Page 210 of On a Fault Line

“Five minutes.”

“I’m going to grab Nic and head up to Seattle.”

“You need to stay at the charity event where there’s news crews and digital proof of your alibi. You are in the perfect location to have witnesses to verify your hands are clean from this mission.”

“Fine. But as soon as this is over, I’m going to go get my sister. This ends tonight.”

“I’ll say it again. I want what is best for your sister, no matter how much you still view me as the villain.”

“You are sixteen years older than she is,” Graham chokes out.

“And I have the experience and the restraint to give Penny what she needs, even if it’s not easy for you to come to terms with what that is. Would you rather have her pissing around with some asshole who has a statistically higher chance of hurting her or have her be with someone who can give her everything she needs physically, in addition to financially and emotionally?”

“I’m not doing this over the phone.”

I steer the car, gripping the wheel with white knuckles. “Well, you haven’t been up for having a man-to-man conversation with me about it either. You just wanted to pound my face in and hope I move on without a fight.”

“I know what’s best for my sister, Collins. So you better get that straight.”

“I’ve only ever done what is best for your family. Falling for your sister was a byproduct of getting to know her. I couldn’t help myself.”

“You stay the fuck away from her. Do your job and take the payout. I’ll triple it.”

“This has never been about the money, and you know it.”

“We had a contract in place,” he snarls.

“And I honored the terms of said contract. I’ve always kept Penny safe and went above and beyond doing so.”

“She’s not safe fromyou!”

His words sting. I’d much rather him beat the shit out of me than listen to him anymore. I might have fallen head over fucking heels for the girl who stole my heart like a thief, but I’ve only ever wanted to make sure she was happy and cared for—that’s it. My entire purpose for joining forces with the Hoffmans was to figure out who drugged Penny.

I put her first then, and while she doesn’t see it this way, I’m also putting her first now.

It’s just that now I need to tie up this one last part of the whole operation and eradicate Penny’s mind of the evilness that still lurks there by eliminating Mark Tanner.

It’s always been about Penny.

It was Penny who was first drugged, and it is Penny who we all want to see well.

Killing Mark Tanner will ensure she stays well.

“I know you think I’ve been disloyal, and I guess in a superficial look at the situation, that would appear to be true. But I love your sister, Graham. I’ve only ever wanted what’s best for her.”

I turn off the highway and exit onto the off-ramp, trying my best to maintain a clear head for the mission I’m about to do. But I can’t.

I want things to go back to how they were but with Penny as my girl. I don’t want to hide, and I don’t want to feel guilty for loving who I love.

If I have to grovel to the two men who gave me my life back, so be it—just as long as they don’t snatch it away again.

I am prepared to beg.

“I know about the sex contract.”

Well, damn.“What? How?”

My mind goes through all of the scenarios on how this could even be possible. Did Penny tell them about it? Very few people know about the dynamics of my lifestyle and how I conduct relationships like business transactions. I just never thought I would be having this conversation with Graham of all people, and especially not now.

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