Page 36 of Twin Deception

“What other man?”

“The man in the alley.”

She gaped at me. “He–He was just trying to rape me. And kill me!”

Maybe. Maybe not.I couldn’t reject the slight possibility that I’d met that man before.

“He was just a fucking scumbag of a rapist, waiting around for some woman to attack. That…” She swallowed hard and winced, no doubt uneasy to talk about him at all this soon. “That could happen to any woman. Any woman walking down any dark alley could face something like that.”

I wasn’t so sure.

“He wasn’t following me and stalking me.”

I had to agree with her on that point.Ihad been following her. If someone else had been trying to chase after her too, I would’ve noticed them lurking and lingering nearby.

“He had no clue who I was. I was just… a woman to turn into a victim.”

Watching her scowl at the floor and wrap her arms around herself in a tight hug, I fought the need to comfort her and not let her sink back into that depression.

“He was only after me for… that.”

I’m not so sure, sweetheart.

The only thing I could be sure about was the fact that this “one last job” before my time off was getting far more complicated and layered than I ever thought it would.

14

ISABEL

Miguel didn’t believe me.

I saw the skepticism in his eyes.

“Are you trying to say that man in the alley was after me because of Louis Flores and whatever bullshit he’s been up to?” Keeping my tone level was impossible.

The thought of not one man chasing after me because of my father, buttwo, pissed me off to no end. Fury spiked hard and fast. The faintest threads of fear, shock, and trauma were erased by this rage.

I’d never asked for any of this. I’d never done a single thing to warrant people chasing after me. If anyone had an issue with my sperm donor, then they should go after him, not me.

“I’m not trying to say anything, Isabel.” He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face as he paced slowly. “I’m pointing out that he was very determined to get you away.”

“To rape me!” I shoved my fists down, my arms locked. Bottling up this anger wouldn’t solve anything, but lashing out wasn’t mystyle. Deep down, I didn’twantto lash out at Miguel. I owed him my gratitude. I should’ve been on my knees and thanking him for getting me away from that foul-smelling creep in the alley. For sparing me a worse fate. “To rape me and kill me! That’s what he wanted to do.”

He narrowed his eyes at me as he walked back and forth, seeming to struggle with bottling up his anger as well. “He wanted to capture you.”

“To start with,” I argued. “Then he would…” I flung my hand out, unable to say that word again.

When he didn’t reply or counter what I said again, I had to wonder why he’d jump to the conclusion that the man was after me for something else. “Why are you so sure that man was after me like you are?” Before he could answer, I barked a single, mean laugh and shook my head. “Not that you’ll explain whyyou’reafter me, either.”

“I was given orders to…”

I tilted my head to the side when he cut himself off. “To what?”

“It’s not important.”

“Not important?” I was sure my eyes were bugging out. “Not important? Then why—” I growled, so frustrated at this conversation.Then why did you step in to stop that man? Why do you… care?

“The details of my orders are not important,” he said after too long of a moment for all my doubts and fears to grow and build. “But that man also looking for you does matter.”

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