Page 4 of Rush of Jealousy

“That’s messed up, Graham. And the fact that you don’t understand that is the most disturbing part of all. We are all just little game pieces for your quest at revenge.” I can tell I hit a nerve by the way he flinches and goes back to strumming his fingers against the side of the desk.

“The agency is a decoy, Angie. It is not my end goal or company of choice to run. I’m simply utilizing my resources. I had a suspicion that something devious was happening in the underground business world. Most cities are riddled with corruption and unsavory practices. I spent months with no real leads. Months of agony watching my little sister battle her demons in and out of psychiatric centers. She is a shell of who she used to be. Irrevocably changed forever.”

“I’m sorry,” I say softly.

He closes his mouth into a tight line and nods.

“How does Dominic fit in?” I ask, purely out of curiosity.

“He is, for the sake of simplicity, the second in command. However, to the outside world, he is the owner.”

I think back to the few times I was in the Entice office, but specifically to Friday’s mediation. No wonder it was such a circus act. The attendants probably laughed their asses off afterwards over my naivete. I imagine most were just going through the motions to make the session look believable. When in reality, there was no way for me to win all along. What a sick joke. And Dominic allowed me to hold on to hope that a happy resolution would occur. This is such a mess.

“And what am I? Just another stupid girl, that’s what,” I say, answering my own lame question.

“You are everything to me. Everything, Angie. During the mixer event where I saw you hanging out at the pool, I knew I was in trouble. You are the exact kind of trouble that could make men like me try to be better.”

My eyes narrow at his stupid declaration. “Why is this a bad thing? Is it so wrong to want to be a decent human being, Graham?”

“Being a good guy doesn’t get me justice. Being a good guy will just get me killed. Or worse, someone I love killed. So believe me when I say, I tried to steer you away from me. I knew I could not stay away from you on my own. So I tried to do the opposite.”

I huff. “Well, we both know how that turned out.”

“You became my obsession.”

“An expensive one too,” I respond bitterly over the exorbitant amount of money he threw my way.

“I never cared about the money.”

“Neither did I.”

“I know and that made me like you even more. Fall even harder.”

I shake my head as if I’m trying to deflect the words from entering my ears. As if I can shield them from the softness of Graham’s voice. He is finally opening up to me, telling me truths—if perhaps just half ones. Except it’s too late. He waited too long. And deep inside I can’t help but wonder what he would be sharing freely if I’d never snuck into his office.

His eyes connect with mine, studying me. “So I tried to get you to only date me. I tried to get you so pissed off that you would quit working. I tried to scare you with potential blackmail so you would—”

“Lean on you for support,” I finish. “Rely only on you. Be terrified out of my mind that my life was in danger.”

He gives me a shrug and crosses his ankles on the floor. I stare down at his feet, unable to lock eyes with him without wanting to gouge them out of their sockets. My anger is simmering again.

“But you are stubborn. So stubborn, Angela McFee. You just do not stop. Any sane person would have backed away. Not you. You just would not quit. You would not date solely me. You would not take the money and run. Nothing worked. Not even blackmail and a ransom.”

“You can’t control everything.”

“Your life is still in danger, Angie. But now I have no idea whether it is in direct connection with me or by default from working in the agency.”

“So why not shut everything down?”

“That would draw too much suspicion. I am working on all of this. I just need more time.”

Where does Graham even draw the line on right and wrong? Are we all just puppets in his pursuit to find justice for his sister?

“You are done seeing Tanner,” he bites out.

“How is Mark even involved in all of this?” I rasp, my voice strained from my mouth being parched.

“That I’m not one hundred percent sure of. But there are too many coincidences.”

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