Fox stepped between them, shielding Atlas just as he always had. “Mila, you’re angry. Don’t do anything you’ll regret later.”
“I’m not shooting anyone tonight unless I’m given no other choice. I can be that professional, at least.” She was seething, and Atlas could tell a lot of it was hurt.
He stepped out from behind Fox. He hadn’t needed his brother’s protection in years, but old habits were hard for Fox to break. “I understand you’re angry, Mila, but I planned to tell you tomorrow right around the time you were going to tell me that you only started talking to me because you were investigating my family.” Maybe she was hurt, but a gentle reminder that she wasn’t honest with him either seemed fair. The look of disgust on her face was killing him.
He moved another step closer to her, but she gestured him back with her gun.
“Stay there!” she snapped. “Can’t you see I’m holding a gun, you idiot?”
“This is between you and me, Mila. Let Fox go.”
“Sure.” She snorted. “After everything else I let you do to me, why don’t I let your brother go too?” Her answer sounded sarcastic, but Atlas gestured for Fox to go.
“I’m not leaving you here like this,” Fox said, his jaw set.
“She won’t kill me. Not in cold blood.” Still his brother was hesitating. “Just go, Fox. The last thing we need is an audience.”
Fox took a step back, then looked long and hard at Mia. “Cut the guy a break. This is what he knows. He’s talking about giving up everything to be with you. Choosing you over his own brother has to be worth something.”
“Fox! Enough. Go home to Addison. I’ll call if I need a lawyer.”
When Fox had left, Atlas turned his attention back to Mila. Her stance had relaxed, and it seemed that maybe she’d stopped fantasizing about shooting him.
“Was everything about us just a way to solve your case?”
Her lips tightened into a thin line as she stared him down. No excuses? Not even an apology?
“You’re pissed about me not telling you what I do, but at least I told you a half truth. Most of my work is about the computer business. The rest I didn’t tell you because I have to protect the other people I love from you. We were raised this way, Mila, just like you were raised to be who you are.” Why was he even bothering? She was never going to understand. No one outside the family would. “The rest of it—us—none of that was a lie for me. All of it was real except for that one thing I couldn’t tell you.”
“It’s a pretty important thing, Atlas.” Her voice quavered, and he fought back the urge to go to her. The gun was a pretty big incentive to watch his step.
“So is you being a cop.” He took a steadying breath, trying to get his heart to slow down. “Was it all just about the job for you?”
The wind picked up, whipping dust and grit around the lot. Mila wiped a hand over her eyes, but her expression was cold. Remote.
She’d been acting the whole time.
God, it fucking hurt. Why had he let himself fall for it? For her? No wonder she hadn’t responded when he’d told her that he loved her. Not even she was that good of an actor.
“Are you going to turn me in now?”
“You’re putting me in an ethical bind,” she said. “I don’t want to have to arrest you, but what the hell else am I supposed to do?”
“You think you haven’t done the same to me?” His voice had risen. Maybe security would notice them, but he didn’t give a fuck. No matter how this played out, none of the scenarios ended with their relationship intact. No matter what, he’d end up hurt. “I let you get too close. My family’s safety is at risk and here I am fucking a cop.”
She flinched and hurt flashed in her eyes for the briefest moment before her lip curled in disgust.
“Go to hell, Atlas.”
Fuck. It wasn’t like that. She had to know she was more than that to him.
“Mila,” he called after her, but she strode off for the fence without turning back. “We need to talk about this!”
He followed her back over the fence, unsure of what else to do. She’d probably Tase him but he had to ask one thing of her. Mila walked briskly back to her car as though he wasn’t walking two steps behind.
When she went to open her car door, he placed his hand on it to stop her. Standing so close, he felt the warmth of her skin, the scent of her and of sex filled his senses. She was so strong and independent—she didn’t need him at all, and yet when she submitted to him she handed over everything because she wanted to. The stubborn set of her jaw was a thing of beauty.
God, he loved her.