Page 183 of Dirty Damage

“If you don’t let go of me right this instant, I’m going to scream bloody murder.”

He looks amused. “Would you?”

I steal a breath, ready to make good on my threat, when he releases my hand as though it’s just caught on fire.

“Jesus Christ, don’t scream,” he grumbles. “I just wanna talk.”

If only I had my smoothie. I would have thrown it full in his face. I just can’t catch a break recently. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Actually, that suits me just fine, because I have shit I need to say to you.”

“Of course you do.” I roll my eyes. “You love the sound of your own voice.”

He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I don’t know where you get off being so snotty. I did you a fucking favor.”

“A favor?!” My screech earns me a few looks from the neighboring tables. “Are you delusional or just plain stupid? You completely ruined?—”

I break off. What do I say? I can’t claim to have had a relationship with Oleg. It was fake right from the beginning. A cordial agreement, but an agreement nonetheless.

So I settle for saying, “—everything. You ruined everything!”

“I saved your ass,” he retorts, the smile sliding off his face. “You were in over your head with that Russian fuck. I had to get you out.”

“By lying to me? Using me? Manipulating me?”

“Hate to break it to you, baby, but you understand that a lot better than you understand an honest conversation.”

My cheeks heat. I need something in my hands. A weapon. Sharp, preferably. I could use a knife or fork to jab him in the eye.

At this rate, I’ll gouge him with my fingers if I have to.

“How dare?—”

“Oleg Pavlov is a ruthless motherfucker. And he’s got a shitstorm coming his way. I’m talking about the kind of shitstorm he can’t get out of.”

My fingers tense on the edge of my seat. “What do you mean?”

He breezes right past my question. “Listen, I get it, okay? I understand why you would go for a guy like him. Mr. Moneybagsprobably pulled out all the stops. But throwing around money is easy for a man who’s drowning in it.”

“That’s not why?—”

“He’s going down, baby. And if you stayed engaged to him, you’d have gone down with him. Isavedyou. And I’m gonna keep saving you no matter what.”

I can only shake my head. “You’re insane.”

“Don’t you see how much I care about you, Sutton?” he croons, his hand twitching towards mine. I pull my arms out of reach. “I’m so much better for you than that egotistical asshole will ever be. We were so good together, the perfect team.”

I want to tell him to go fuck himself, but my throat is tight and the world is wobbly at the edges. Even speaking feels like more effort than I can make.

He sighs. “Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I forgive you.”

My jaw drops. I swallow air.

But at least I finally find my voice. “Excuseme?!”

He nods. “That’s right. I forgive you for being with him. He gave you security and I know how much you Palmer girls value security. But I can give you that, too, now. I’m coming up in the world, baby. And Oleg is going down.”

If my stomach weren’t empty, I’d be fighting back the urge to throw up. “Drew…”

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