Page 101 of Conquering Oz

“And Iwould likefor you to get out of your car. One of us will get what we want.” He angled his head, narrowing his gaze. “And it won’t be you.”

She dragged her hand over her face. “I’m not going back upstairs.”

“I’m not asking you to.” He clicked the handle. “Unlock the door.”

A few seconds passed, then she reached for the handle, and he opened the door. She slowly got out, moving to the side, and he closed the door. Elodie stood a few feet away.

“I was going to tell you.”

She immediately shook her head and folded her arms, refusing to look at him. This would be an uphill battle. Oz understood how it looked. Walking into his office and seeing him and Sal had been the shock of her life. He’d read her face.

“Look at me.”

When she kept her gaze on the ground, he reached over, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him.

“I was going to tell you everything.”

“You had the opportunity the other day, and you didn’t.”

Oz clenched his jaw. There was no arguing that fact. But Oz had his reasons.

“You needed everything. I didn’t have it then. I do now.” He offered her the folder. “Take it.”

“What is it?”

“Your father’s file.”

She pulled away from his hand and scooted to the left. “I don’t want it.”

“You’ll take it. And you’ll read it.”

“I already know he was a monster.” Her voice shook.

“Take it,” he whispered, and her shaky hand reached out, ripping it from his hand.

Oz reached for the car door and opened it. He signaled for security to move their vehicles blocking her. Elodie whipped her head around when the engines started. Oz turned and started toward the back entrance of the club.

“Was it real?”

Oz stopped mid-step, staring at the door in front of him. He knew what she was asking. He slowly turned to find her standing in front of her open car door. Her eyes were still glassy and red-rimmed. There were streaks down her face where her makeup had been washed away from her tears.

“Me and you.” She sniffled. “Was any of it real?”

His chest tightened. It gave him hope that this wasn’t the end.

“All of it.”

Elodie dropped her chin to her chest and got in her car. Oz waited, watching her drive out of the lot. Just as she passed the building, she looked over at him.

For the first time in forever, he was forced to hand over control to someone else.

Chapter Nineteen

Elodie rolled her neck and covered her yawn. It felt like days since she’d had a good night’s rest. It had been a long two days. She’d holed up in her apartment, closed the store on the ruse of a family emergency, and didn’t leave. Less than an hour after returning from the X-Lounge, she opened her father’s file. It was thick and a lot to go through. Countless pages of crimes and accusations. Each one was worse than the last.

She was still coming to terms with what she’d learned and the betrayal she’d felt.He knew.Elodie couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She needed an explanation. Or did she? She’d been avoiding all of Oz’s calls. There was nothing he could say to rectify the situation. He’d lied. Maybe not in so many words. But the trust was lost, and it left her reeling.

And broken-hearted. It was a feeling she tried her best to shove into the background. Impossible. As much as she wanted to walk away and never think of him again, she loved him.This is so fucked-up.She was torn between what she wanted and what was right. Were they the same? She stared down at the folder and papers spread across her coffee table. She needed to step away and process everything. It was over, for now.

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