Page 153 of Devil Mine

“He told her she has until next Friday and then she’s out.”

To know Tess is to know that her job is the most important thing in the world to her. The fact that he could so easily fire her, that he even has the power to do so, sickens me.

Rage churns in my gut on her behalf. No wonder she was that angry yesterday. She may have been arguing with me about important things to do with our relationship, but that wasn’t the underlying issue.

Like a roaring beast, my protectiveness rises to the surface once more, called to action by this injustice against her. I won’t let it stand.

“Call the lawyer,” I ask Arturo. “I want him here in the next thirty minutes.”

Chapter Fifty-Six

Tess

I’m sick to my stomach.

Where is he?

It’s been over twenty-four hours and he hasn’t come home. He hasn’t texted or called. He hasn’t given any signs of life whatsoever.

It’s just after eleven pm now and he still hasn’t returned.

What if…what if he never comes back?

“I’m done.”

What did he mean by that? Did he…was he really saying he was done with me? Withus?

It’s clawing at my insides not knowing if he truly meant those words.

If we’re over.

A sob rolls unbidden up my throat at the thought.

I took it too far yesterday, I know I did. I was so angry and hurt. By him, yes, but mostly by my father. I took years of resentment at feeling inferior out on Thiago instead of having a conversation and I regret it.

I regret it so fucking much.

If he just came home, I could tell him that.

I could apologize.

I’m not too proud to admit when I’ve been an asshole.

Being in this big house without him is a miserable experience. Last night was the worst night of sleep of my life. I kept jerking awake at the smallest noise, hoping that it was the sound of his key turning in the lock or his footsteps coming up the stairs that had awoken me. And every single time when I realized it was nothing, that I was alone in our massive, cold, empty bed, I dropped dejectedly back onto his pillow, sniffing for traces of his scent like a crazy person to try and imprint his smell into my senses.

When sleep wouldn’t come, I stared up at the ceiling for hours, tears silently falling off the sides of my face.

I can’t believe that I used to wish for this. For separate lives and never seeing him.

I’ve had a taste of it for a day and I’ve hated every single moment of it, so much so that I couldn’t go to work. Couldn’t focus on anything but those all-consuming thoughts, the distress making it impossible for me to eat anything. The only thing I’d been able to do was start to look at the financial files Thiago had given me.

There were thousands of pages over years but I focused first on the past year and a half, the key timeframe when the cartel had expanded to the UK.

I’ll need a lot more time to review the paperwork and understand the whole story, but patterns are starting to emerge. Pieces that indicate there’s indeed someone embezzling from the company. The picture is coming together little by little and I hope that with a bit more time, I’ll be able to go to Thiago with my findings.

If I do have more time, that is.

If he’s still interested in keeping me.

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