Page 28 of Whatever It Takes

“Jameson had to make the choice of his own free will. No coercion. No drugging. I’m not a monster.”

That’s up for debate.I hold back the snort that wants to escape but just barely.

I plant my elbows on the table and bury my face in my hands. I have no idea how long something has been going on between Jameson and that woman. “Great. Now I need to be tested.”

The last thing I need is some untreated STI.

“Today was the first time they were together,” Easton says. “And trust me, I’ve had someone following him around the clock since you moved in.”

That means he knew exactly where Jameson was today, and he played dumb. At the very least, he knew Jameson never left the building this morning.

“If he cheated on you before Steffanie, I would have informed you,” Easton says. “Don’t worry about that, but you’ve been employed for ninety days. You should have access to the same health insurance the rest of us have.”

“There’s no telling how solid my new identity is,” I admit. “I never even filled out the forms Calder gave me.”

“I’ll have him dig into that,” Easton says calmly, like this entire conversation isn’t a shit show. “If we need to procure you a new identity, he will handle it.”

“Why do you care?” I ask. “Why take things to such an extreme level just to prove Jameson is an asshole?”

I guess a good assistant is worth more to him than I originally thought. Or it could be the weird rivalry between them that I only recently noticed.

“You were supposed to be mine.” His dark eyes sparkle as he speaks. “I warned Jameson to stay away. A warning that he did not heed. I’d say he learned an important lesson.”

My eyes narrow.

I don’t know what that means, but I have no interest in being a prize for them to fight over. It feels like Easton only cares because he won.

“I’ll give you some time to come to terms with your breakup, but let me make myself very clear—I intend to court you properly as soon as you’re ready.”

My mouth falls open as my heart thunders. “What?”

“You know we’re a scent match. More than that, really. Something draws me to you unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. You will be mine.” A lazy smile crosses his face, making the indents of his dimples show. He smiles so infrequently that I always manage to forget they exist. “Spend some time brainstorming acceptable courting gifts. I’m partial to your brother’s head. Would that work for you?”

Holy shit.

No one should look that amused when discussing decapitated heads.

I’m not sure what to think or feel.

Fuck yes, I would love to see my brother wiped off the face of the planet, but men like Easton are always on their best behavior at first. It’s the second you piss them off that the monster comes out to play.

He may have convinced himself he’s interested in me, but I’m not sure it doesn’t all boil down to that ridiculous rivalry he has with Jameson.

I got lucky escaping a life tied to Avan Barrett, but I’m beginning to think Easton might be more dangerous than Avan ever dreamed of being.

After all, I knew what I was getting with Avan from day one.

Easton mostly manages to pretend to be an upstanding citizen—an asshole definitely, but I never thought he was the type to be a cold-blooded murderer.

Chapter Twelve

Calder

My night is spent seeking out information on Briar’s family. I need to know how the Manzos are connected to the bookie who Arden and his team are interested in. I never would have guessed Arden, Lincoln, and Kase would fall head over dick in love with a pregnant omega, but she is pretty.

Her name is Chelsea, and I follow the trail back from her, to her ex, to his brother. By the time I’m done, I actually feel kinda bad for that lady. She’s pregnant, and her ex-boyfriend died without telling her he was sick. That’s messed up, but with this job comes a need for an excellent ability to compartmentalize.

I shoot East an email with all the highlights and proof that what I’m saying is accurate.

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