Page 33 of My End
She didn’t know. Didn’t have a clue who she was living with.
She thought Boone was just a high-powered asshole with political greatness in his sights.
She didn’t know the blood on his hands and the people he’d buried.
The club he was trying to destroy.
The Banachi weren’t going to care that she was sweet and clueless when they came in to clean everything up. They weren’t going to pause to ask questions.
I ran a hand over my face.
I had to get closer and finish this once and for all before more innocent people got hurt.
Chapter Fourteen
Tilly
The dining room doors were always propped open when dinner was ready, and now all I had to do was show up, smile, and play the part Boone expected of me.
I adjusted the strap on my dress as I walked toward the open doors. It was a floaty rust-orange wrap dress I’d painted in earlier that week. A streak of ultramarine still stained the hem if you looked too closely. I doubted either of them would notice.
Boone and Gibbs were already seated, with half-glasses of red wine in front of them. Their heads were tipped close together, and their voices were low and confidential.
I paused just before the threshold, smoothed my hand over my hip, and took a breath.
Jake stood in the far corner, by the fireplace tonight. Still as a statue, with his arms crossed and that unreadable expression plastered across his face. I didn’t know how he managed to look both bored and dangerous at the same time.
He looked up, and our eyes caught.
For a split second, the air between us felt… different.
Then he looked away.
“Ah, Tilly,” Boone said and stood as I entered. He buttoned his suit coat with a practiced motion. “You’re right on time.”
I nodded and offered a small smile. “I do try.”
Gibbs didn’t rise. He gave me a flick of his fingers and a nod. “Evening.” It seemed that he was still a little ticked I hadn’t given him a tour last night.
I took my usual seat next to Boone and tried not to glance toward the fireplace again. Jake hadn’t moved an inch, but I could feel his gaze on me.
“Rough day?” I asked lightly and reached for the linen napkin beside my plate.
Boone arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
Oh. Wrong tone. Maybe I read the room wrong.
I tucked the napkin across my lap. “I meant… you both looked deep in conversation. Long day?”
Boone relaxed back into his chair. “Ah. Yes. Just tying up loose ends before things ramp up again.”
Gibbs drained the rest of his wine. “The world never stops turning.”
Adam swept in. He set a fresh glass of wine before me and then refilled the one in front of Gibbs. Boone waved him away when he went to refill his glass. Adam left but then returned almost immediately with the first and main courses. The first course was a watercress salad, and the main course was a delicate stack of lamb medallions with something creamy and root-based underneath. Parsnip, maybe. It looked beautiful, like always.
I picked up my fork and forced myself to eat, even though my stomach wasn’t exactly on board tonight.
Boone and Gibbs murmured between bites. Their conversation was too low to make out, though I tried. Mostly I caught phrases like”leverage”,”not yet”, and”waiting for confirmation.”Business. Always business.
