Page 39 of A Secret and a Lie
I bark a laugh. “Everyone knows those are inadmissible in court, and for good reason.”
“Don’t need it to hold up in court, just need to know if he’s a lying sack of shit. He claims she’s the only person he told about his wife’s side hustle.”
“A side hustle that funneled millions into herpocket, and presumably his,” I mutter, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. Goddamnit, I’ve underestimated the ruthlessness of this woman. “You believe Choi?”
“You can’t be serious, Crawford! Of course, I think it came from Allison. How close are you to getting your hands on her client list and, more importantly, that list of secrets?”
“Not close.” Right now, Drake is the only one who knows that Genevieve has already let me go as a client and as an apprentice of sorts, so now my only door to her is through Sloane…unless I can come up with a new plan.
“How long do you need?”
Doors are shutting in my face. I’ve done my own digging, looking into her bank statements and following paper trails, but they’ve led nowhere of substance. Genevieve has done a good job of covering her tracks and ensuring that she won’t be caught. Her thoroughness is frustrating.
“I don’t know. How long does it take to build rapport with someone?” I snap caustically. For what must be the nine thousandth time, I curse myself for accepting this assignment, but I’m too far gone to give it up now. I can’t bear the thought of placing Genevieve in someone else’s care. Her demise ismine, perched in my palm like fragile flower petals that I’ll inevitably crush.
I won’t let another man be the one who snaps those cuffs around her wrists, and I’m a sick son of a bitch for that, but Ican’t.
More calmly, I add, “I’ll get you what you need.”
“Crawford, Aubrey wants the op completed as soon as possible so Percy can claim he kept his promise to weed out the corruption in this city within the year. You have a month to get those lists of secrets and contacts from Allison.”
I grunt a response and hang up. There’s nothing left to say. If I need more time, I’ll find a way to get it, but I hope it won’t come to that. I’ve always done things above board, providing more than enough information to put the criminals away. If I’d been shadier, Imight not have gotten shot, but I wanted to play by the rules. I don’t plan to let them down now.
As I sit in my study, surrounded by the smell of burning wood coming from the hearth and the faint scent of old books in the air, the taste of whiskey on my tongue, I formulate a plan. For the first time in my life, I decide I need to step into the dark and get my hands dirty.
Genevieve
My phone vibrates against the black-and-white marble vanity in my ensuite bathroom as I freshen up after my session with Donna. Liam might be taking clients once again, but I’ve officially poached Donna as my own. Now more than ever, I think I need to keep the justice close—and on her knees for me. Liam wasn’t left empty-handed, though. He filled the time slot with the president of the Stock Exchange.
After drying my hands, I reach for my phone to findSupermanon the screen, and I’m caught between the urge to squeal in delight and my better judgment to send his ass to voicemail.
Closing my eyes so that I can’t see the critical, disapproving look that’s surely on my face, I swipe to answer.
“Hello, Genevieve.” The deep, husky words roll right off his tongue and down the length of my spine. I shamelessly shiver.
Reminded of the last time I heard that voice, the way it commanded and captivated me, I find myself recalling how I nearly unraveled on his whip, wishing it were his cock.
I lied, and everyone in that playroom knew it. I wasn’t concerned about how Ford would handle a sub safe-wording. He’d proved he was more than capable with Sloane, but I wasn’t going to admit that I safe-worded so I wouldn’t climax. I couldn’t come undone with him.
But I underestimated how it would feel to lie in his arms andhave his hands threaded in my hair. If I think about it, I swear I can feel the ghost of his touch gliding over my body, nuzzling me in his embrace. Now that I’ve experienced what it’s like to be held by him, I’m finding it difficult to shut the memory out.
The entire lesson was a fucking mistake from the moment his dirty words shot me between the legs like some kind of salacious bullet. It only got worse when I agreed to be mounted to the cross. Why the fuck did I say yes to that?
While I couldn’t get away from the scene fast enough, it took two frantic orgasms in my powder bathroom to finally feel like myself again. The man threatens to own me every time he opens his mouth, and I desperately need to reduce the number of times I hear him speak whenever possible.Yet I just answered his call…
Peeling my eyelids apart, I shake my head disparagingly in the mirror, condemning my body’s wanton behavior.
“What can I do for you, Superman?” I ask matter-of-factly. He doesn’t need to know how he affects me.
“I want to see you.”
An audible sigh leaves me.We’ve been over this.“You’re Sloane’s client now, not mine. Our lessons are over.”
“I don’t want her.” His tone is domineering, sounding like the dark authority that’s, apparently, my kryptonite.
“Would you like for me to connect you with a new sub? Are you and Sloane not a good fit?”
Although, I find that hard to believe because Sloane is a Dom’s dream; well, unless you’re into brats, then she’s not your girl. But I know Ford and he’s not the brat-taming type.
