Page 43 of Seduce & Destroy

“Do you think you’ll ever tell me everything?” Laney asked eventually. “You come with me to bed, we read together, we train together, but still, it feels like I don’t even know you.”

I turned around, looking anywhere but at her, not saying anything. If stress was making her ill, I would withhold my encounter with the mysterious man. Worse still, I was certain my identity would crush her. I couldn’t have that. Not yet. Not ever.

“You’re not going to answer that?” Laney said. “You can’t answer nicely; I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s fine that you asked me. You don’t know how much you mean to me, or you wouldn’t think it’s too much to ask. But I have secrets, serious ones, and I can’t share them yet, even with you. The time is coming soon when you’ll know everything. You might think I’m cruel and selfish, but love is always selfish. The more intense it is, the more selfish it becomes.”

“You don’t have to say all that, it’s okay, you have other women. I just have you. It makes sense that you feel less than me.”

The rejection burned. She didn’t know how true it was. “That’s not it.”

“You’re obviously hiding something from me.” I went to argue but she stopped me. “Look, I know this world comes with secrecy, and I try not to be paranoid. Just…I want you to stay. And it not be a lie or a strategy.”

Tears shone in her eyes as they met mine. “Please.”

“I have to go.”

“Where to?”

“I can’t—”

“Another mystery.”

“I have to go.” I’m sorry.

She laughed through a sob. “Sure, duty calls!”

But I had already left. I knew that if she had just looked up at me, her eyes coated in a sheen of tears, I wouldn’t have moved. Mentally, I said a prayer and swore to make it up to her later.

Walking back toward the courtyard, it took me a minute to locate the man again, but his boot stuck out from under the treeline. We were at the front of the house, the most surveilled part of the estate in manpower but a blind spot for cameras. Smart man.

“Who are you really?” I rounded on him from behind.

“You’re late.”

I gave him a warning look as a response. His confidence around me was unnatural and surely a fallacy. To hide what, I didn’t know. He must’ve been away from the family for quite some time if he didn’t know how to address me with the authority of being his superior. Or at least more instrumental than him. When he didn’t continue, I kicked him in the shin. Pain was a great motivator.

“I’m Dylan’s brother.” He said, clearing his throat.

I scoffed and turned to leave, muttering, “I don’t listen to a traitor’s brother.”

“Don’t be coy, you know who I am.” He said, effectively stopping me in my tracks. Another one? Gritting my teeth, I listened to his next words. “And I know why you are really here. Keep your eyes on the big man, Kk.”

“I’m fine.” I spat.

“You’re not. Wait until your family finds out you got between her legs before you got into Richard’s head.”

“How do you…”

“I work security. I have access to the eyes and ears of every inch of this estate. Including your little…escapade with the boss’s daughter. Once they realise it, they’ll put you on the night shifts. Make you wary, exhausted. Break your spirit. Break your relationship.”

“I can handle it.”

“I know, but you don’t have to.” Against my better judgement, my feet stayed planted in place.

“No.” I said as I leaned in closer to him, menacing. “I won’t. You should never have dragged me into this, confronting me as if I wouldn’t know more than you. Are you stupid? You shouldn’t even be talking to me.”

“I wasn’t going to approach you, rest assured, I didn’t want to. But they murdered him, Kenna.” He spat my name as if it tasted like arsenic. “Have some goddamn respect.”

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