Page 40 of Playing A Risk
He nods and gives me a once-over. “Any word from Dorothy?”
And there it is. Why he’s asking remains a mystery, but he’s up to something.
I tilt my head. “No. I figured she’s on vacation and I’ll see her in the New Year.”
“Yeah. She should be good and rested by then.” He wipes his face with a towel. “I’ve been thinking.”
I cock a brow and place my hands on my hips. “About?”
“My New Year’s resolution.”
What’s he playing at?
“I’m sure it’s a good one.” I step aside to pass him, but he stops me.
“You and I have certain agreements in place, Jamison. I want them renegotiated.”
And now he has my undivided attention. “How so?”
“Dissolved, actually.”
I pull back. “You can’t be serious.”
He pins me with a steely stare. “I’m dead serious. I’m coming clean to Dorothy about everything. When that clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve and signals a new beginning, I want the slate clean.”
“What does that mean, Hunter?”
“It means I plan on telling her everything you’re holding over my head.”
I force out a laugh. “So you can have all the power. Got it.”
“No, you don’t. I’m not holding anything over your head anymore. No more threats. No more cross-handed deals between you and me. It’s over.
“My vendetta against you is over. I can’t say I’ll ever be your friend again, but you won’t be my enemy either. Now, if you choose to come after me, you put that mark on your back, not me.”
My brow furrows. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means be careful, Jamison. Think before you do something foolish.”
“So there is still a threat.”
He takes a deep breath and releases it between his lips. “Jamison, listen to me. I’m not holding anything over you anymore.
“Any secrets you have, your contract, or anything I may have threatened you with is clean. Wiped from my memory. If you continue to go after me, that’s on you. My part in our little war is over. I’m waving the white flag. I surrender.”
His stance softens and he gives me a look of sincerity. Something has him worried. The fear in his eyes is unmistakable.
Still, I’m not entirely buying it. “You can’t blame me for being suspicious about your sudden change of heart.”
“In normal circumstances, I would agree with you. In this case, please listen to me. Let our fight with one another be over. I’d hate to see something happen to you.”
And now he’s just toying with me. “Whatever, Hunter.”
He bears down on his molars. “Dammit, Jamison. Listen to me. That little gift you delivered wasn’t given to you by chance. If it means what I think it does…”
My chest grows heavy.
He shakes his head. “Let’s just fucking make peace with each other once and for all. When Dorothy gets back and decides who she wants to be with, it’ll be based on her feelings about us, not on our underhanded moves against each other. I want her out of this. She can’t be caught in the crossfire. And honestly, I don’t want you or me to be either.”
