Page 37 of The Fallen One

Sierra held my arm. “You sure you want to go out there?”

“No, but if I don’t, I have a feeling he’ll come in here and it’ll be much worse for everyone.”

“If you’re not back in ten, I’m sending Jake after you.”

“Okay.” I left the bar, and once outside, locked eyes with the man who’d cheated with Rebecca all those years ago. A man who’d made more passes at me than I could count on two hands. “What are you doing here? How’d you find me?”

“Get in the car.” Craig opened the door and stepped to the side while stomping out a cigarette.

“Not a chance.” I folded my arms, doing my best to stand my ground. A common misconception about me was that because I was brainy and wore glasses, I didn’t have a spine. Despite Dad’s faults, he’d made sure to raise me to kick ass both physically and verbally if necessary.

“Get the fuck in the car, Diana.” He smiled through his teeth that time. “Don’t make a scene.”

“Why would I?—”

“Because you were with Dominick earlier today.” He waited for a couple to pass before barking out, “So, get in the goddamn car.”

I startled at his words, nearly losing my balance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He wordlessly gestured me into the limo again.

Tossing a quick look at the bar, I spotted Sierra focused on us. Maybe she’d changed since she’d married Karl, but she’d always have my back. Well, she’d send one of her guards out tonight to have it, at least. I didn’t want to make a scene or make things worse, so I did as Craig asked and got inside.

He slipped in next to me, slammed the door and hit a button that slid the glass divider up to block out the driver and locked all the doors. “What’d Dominick want?” He flicked on the overhead lights and turned to face me. “Do you know where he is now?”

“Quaid told you,” I said at the realization. “Why would he?—”

“Because his loyalty lies with Rebecca not Carter. So, of course, he’d tell me that psychopath made an appearance.”

My heartbeat was really packing a punch today. First Carter. Now this. “He’s not a psychopath. He went after her killer. He didn’t accept what the police said.”

“Keep spinning that little fairy tale, sweetheart. It’s not the truth. He killed her, and I can prove it,” he hissed.

“Bullshit,” I shot back, nearly slapping him along with the word.

“He’s on the FBI and CIA’s ‘most wanted’ list. Do you think he earned himself a place there by kissing puppies and chasing motherfucking pots of gold at the end of rainbows?”

I pulled on the door handle, beyond ready to leave. I wasn’t going to let him talk to me like this, but the door wouldn’t open. Great, and now claustrophobia and fear were setting in. “Let me out.”

“I’ll tell your mother you saw him. She’ll assign a security detail to you. Is that what you want?”

My shoulders tensed at his threat. He was right, and having bodyguards breathing down my neck was the last thing I needed. “What do you want? Why do you care about Carter?”

“Because he killed Rebecca.” He slammed his fist down on his thigh, likely wishing it was Carter he was hitting instead.

“How’d you even find me here?”

“I’m resourceful.”

No, Karl told you where I am, didn’t he?

“I need specifics. I need to know exactly what Dominick said to you.”

“There’s nothing to tell you. I barely know him. He was saying hi. That’s it.”

He laughed. The bastard. “A man like Carter doesn’t say hi. Quaid said he requested to meet with you and only you.” When I kept quiet, he added, “Did you tell him anything? Like what you’ve been working on for Barclay Energy?”

“No. And thanks to Quaid, it’s not Barclay Energy anymore,” I snapped back, my intuition telling me Quaid allowed that takeover to happen. Not that he’d admit that to anyone. “But no, I didn’t talk about work.”

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