Page 38 of Tied

I nod. “That’s correct. If one wants to bring down the Covey entirely, Charlie is the guy to go after.”

“But what makes you think that I’m the person to do this? Just because I know how to code and hack into his system? I mean, even if that was true, how do I even get access to his computer? It’s not like I can just walk up to him, smile politely, and be like, ‘hey Charlie, why don’t you show me your super-secret severs where you keep all the dirty work for that crime syndicate no one knows about?’”

I throw her a warning look, but truth be told, I can’t suppress snickering at her sassy attitude. She may need a little more work, but she’ll do just fine once I get her where I need her to be.

“I told you, you’re perfect for the job,” I say. “And here’s why: Charlie is a huge nerd. We know that much about him. He’s brilliant at what he does, so that’s why the Covey is so protective of him. But unlike them, he’s not a criminal at heart. He’s just a genius who got involved with the wrong people because they value and pay him more than any legit job out in the world ever would.”

The furrow between Riley’s eyebrows grows deeper as I speak. She either doesn’t know where I’m going with this—or she doesn’t like it.

“So, wait, are you calling me a nerd?” she asks in irritation. “I’m perfect for this job because the guy you’re trying to get close to is a huge nerd and... so am I?”

I smile benevolently. “In a nutshell, yes.”

She gasps with indignation. “Excuse me, but—”

“You’re a brilliant nerd, just like he is,” I cut her off, leaning in closer and placing my hand against her cheek. She doesn’t appear to welcome the motion, but she doesn’t reject it, either. “But you’re also a cute genius, Riley. You’re fucking gorgeous, which is why I couldn’t keep my hands off of you when we first met, and I still can’t. There’s an allure about you that’s impossible to resist—and if I feel that way about you, how do you think a guy like Charlie will feel once you start talking code to him? He’s going to melt at your feet.”

Her reaction is just what I was hoping for—she blushes crimson and her eyes flit away from mine, her lashes batting nervously as she tries to gloss over the effect my compliments have on her. It’s easy to make her feel this way.

It’s easy because I don’t have to lie. I’m simply telling her the truth—and thus effectively revealing how I feel about her. Which is why I’m tormented by a hardening knot in my chest every time I imagine her with another man. I detest the thought of her with that Charlie guy. I hate the fact that she will look at him like that, that she will smile at him, maybe even touch him, and that he may touch her. I fucking hate it, even though I’m the one forcing her to do it.

And that is just the beginning of it. Riley doesn’t even know half of how important she really is to this whole operation—and to me.

“I… I’m not sure,” she stutters now, her gaze still searching for something other than me to hold on to. “I have never… seduced a guy. I don’t know how to flirt, or be sexy, or whatever…”

“Trust me, you’ll be all right,” I soothe her as I gently caress her cheek.

“Trust you, huh,” she murmurs with a hint of sadness in her voice. “I don’t even know you.”

She casts me a coy look then, the hint of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. There’s a lot I could do to her right now, a lot that I could take from her and play this situation to my advantage. But instead of exploiting it, I choose to turn the odds in my favor in a tender way.

“Cain Preston,” I say, relishing the way her eyes widen at that revelation. “That is my real name. I think you deserve to know that much about me.”

Her face hardens. “How do I know that’s not another lie?”

“Because it isn’t,” I insist. “I swear it on my parents’ graves.”

This is the most honest I have been with anyone in a long, long time. I never cared enough, never trusted anyone enough to throw caution out the window just to become closer to them.

It’s dangerous for someone like me. But it feels like the right thing to do.

I’m glad I chose Riley to be that person.

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