Page 80 of Broken Boss

Turning away from the window, I let out a forceful exhale. I was holding my breath the whole time and didn’t even realize. With my hand over my mouth, I walk out of the observation room and into the hallway to pace.

Chris appears moments later. He looks tired and serious, but…warmer. It’s a relief. I practically fall into his arms, not caring about the passing looks we get from detectives and admin as they move through the building.

Kieran is still here, and the thought makes me shiver.

“Are you okay?”

Chris’s voice rumbles through his chest, calming me. I nod, but it’s half-hearted, and we both know I’m anything but okay.

Chris pushes me back gently and peers down. “Do you have any idea what he meant by that? Him not wanting you to tell me something?”

Shaking my head, I try to jog my memory, but it’s lost in a fog of anxiety and disbelief. What the hell could Kieran be talking about?

What could I know that’s so bad he feels the need to…

“I won’t let him near you. You know that, right?”

Chris’s hands smooth down my arms, soothing my nerves.

Then, everything shifts. His face is a mask once more.

I pull back, brows knit, confused.

“You need to tell me everything, Autumn. The truth this time.”

That chill is back in his voice. It’s like cold water being poured over my body, and I go completely still, shocked.

“What?”

“You’re not telling me something. You’re leaving something out. And I need to know what it is, right now.”

Just moments ago, I felt completely safe in his arms.

But with his dark eyes drilling into me, I feel the way any person who’s ever faced him on the stand must feel—cracked open, exposed, and scared.

Chapter 28

Chris

Autumn’s mouth is open in a little O of shock.

I can feel pieces of myself crumbling inside, but there’s no other choice. I’ve been fighting against the lawyer I am for months now, and it’s time to learn the truth.

Her mouth snaps shut audibly.

“I need to know what’s really going on, Autumn, before I take this any further. I think it’s obvious at this point that my reputation is on the line if I pursue this without just cause.”

I can see the battle raging behind her eyes. She knows I’m right, because the same truth-seeker is in her. Which is why it’s killing me that she’s hiding something.

I want to believe her. I want to trust her.

My brothers were right. I can’t.

Autumn crosses her arms and paces away from me, the jumpsuit she’s wearing tight at her shoulders, cinched at the waist. She looks as beautiful as always. But today she looks like a storm.

Her short hair is as wild as her eyes. Her lips are swollen from her worrying them.

“I can’t trust you. What’s the point of going this far only to cut everything off?”

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