Page 31 of Ugly Truths
That’s when I learned about the extent of his team and how he handles threats to his family. Since then, I’ve been part of that process. We’ve dealt with more incidents than I care to count. Some still keep me up at night. It’s something I’ve done with a mix of emotions. Mostly pride, because it’s always been about keeping Natalie safe.
However, the person I’ve just gotten out of my seat to follow now isn’t that same man. He’s been unraveling piece by piece since June, and now there’s nowhere left for him to tuck those emotions away into.
Cillian is leaning against the wall directly next to me when I open the door, his eyes tracking Silas further down the hallway. “What’s going—”
With barely a glance at Cillian, I nod toward the holding room. Without hesitation, he listens, slipping through the door and shutting it behind himself, leaving me and my best friend alone. I jog to catch up with him before he reaches the elevator panel.
“Silas.”
He ignores me. So I grab his arm and pull. Hard.
As he whirls around, there’s more than just hatred swimming in his eyes. His chest heaves.
“Breathe,” I say, my grip tightening slightly. “You hear me? Breathe through it.”
His glare sharpens in an instant. “Don’t tell me to fuckingbreathe, Davey.”
I don’t flinch. “Losing your shit right now doesn’t help anyone. Least of all you.”
The words hit their mark. He yanks his arm out of my grasp and starts pacing. His shoes echo against the floor, each step heavier than the last.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” His voice is raw. “Pretend I didn’t just sit in that room and hear her justify ripping mygoddamn heart out?”
I exhale, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t think she was justifying it,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “She was explaining why she did it.”
Silas stares at me like I’ve just sprouted an additional head. His lips part slightly before the frustration ignites.
“You spent months telling me not to trust her,” he seethes. “Now you’re trying to see her side of things?”
The irony isn’t lost on me. I knew Elena was going to be a problem from the first time she and Silas shook hands. It took him a few weeks, but once his obsession took hold, it was fast and intense. So much so that it surprised me. I’d barely seen Silas show interest in a woman for more than a handful of dates, let alone chase one who wanted nothing to do with him. And yet, she was always conveniently around.
It set off every warning bell in my head.
For months, it put me on edge every time she was in the room. I watched her closer than anyone else, thinking it was about power or money, but now I know it wasn’t. At least, not for her personally. It was about survival. That doesn’t erase what she did or excuse the wreckage she left behind, but it makes me more willing to listen.
“I’m not in the business of torturing or killing anyone so trapped that making enemies ofusfelt like their best option.” I pause, letting my words settle. “I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve consequences, but I’m not making any rash decisions, and neither should you. Give me more time to sort this out.”
I expect him to bite back with something vicious, but he only exhales, slow and harsh, tension still rippling under his skin. Then, he turns and moves toward the elevator at the end of the hall, his fingers already reaching for the panel. Over his shoulder, he snipes, “Keep asking her questions.”
“Where are you going?” I demand.
He doesn’t look back. “Anywhere but this fucking dungeon.”
Pressing his thumb against the biometric scanner, he waits for the soft beep to confirm the match before the screen prompts him for hiscode. He enters it without hesitation, and the doors slide open with a muted hiss. He steps inside before pressing the button for his office floor. Another biometric scan. Another beep. Then the doors close, and he’s gone.
That went about as well as expected.
Turning on my heel, I heed his instructions and head back to the holding room door, pausing for only a moment to let out a long, deep breath before opening it.
Cillian is leaning against the wall directly to the left of the threshold, arms crossed, listening. He barely acknowledges me, eyes focused on Elena and Natalie as he teases out something in his mind that I clearly missed.
My body tenses as I take in my wife’s expression.
She’s more upset now than when I left. Her eyes are glossy with fresh tears. Their tracks stain her high cheekbones and gather beneath her chin. The physical ache that envelops me seeing her like this is so violent and fast that it steals my breath, but I shove the fear aside.
Silas is already acting irrationally enough for both of us.
Natalie clears her throat and looks back at Elena, nodding toward me. “Tell Davey what you just told me,” she says. Her voice is stronger than I expected. “About Drew.”
