Page 148 of Obsession

“Then what is it?” she asks, arms crossed on her chest.

“It was too easy. Too damn easy.” I shake my head.

“What was?”

“Going in. Claiming the money. You have to jump through hoops to get any amount of money that is rightfully yours, never mind money you have to prove belongs to you.”

She sputters. “Are you implying that itdoesn’tbelongto me?”

“God, no. That’s not what I’m saying.”

I’ve never wanted to turn her over my knee so badly.

“You twostop!” Skylar puts her hands up like she’s a ref at a football game. If she had a whistle around her neck, I’d be deaf right now.

“For God’s sake, you’re so fucked up over arguing with each other and this whole breakup thing you don’t see the forest for the trees, do you?”

I turn down the road that takes us home.

“Spit it out, Skylar.”

“The bank’s owned by the Castellanos. They made a note on that account to alert them when the daughter of their enemies came to collect their money. Why? I dunno. But we know that Armand was following you, he’s got an ax to grind, and there’s a good possibility he worked for them. Yes?”

“Yes.” We both nod in unison, then glare at each other when we realize we’re agreeing.

“Go on,” I tell her.

“So you have to draw Armand out. The guys haven’t found him yet, but youknowthat he’s lying in wait, just biding his time for a chance to come and ruin everything. Right?”

“Right,” Violet says, warily. “Hard to do when everything’s already ruined,” she mutters under her breath.

I grip the steering wheel even tighter.

“Listen to me. Armand’s a coward, right? That’s like his trademark, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“So what will make this easier for him? What would a coward do? Cain, what does he have that he can use against you?”

I swallow hard. I don’t want to say it out loud. “Cain,” Skylar prods. “C’mon.”

“The bullshit I did to Violet,” I confess. Makes me feel like I want to throw up.

“So, easy solution, then, isn’t it?” Skylar says triumphantly. “Easy peasy.”

Violet scowls. “Let’s hear it.”

“You go out alone. He doesn’t know that she already knows the bullshit you pulled, does he?”

I shake my head.

“You act like you’re still in love. Kiss or… whatever,” she says with a wrinkled nose. “And then, separate. Like, Violet goes her way and Cain goes his. And if my suspicion’s right, Armand will come for you to tell you the awful truth, Violet. You pretend to be shocked and outraged and to leave, andboom.”

“Boom what?”

“That’s whereyoucome in, andyouget the answers you need. Got it?”

Pretend to be into each other. Pretend to be in love.

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