Page 20 of Ugly Truths
Or mercy.
He steps back. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” His frigid eyes cast a final glance over me. “Hopefully, you’ll have smartened up by then and have a name to give me. We won’t be making any deals.”
The certainty in his voice shatters the final images I’ve held onto for months, and I have no one but myself to blame.
As he reaches the door, something desperate rises within me, clawing its way up my throat. “When the time comes to…” My words trail off, unable to say them, “let someone else do it. You shouldn’t have to.”
He freezes.
Time stretches, suspending us both in the weight of my words. It presses on him, trailing down his spine and outward, like a heat I could almost reach out and touch.
Then, he opens the door and slams it shut behind him, leaving me with nothing.
Just like I deserve.
Chapter 9
Silas
Islam the three steel bolts into place, each one thudding into its reinforced socket with asnapthat echoes down the hallway. Above them, a panel beside the door blinks to life. I swipe my keycard, waiting for the faint beep and the reassuring green light. An electromagnetic seal hums quietly as it activates.
My chest heaves when I finally lean my back against the cold metal, trying to find my breath. She's in there, tied to that chair, and I hate it.
It shouldn't matter. Itcan'tmatter, but it does.
And that pisses me off even more.
Every thought I had in that room was a contradiction. Do I want to punish her or protect her? Hurt her or kiss her? Kill her or untie and fuck her? I was teetering on the edge when she looked me in the eye and told me with her whole chest that she wanted to choose me.
It sounded so convincing.
By the time I reach the elevator, my hands are shaking. I punch in the code and press my thumb to the scanner. The door slides open. This private elevator is a fortress, just like the rest of this building. It's designed to keep people like Elena out. And yet, here she is. In my world. Living under my skin. Again.
Though I'm the one who dragged her back here, it already feels like I've lost control. I hadn't expected her to threaten to die with the information I need.
All to protect precious fucking Luis.
Cillian came back from Colorado with Cora and the two runaways, but Paul and Lloyd stayed behind. They're tearing through every inch of that asshole's life—his home, his records, every breadcrumb he's ever left behind. Anything to figure out who the hell he is and how he got Elena out ofmycity without leaving a trace.
There aren't many institutions I haven't been able to influence, and that locally owned bank in Arizona was no exception. One well-placed bribe, and the owner agreed to notify us the second there was activity on the account. A week ago, that call came through about small transfers trickling into a new account at a national bank. More challenging to trace, sure, but not impossible. She made finding the routing trail easier by taking out cash. I didn't bother asking about the details or how Davey did it. All I cared about was dealing with her as quickly as possible.
Cillian and Cora were enroute to her within a day. Still, they had to wait a few more to make sure all our safeguards were in place, including access to their smart devices so we could intercept and answer any messages if questions started coming in.
The elevator shifts gears, rising smoothly. In less than a minute, the doors are opening onto the executive floor, opposite the public elevator.
After offering Leslie a curt greeting, I'm pushing my office door open. Davey is at my desk, the glow of my laptop illuminating his face. He looks up as I step inside, a slight furrow on his brow.
“That didn't go how I expected.” His voice is quiet, almost tentative.
I round my desk, loosening my tie just enough to take the pressure off of the lump it's pressing against. “What do you mean?”
Davey scratches the back of his neck, glancing at the screen as he stands. “I don't know.” His confusion is evident. “I thought she'd have more to say. Try harder to negotiate with you, something. But she's just sitting there.”
I follow his gaze to the screen and sink into the seat he just vacated. The video feed from the basement shows Elena exactly as I left her, headbowed to hide her face. The trembling in her shoulders tells me she's crying, though she makes no sound.
“She hasn't tried to talk her way out of it?” I ask, my voice tight, knowing she saw the security camera in the corner of the room. She wouldn't miss something like that.
Davey shakes his head. “Not a word. It's strange. This isn't the woman I remember from before.” His eyes meet mine, searching for some explanation I don't have.
