Page 72 of Can You Take It?

All the color drains from my face as I look at him. My grandfather and I have a complicated history, to say the least. He’s not the loving grandparent that most people have. He’s a sinister, manipulative asshole.

He slowly turns in his chair to face me. His face is devoid of emotion, and it’s like he’s about to pass a death sentence. I’ve seen that look before, and it never ends well.

The uniformed officer gestures for me to move forward, and I do so with shaky steps. This meeting feels like a sickening family reunion, and I’d do anything to escape it.

I try to clear my throat. “What’s this all about?”

I’ve fought too hard to break free from his grasp to let him destroy me now.

He leans forward, fingers steepled. “Izel, my dear, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

I glance at Richard, hoping for reassurance, but his expression is blank. That terrifies me even more. I can’t let it show, though. I’ve always been good at masking my fear.

Surprisingly, he walks in my direction. My heart pounds, half expecting him to slap cuffs on me and toss me in a prison cell. After all, I’ve spent a lifetime lying to him.

“Ms. Montclair,” he says in a way that makes it seem like his cock hadn’t been inside my mouth just an hour ago. “We have your grandfather here. He’s worried about you.”

I nod and move toward Victor. He rises from his chair, and for a moment, I want to run. I can’t stand the thought of being in this man’s clutches again. But I can’t. Making a scene will only make things worse.

I take a deep breath and meet Richard’s eyes. All I see is worry for me. At least Victor hasn’t said anything yet. That’s a relief.

Victor however is not alone, there is a lawyer with him. The lawyer starts spouting legal jargon, and I’m caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I’ve got secrets, a twisted family, and a boyfriend who’s both my savior and potential executioner.

The lawyer gestures toward me, his eyes locked onto Richard. “Let’s cut the crap, Agent. You put her into witness protection under the guise of her being a suspect. That’s illegal.”

Illegal? Well, color me surprised. Not that I’m a legal eagle, but being tossed into witness protection because they thought I was some shady character doesn’t sound like a lawful walk in the park.

Although, to be fair, I am a shady character—more than shady, actually. I’m everything Richard is looking for butknowing that he lied to me still stings. I shoot a glance at him, and his guilty expression says it all.

“We had reasons,” he says.

The lawyer raises an eyebrow, a silent ‘go on’ hanging in the air. “Reasons? Like what? A gut feeling? Because, Agent, last time I checked, gut feelings don’t hold up in court.”

Victor leans back in his chair, that smug grin of his widening. “Agent Reynolds, it seems you’ve made quite the mess here. My granddaughter doesn’t deserve to be treated like a criminal.”

“Look, I did what I thought was necessary at the time. She was involved in a serious case, and her safety was at risk,” Richard sighs.

The lawyer leans in. “At risk? Or were you just too damn lazy to follow proper protocol? Putting her into witness protection without proper grounds is a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

Richard, sensing he’s treading on thin ice, tries to salvage the situation. “I just wanted to protect her. We can work within the system now. Make it legal.”

The lawyer snorts. “Work within the system? You’ve already proven you’re willing to bend the rules. I don’t know if we can trust you to play by them now.”

I glance at Victor, who’s enjoying this shitshow a bit too much.

The lawyer turns to me, his expression softening. “Ms. Montclair, we can make sure you’re legally taken out of this so-called witness protection. No strings attached. You don’t have to play by their rules anymore.”

I don’t want to be taken out of thisso-calledwitness protection. For the first time in my life, I’ve found a sliver of happiness. I could have had it all—freedom, love, a future. But I know Victor, the lawyer, isn’t here just to check in. He’s a shark in a suit, and he has the power to ruin Richard’s career. If he gets even the slightest hint that I have feelings for Richard, Victorwill use him against me in a heartbeat. I can’t let that happen. I have to let Richard go. It’s the only way to keep him safe from the mess I have dragged him into.

Tears already prick at my eyes as I glance over at Richard. A part of me wants to ask my faux grandfather to get the hell out with his lawyer and run back to Richard, just to have one perfect night. But I can’t. That would be selfish.

After some serious soul-searching, I make a decision. Staying with Richard? Not an option. I can’t let Victor hurt him.

I shoot a glance at Richard. “Please, let me explain.”

“I’m going with my grandfather,” I declare.

Victor looks at me with that smug grin, like he’s just won the lottery. “You made the right choice.”

---