Page 131 of The Price of Forever

He set down the knife he’d been using and faced me slowly. “I’ve been waiting for the right time.”

“It takes literally ten seconds to mention the fact that you started a business,” I shot back. “Oh look, I just said the words. Less than ten seconds actually. Maybe it took three.”

“Building a business of my own has been the plan since before I even met you,” he said slowly, in a measured tone. “It didn’t come up earlier because I wanted to keep that line drawn with you. I didn’t think you needed to know. It seemed irrelevant. Those aren’t the type of things I talk about with my protection clients—business ideas, future plans. But then things…changed.”

I scoffed. “Yeah. They sure fucking changed, didn’t they?”

He watched me heavily for a moment. “Listen, I have news from my meeting with Federico. This is important. Do you want to hear what it is?”

I sighed, nodding, still not completely satisfied about the whole business-hiding thing. Seven pushed aside the cutting board, gesturing for me to sit. This time, as I sat in the stool facing him, I realized I felt farther away from him than ever before. There was a cutting loss in finding out that somebody you trusted, let get so close to your heart, had been withholding important details. It made me look back on everything we’d shared the past few weeks with suspicion.

“Federico thinks we have a shot at building a portfolio of evidence,” Seven said. “He’s fast-tracking some recording devices for us to use, and he says we need to build a top-secret intel team. This is, for obvious reasons, something that cannot be shared with anyone. Not even your brothers. So it would just stay between whoever is on the team. But he seems confident that if you get some admission of guilt from Eli, that we could use it to cause a mistrial or have the case dismissed completely before the trial even starts.”

Excitement flooded me. “Okay. So…we can move forward.”

Seven nodded slowly. “Yes. But with precautions. And…awareness. This might not work out. There’s a higher chance of failure than success, according to Federico. But I’m willing to help if you want to do it.”

“Of course I want to do it,” I blurted. “I can’t let something like this go unaddressed. Especially when my brothers are facing a decade of prison time.”

He smiled, pulling the cutting board back into position so he could resume chopping. “I figured you’d say that.”

But the prickles of my discontent returned, reminding me of what I was still so angry about. “In fact, Eli is planning to pick me up from my new apartment in a few days.” It wasn’t entirely true—while Eli was begging to see me again after our last visit, I hadn’t told him where I lived, much less asked him to send a car for me. But what was an argument without poking the bear a little? “We can do the first set of recordings then.”

Seven’s gaze hardened into stone. “Excuse me?”

I smiled sweetly. “What part didn’t you understand?”

“There’s a few things you’re going to want to go over.” His voice felt like a slap. “One: new apartment. Two: Eli visiting any residence of yours at all. Three: additional plans with him. When did that happen?”

“I signed on the new place this afternoon,” I said simply. “And Eli’s been begging for more of me since the second I left last night. He wants me at some gala in Midtown, which is happening this Friday.”

Seven’s gaze slid slowly back to the cutting board. “Why wouldn’t you have told me about the new apartment?”

“I thought that’s how you preferred to play the game,” I shot back. “Not too much different than a new office. Except the difference is, you knew all along I was apartment hunting. Well, one panned out. I would have celebrated with you, if I hadn’t found out today just how much you’ve been hiding from me.”

He drew a slow inhale through his nostrils but said nothing.

“Who knows? Maybe there’s more I don’t know about. Secret wife on the West Coast? An entire family you failed to mention? Maybe this isn’t even the first business you’ve started since we met. Maybe you’ve got offices all over Manhattan.”

“Jordan—”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to go pack up some things. I’m planning on spending the night in my new place.” I headed for my bedroom, calling over my shoulder, “All alone!”

I shut the bedroom door hard, pressing my back up against it as I fought tears and listened to the frantic beating of my heart. I only knew how to press forward on my own. Even though I was desperate for someone to fight for me.

Waiting for Seven. Waiting for…something. An explanation that felt good. A plea to stay. Maybe even just a long hug and deeply felt apology.

But none of that came. Only silence.

So I got to packing.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

JORDAN

I woke up the next morning abnormally early, assaulted by sun shining directly on my face. Curtains. That’s what I’d forgotten in my first-night-in-the-apartment haste. My brothers had sent over yet another brand-new king-size bed, which was already waiting for me in the bedroom, when I returned later that night. With a bed, the cookware, and the other basics Axel had bought, I felt ready to begin this new chapter.

I was just missing an assortment of wooden spoons. And Ranger. The thought crashed through me, dampening my new-apartment bliss.

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