Page 70 of Crush (Deadly Hearts 1)

Declan is leaning casually against the counter, a bottle of water from the fridge in his hand.

“Everything is fine,” I say before he can say a word. “She told you stuff as well, didn’t she?”

He nods carefully.

“I’m not gonna ask, don’t get your panties in a bunch,” I say wryly. “I just wondered why she was stressing so hard.”

“I will tell you if you ask,” he says. “I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.”

“Nope, I don’t need to know my sister’s business. Whatever she told you, you take to the grave.”

He shrugs. “So, are we good, Princess?”

“Yeah,” I say with a soft smile, loving that endearment from him suddenly. It makes me feel cherished or some shit. “But I have questions that need answers.”

“I know. Shoot,” he says, bracing himself for the firing squad.

“What got you into such a state that night that you got drunk and found yourself a plaything for the night? Doesn’t seem to be your style and to be honest, I’d think it quite dangerous in your line of work. Loose lips and all that.”

His face goes icy before it crumples, and he drops his head into his hands. “It’s confession time, isn’t it?” he asks rhetorically. “I’ll tell you, Princess but you might not like what you hear.”

“Try me,” I murmur, a shiver going down my spine at his words. He knows me. He knows what I’m capable of. If he thinks I won’t like what he has to say, how bad is it?

“It has to do with you and your previous play partner,” he starts.

I draw in a sharp breath, taking a defensive step back. “Wh-what about him?” The genuine fear that slices through me takes me by surprise. It sneaks up on me in the darkest hours of the night. Like now. It was bad at the time, but on reflection it was only the paralyzing fear of ghosts from the past that made it so. He stares into my eyes and starts his story, surprising me and kind of turning me on a little bit in the process.

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