Page 93 of Justified Fear
“I wouldn’t call you a friend.”
Even though the words pierced her heart, she made sure not to let it show on her face.She had been known as the Ice Queen once upon a time, and Eden hoped there was a little bit of that ice-cold blood left.
“Same, Kap, same.”She took a drink of her water to hide her sadness.She refused to let him know how much his words hurt her.“I meant Autumn.”
His jaw tightened ever so slightly, telling her he was clenching his back teeth.
“You should be careful of her.”
“Of Autumn?She can’t hurt me.She wouldn’t.”Not unless Ian got hurt, which was something Eden had planned to prevent.None of her insane world would touch him.
“I meant that you shouldn’t use her.I know that’s your go-to.”
Another knife to the heart.The man had had almost three years to figure out that she wasn’t the bad person in their story.That they had both made mistakes, but she hadn’t done things to hurt him on purpose.She’d had orders—just like he did.And she was sick of it.Sick of the asshole comments, of being hurt by them every time he lashed out at her.She was done.
“So, I guess your pursuit was my fault.”
Kap’s jaw tensed again.Bingo.
“Because I think I told you that you didn’t want to get involved with me, and you ignored that, right?If anyone looked like they were the bad person, it was probably you.”
“Are you seriously blaming me for your lies?”
“Well, someone outed me to the press.Someone put my life in danger.My family’s lives are in danger.We had kept our cover for decades, but a month after meeting you, I was outed.So spare me the outrage, Hanson.I can do without it from someone who really has no right to judge other people.”
Kap’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, but before he could come back at her, her phone buzzed in her pocket.Pulling out her phone, she breathed a sigh of relief.Her ride was there.
“Well, this has been fun, as usual, but my ride is here,” she said.“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
Then, without waiting for him to respond, she made a beeline for Ryan and Keely.After thanking them for the party invite, she headed out to the man waiting for her.She knew that no matter what, he would always be there, and vice versa.Twins were like that.
As she neared the car, she took in her brother’s appearance.He looked better these days.There was still a darkness that had settled around his shoulders from the incident three years ago.Forty-eight hours of torture left its mark on his soul.She knew some days El had issues, but more and more, he was spending days in the light.
She slipped into the car.
“How was the party?”El asked, his gravelly voice a testament to his torture.
“You could have come with me,” she said.
“No thanks.You know I don’t do those things these days.”
At one time, he had been the life of the party.Now he tended to work in the shadows.No matter how much she tried, Eden couldn’t get her twin to step into the light.
“Emily was there.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel.She knew her brother had an infatuation with Emily Daniels.In Eden’s opinion, Emily was just as infatuated with El.
“By herself?”
“No.”
She let the silence draw out.
“She’s dating?Good.”His tone did not sound like he thought it was good.In fact, it sounded like he was really angry about it.
She snorted.“No.She was there with her brother, Aaron.”
As they took the on-ramp for Pali Highway, he glanced over at her.“I have news, but you seem kind of upset.”
