“Tell that to someone who doesn’t know what you look like when you discover your father was stabbed in the heart and you realize you have to abandon your kid sister in order to keep her safe.”
Remy’s nostrils flared.
“Because I saw pain—real pain—on your face during both of those occasions. You might like to act as if you’re the big, bad, heartless thief, but you’re not. Something has hurt you since I dropped you off at the hotel. You’re in pain, man. I see it.” A thread of worry deepened his voice even more. “Is Jacqueline all right?”
“Fine.” Clipped. “She’s sleeping.”
A sigh of relief escaped Constantine, but he still watched Remy with concern clear to see in his expression. “So why are you hurting?”
Remy rubbed his chest. “I’m not. I feel fine.”
Constantine glanced down at Remy’s hand as it pressed over his heart. “Uh, huh. Sure.” A hesitation. “If you can’t tell your best friend, who can you tell?”
“That what we still are?” Remy swung around and headed toward a window. “Even after I deserted your ass?”
“Oh, hey, fun detail. Want to guess what I was doing while you were busy up here with Jacqueline?”
Remy tossed a glare back at him. “I’m not in the mood to guess.”
“Killjoy. Fine. I’ll just tell you. I was having a super fun and ever-so-informative telephone conversation with your CIA buddy, Ty Crenshaw. Remember him?”
Of course, he did. Ty had been one of the agents who owed him a favor, so he’d called in the guy to pick up the ring in Halfway, Georgia.
“Well, he had so much to tell me about you, and about the fact that you were basically willing to trade your soul so that every one ofmysins could be erased. When you said I was free, I didn’t quite understand just what you’d done to achieve that freedom.” Constantine’s jaw hardened.
“Ty exaggerates. Don’t believe everything he says. I worked with him because he is connected to a man with a whole lot of power in the CIA. That man called me in, and I had no choice. Getting you off their radar was just a side bonus.”
“Liar.”
Yes.He turned to fully face Constantine. “Don’t make me out to be some damn hero. I amnot.” Why did people keep making that mistake?
“Is that what Jacqueline is doing? Trying to cast you as a hero?”
Constantine could always find weak spots with unerring accuracy. “I told her who I really am.”
A wince. “Oh. Well, that explains things. Particularly, your sad-ass expression. She flipped out, huh?”
“She said she loves me.” His hand returned to his side. He looked down at the floor.
“What?”
“I told her she was wrong.”
“Tellmeyou didn’t. Dude, you don’t get to tell a woman how she feels, you don’t—”
His head snapped up. “She’s too fucking good for me, okay? She doesn’t need someone like me around her long term. Yes, I can help her now. Now, while she’s scared and desperate, and she needs someone who understands how to fight the monsters closing in. But when we’ve eliminated Preston, she wants her safe world back.I’mnot safe. I never have been! I am not what she needs.”
“Ah, man.” Constantine strode forward. His hand clamped around Remy’s shoulder. “Why the hell can’t you realize that maybe—just maybe—she sees something good in you?”
“Because I am my father’s son. I lied to her from the beginning.”
“You lie toeveryone.It’s sort of your thing.”
He sent Constantine a glare. “You’re not helping.”
“I don’t know how to help! I’ve never seen you like this. You are—” He broke off as his eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”
Remy shrugged off Constantine’s hold.