Page 70 of Shackled

“If you trusted me, you would’ve had that conversation with Renata in front of me.”

I blow out a breath. “Unbelievable.” I roll my eyes. “What next? You want me to show you every text I send? You want to approve of who I can talk to and who I can’t?”

His eyes narrow on me. Without a word, he turns and walks away.

“Hey! We’re not done here.”

“I am.”

I watch his retreating back. My heart hurts. I want to be on the same team again. “I am not!”

“I’m not arguing over this anymore. For God’s sake, yes. Yes. You have to prove your loyalty. But based on what Aleks just told me, you’ll have your chance much sooner than later.”

I swallow. A shiver of cold runs down my back. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He looks over his shoulder, his expression dark. “Javier’s on the move.”

I’m at the top of that roller coaster, and the path before me looks fucking fraught. I can’t see where it goes. What if I run straight off the tracks?

He stalks into his office and goes to shut the door, but I jam my foot in front of it. The room is luxurious and intimidating, with dark wooden furniture, rich leather chairs, maps, monitors, and a huge, imposing desk. He frowns at me from his desk but doesn’t respond. He leans over and fires up his laptop. I watch as water from his face drips onto a map.

I normally love this room because it’s an extension of him.

“Jesus, Isabella. Leave it.”

“I want answers. What do you mean Javier’s on the move?”

He walks away from me and paces back and forth, his expression dark and troubled.

“Our guy doesn’t know where he is. No one does.”

It feels like someone tossed ice down my back. I shiver. “No one?” Javier is a snake, crawling on his belly toward us, and no one can see him.

He shakes his head. “No one. We can only assume he’s coming here and is ready to strike.”

Fuck.

Of course he is.

My mind races. “Renata could find out.”

Lev pauses, his eyes conflicted. His tee is still soaked with the water, his hair hanging down like he’s a surfer who just came up for air. He frowns. “I’ve been hearing things. We suspect Javier’s behind several attacks on our operations.”

“What? He wouldn’t risk open war.”

Lev’s voice tightens, filled with suspicion. "Are you sure about that? Or are you just saying what you think I want to hear? How well do you know him?”

I stand, staring at him. "I’m telling you the truth. Do you think I’d lie to you after everything we’ve been through?"

He turns away, running a hand through his damp hair. “I don’t know anymore. Your brother will stop at nothing to end us.” His voice trails off.

I step closer to him. “And what do you see when you look at me, Lev? The woman who’s risked everything to be with you? The woman who’s fought by your side? Or someone who was sent to tear you apart?”

He doesn’t meet my eyes. “I don’t know who to trust.”

My voice trembles. I hate that it does. “If we let them tear us apart, they’ve already won before the battle even starts.”

“Then you can’t keep secrets from me,” he snaps.

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