“You say that now, but you’ll want to hear from me again,” he says. “I’ll make sure of it.”
My hands shake. I dump my coffee, unable to drink it when my stomach’s so tightly knotted, and get out. Thankfully Dennis doesn’t try to stop me.
As I walk out, I take one last look at him. He glares at me, eyes blazing. A cold sweat breaks out over my skin, sending shivers down my back. I want to believe he’s just misguided and upset right now, but I know better. He blames me, wants me to take responsibility for what’s going on his life and fix it.
All because of what Dad did.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I inhale and exhale. This is why I had to leave Lincoln City. Dad’s wrongdoing boxed me and Nonny in, as surely as a jail cell. Not even his death could change that.
He asked for it.
His being gunned down like an animal was simply justice as far as a lot of people in my hometown were concerned. And I, as the direct beneficiary of his terrible scheme, owed them. Of course there was no inheritance, but to them, I still benefited unfairly—all the nice clothes, the vacations, the expensive out-of-state college. They’ve never stopped to consider that by the time my dad’s fraud got exposed, his assets had been frozen, and I had nothing. The same for Dennis as well. But I suppose after our parents’ deaths they needed a target to vent their anger, and Dennis, Nonny and I were too convenient to be ignored.
I want to dismiss Dennis’s threat. I’m not certain what he can do really. But him talking to Nonny? No way. I don’t know what kind of poisonous things he might tell her. Although she’s mature for her age, she’s still too young and too close to the mess to be rational about it.
Which means I have to figure out if Elliot really is behind Dennis getting re-investigated…and I have no idea how I’m going to accomplish that.
* * *
Elliot
I bury myself in work, but it’s damn hard to focus. The lush, feminine scent of my wife seems to linger even though I showered earlier.
But then I went down on her afterward. That’s probably it.
I wasn’t going to take her again, but she was lying in bed and watching me with those unreadable green eyes…and I couldn’t help myself. Even as she unraveled with my mouth on her clit, I felt that she was just beyond my reach somehow. I don’t understand how that can be. She’s so responsive, her tight cunt always wet, hot and greedy for me. But it doesn’t matter how many times she comes in my arms or how hard and how deep I drive into her. There is a part of her—just a tiny sliver—that I can’t touch, and the knowledge spikes my anxiety, making me feel like an addict without the high he needs.
I want all of her. All of her smiles, all of her thoughts, all of her soul. I want to be the center of her universe, the sun that everything revolves around. She should dump all her worries at my feet, trusting that I’ll take care of them and provide for her.
My promise to her wasn’t empty talk. I will provide for my wife.
But she wants you to call her Annabelle.
I scowl at the laptop monitor. God, I need a fucking drink. I get up, about to grab the strongest thing I have on hand, but my phone rings.
Gavin Lloyd. I pick it up with a slight frown. What does he want?
“Gavin,” I say.
“Elliot. Is this good time?”
I settle back in my office chair. “Sure.” Tell me something blew up. Distract me.
“You might be right about the intern.”
That straightens me in my seat. “Oh?”
“Something doesn’t add up in the background check HR initially ran.”
I knew it. “Then why was he hired?”
Gavin snorts. “He’s been sleeping with the HR director’s assistant.”
I narrow my eyes. A liar and a user. The last sort of person I want around my money. “Well. Isn’t that…expedient.”
“Yup. I’m this close to firing her.”
“Why haven’t you?” Gavin isn’t the sentimental type.