Page 311 of Hell Hath No Fury
“At least it’s real. I’m more alive now. I’m stronger. Healthier. More supported, and hopeful, and generous, too.”
“It’s easy to be generous when your purse is filled with drug money.”
I let the barb slide with a sigh. “Why am I here?” I repeat a third time. “Is it because of that kiss? Because I already told you—”
“I remember what you told me. How can I forget when it plays in a loop in my head twenty-four-seven? But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if you were lying.” He turns to me again, this time with conviction in his gaze. “You were the one who instigated the intimacy, Anissa.Youkissed me. Youwantedme. Then all of a sudden that asshole came back into the picture and you threw your life away.”
He’s right again. In part.
I’d planted my lips on his hoping it would distract me from the unwanted feelings I had for a criminal. But there was no heat. Not even a spark. Then the dark prince had knocked on my door and even though I’d tried to hate him, I’d melted into a defiant puddle over his ferocity.
“You’re not the man for me, Easton. I love Cole. I’ll never leave him.”
“Even when he’s unfaithful?”
My heart climbs into my throat. “Is that why you’re here? To tell me he’s cheating?”
Easton’s jaw ticks as he remains silent.
“Tell me.” I tug the sleeve of his suit jacket. “You can’t say that and—”
“No.” He throws back the remainder of his second drink, then slides the glass away. “At least not that I’ve found evidence of. But we both know he’d be able to hide it.”
Cole wouldn’t be able to hide it from me.
We talk too much. We share everything. At least we did before this meeting.
The only thing my fiancé keeps from me are the darkest depths of his organization, which I asked to be eased into gently. I still don’t have the stomach for everything his world entails. It will take time.
“I trust him,” I admit.
Easton scoffs. “Your mistake. If you think you’re above him being unfaithful, you’re kidding yourself.”
“And if he thinks he’s above being castrated after shoving his dick into another woman, then he is, too. Thankfully we’re both smarter than that.” Cheating isn’t in the cards for us. Cole is far too arrogant to hide something like that. If our relationship was rocky enough to instigate infidelity, he’d have the balls to tell me first.
“You talk a big game, Fox, but it’s not only him you’d have to deal with. It’s his posse, too.”
“That’s not for you to worry about.” I slide from the stool and grab my purse from the bar. “Cole and I are strong.”
“How strong can you be when he keeps you from your father?”
My spine snaps ramrod straight. “My father?”
“You told me six months ago that Cole had information on your dad, yet you haven’t used it to find him.”
“How closely have you been watching me?” I scowl.
“It’s my job.”
“I’mnot your job.” I jab a finger at my chest. “Your corrupt office wouldn’t assign you to watch me. So stop. It’s not safe for either of us.”
He shoves from his stool. “I don’t give a fuck about my safety. But I need to know you’re all right. And I don’t think that’s the case when Cole is hiding shit from you.”
I shake my head. “He hasn’t hidden anything.”
“So he told you they spoke?”
My heart plummets.
