. “Did you like it?”
The air in the room grew a shade thicker. “Yes. A lot.”
“Do you think Kyle’s hot?” She turned her attention to her brother.
“Payton, what the hell?” He acted like he was annoyed, but I could see in his eyes, he wouldn’t mind hearing my answer.
I took in his perfectly styled brown hair and the maintained scruff covering his defined jaw. His suit was expensive and he filled it out nicely. Kyle’s body language was confident, even though I could tell he wasn’t comfortable in this setting. He probably had confidence in spades back at his father’s law firm.
Was he all flash and no substance? Doubtful. His eyes were calculating and smart. I’d bet he worked as hard on himself on the inside as he did on the outside.
I smiled. “Yeah, he’s hot.”
“Hotter than Dominic?”
Where on earth was she going with this? “I’m sorry?”
“Tell me the truth. If you had to, which one would you rather fuck? My brother, or my husband?”
Such a loaded question, but I’d answer honestly. I considered it. “Sorry, Kyle. I’m a sucker for blue eyes.” Like the ones attached to a gorgeous artist who I hadn’t spoken to since he’d stormed out of my hospital room.
“Well, shit,” Kyle said. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, dug out a dollar bill, and handed it to Payton.
She pocketed it with a triumphant look and refocused on me. “You want to fuck my husband?”
“I don’t believe I said that.”
Her smile reached all the way to her eyes. “By picking Dominic, at least I know you’re not lying. Because . . . Dominic.”
Kyle stared up at the ceiling, irritated.