Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
But hearing this now twists something horrible inside of me. I don’t want to believe it — of course I don’t. But then, this is the freaking FBI. It’s the FBI, and they obviously know enough that they’re giving Bill a plea bargain in exchange for his help in bringing down Damien.
…And I know right there that there’s no way I can let that happen.
I know it’s crazy.
I know it’s wrong.
I know people would talk, and I don’t care about any of that, because at the end of the day, there’s only one thing I do know that I need to hang onto.
I love him. It’s a crazy, wild, set-the-world-on-fire kind of love, but it’s there. It’s there and it’s burning so hot inside of me I can’t ignore it, and I won’t.
“We’re going to need you to wear this wire when you go in today, Ms. Worthington,” agent Hall says sharply.
Slowly, I bring myself out of my own head and look up at her. And slowly, I shake my head.
“No,” I say quietly.
She arches her brow. “No?”
“No,” I shake my head harder now, my jaw tight and my eyes fierce. “No, I want no part of his.”
“Too fucking bad,” Bill hisses. He stands, jabbing a finger at me as he walks around the table towards me.
“I saw the way he looked at you and no one else at that party last night. I saw the way he had his damn eyes all over you. His guard will be down around you, and you’re more likely to get something than I am.”
I laugh a brittle laugh. “I’m not doing it.”
“Ms. Worthington, I don’t want to, but I will get a subpoena if I have—”
“She’ll do it,” Bill growls, pushing past agent Hall and jabbing a finger in my face. “She’ll do it because if she doesn’t, what does she think is going to happen to her poor mom?”
I freeze, my heart sinking even deeper than it already has.
Bill smiles evilly. “Oh, you’re going to help me out, kiddo. If I don’t deliver Castle, I’m done. And we both know full well whatever money your pops left you and your mom is long gone, and I don’t exactly see her getting a job anytime soon.” He smiles thinly. “So, if I go down, this fucking family goes down. You want your poor mom to lose it all? That it?”
The tears brim at my eyes, clouding my vision as I look away.
“Ms. Worthington, if it helps your decision...” Agent Hall puts a hand on my shoulder, and when I turn, I see her giving me a genuinely sad and sorry look.
“You’re not the only one,” she says quietly. “With Damien Castle.”
Something sharp slides through my heart, and I can feel myself start to fall.
“Here,” she gives me an apologetic look as she passes me a manilla envelope. My hands shake as I open it up, but when I slide out what’s inside, my whole body threatens to fall apart.
The pictures are black and white, shot with a telephoto lens, and all of them are of Damien.
…Damien and another young, pretty girl.
My mouth goes dry as I stare at the shots, ones of him smiling and laughing — of him hugging her on the sidewalk outside his building as they step out together. There’s even one of him kissing her on the cheek.
The floor gives out beneath me, and I feel like I’m falling as I slowly let the pictures drop from my hands.
“I didn’t want to show you those,” Agent Hall says quietly. “That’s not how I operate. But, you deserve to know.”
The room is silent as I stare at the floor, and at the pictures I’ve dropped there.
“Think of the family, Lyra,” Bill mutters. “Think of your poor mom. And then think of what a piece of shit Damien Castle really is. Help me put him down, and we all get out okay, and get back to normal.”
Agent Hall coughs, and when I turn back, she’s holding the wire in her hands.
“You won’t even know it’s there, honey.”
And slowly, I nod.
12
Damien
“Something’s different with you.”
I glance up sharply so see Cole stepping into my office — without knocking or even notifying my secretary. If it was anyone else, I’d be launching over my desk to rip them a new asshole, but Cole gets a free pass.
Barely.
Cole’s one of my oldest friends, not to mention one of my most trusted advisors in pretty much any facet of my life. He’s as sharp as I am, almost as ruthless, and just as focused. Which is why he’s been my second in command ever since I founded Castle Capital.
I lean back from my desk, raising a brow at him as he closes the door behind him and steps into the office.
“What?”
“I said something’s different with you today. You’re all…fuck, I don’t know. You’re fucking smiling for once. That’s not normal. You got a fever or something?”