Page 66 of Ugly Truths
In his head, I did this to him. Not because he came in here with none of the credentials or information to make a good case, but because I didn’t immediately give in the way he and my father assumed I would.
Jeremy doesn’t even see the way William gave him a stage, let him talk himself into a corner, then abandoned the entire thing the second it became clear it wouldn’t work. He set Jeremy up to fail.
And for what? To prove a point to me? That he can put Jeremy in front of the board whenever he damn well pleases, just to see if he can make something stick?
I need to talk to my brother. I told Elena I’d do it; I just wasn’t sure when. But now, seeing him sit there, seething with misplaced rage, I can’t wait any longer—because William isn’t going to stop.
Whether Jeremy wants to believe that or not, he deserves better than to be humiliated by our father for his own gain.
Chapter 27
Elena
Before I even realize I’m awake, I’m seated upright. My pulse pounds as the duvet falls to my waist, letting cold air rush over my sweat-slicked chest and neck.
It takes a moment to realize where I am—the massive bedroom, the ornate curtains, the eight-foot windows. Silas’s side of the bed is empty, an imprint on the pillow still visible in the darkness. The bathroom light is off.
My fingers curl into the sheets, rubbing the buttery-soft fabric between my fingers as a reminder of what is real and what is not.
It was just a nightmare.
Or something like it. I don’t even remember what I saw before I ended up here again. It’s just a blur of fragmented images, but I know something terrible was happening. I was fighting for my life in my own head.
I used to have a lot of these dreams after Drew. I rarely remembered the specifics, but I woke up screaming her name more times than I can count. Sometimes I wondered if she was doing it to punish me from some afterlife.
Those type of dreams came back after the warehouse explosion, but they hadn’t been as frequent since I moved back in with Silas. I thought maybe things were starting to settle because I was beginning to feel more like myself. I don’t know. I’m not sure why I expected anything different.
The sky outside is still blanketed in darkness as I slide back down onto the mattress and onto my side. The small analog clock near my head says it’s just after five in the morning. I curse.
There’s no world where I fall asleep after that.
With a sigh, I roll onto my back. Davey and the guys made solid progress on the servers yesterday, and Corey managed to extract coordinates for a general area in Sierra Blanca, which feels promising, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now.
I find myself putting on a pair of biker shorts and a t-shirt. I never work out this early, but getting rid of the electricity that’s zipping through my veins feels like the only productive thing I can do.
By the time I brush my teeth and make it down to the basement, the space is already thick with body heat and sweat. “Basket Case” plays over the speakers, loud enough to muffle the impact of Silas’s gloved fists against the heavy bag in the corner.
He throws perfectly controlled strikes into the leather, footwork light. His shirt is discarded on the floor nearby, and his glasses have been replaced with contacts. Sweat glistens along the ridges of his back, sliding down to the waistband of his shorts, and catching on the deep cut of his muscles. Heat curls low in my stomach.
Am I about to become a morning person?
Silas doesn’t break his rhythm or even glance in my direction through the mirrors on the surrounding walls. He lands several hard hits against the bag before finally speaking.
“Did you come down here just to ogle me?”
My cheeks flush. “It wasn’t my plan,” I admit, crossing my arms with a smirk, “but it’s a big perk.”
That gets his attention. He drops his hands and turns to me, fighting a smile. My body relaxes almost instantly at the way his eyes linger on me without a guarded edge. No measured silences, no distance.
Today is a good day.
I cross the room, placing a palm against his glistening chest, meaning to just press a quick kiss to his jaw. But before I can move away, Silas pins my hand against his skin with one of his gloves.
He tilts his head in question. “Why are you awake?”
I shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.” Then, with a smile, I free my hand and back away. “Don’t let me interrupt. Jeff isn’t coming today, so I was just going to lift and do some cardio.”
Silas watches me for a beat as he strips off his gloves to reveal the tape wrapped around his fingers. Then, he reaches for his water bottle, tipping it to his lips as he speaks against the opening. “Or we could run some drills together.”
