Page 43 of Beyond Rosy Irish Twilight

I turned my head slightly, studying his profile. The hardness to his features was back, and there was a dark look in his eyes that I could see even in the moonlight. “You do illegal stuff, right?”

His jaw hardened and he gave a swift nod.

“Then explain that to me.”

He sat there for a time, just staring at the water. When it became clear he wasn’t going to answer, I gave up on him ever opening up to me in any way.

“We’re moving into a different house when we go home.”

“Why? What’s wrong with the apartment?”

He clenched his jaw hard. “It’s…bigger. Better security. We’ll have guards stationed on the grounds to keep you safe.”

“You mean it’s a bigger prison,” I retorted.

He finally looked over at me. “I have to do everything I can to keep you safe.”

“Right,” I sighed. “Because your life is tied to mine.”

His brows furrowed. “Where did you hear that?”

I snorted in amusement. “I’m not stupid. I may just be a woman, but I have ears and I’m perfectly capable of coming to my own conclusions.”

“I never said you were stupid.”

“Well, you’re stupid. You never should have gotten involved with my father. He doesn’t play by the rules, and the moment he doesn’t need you, he’ll cut you loose.”

“I can take care of myself,” he said defensively.

I nodded, staring back out at the ocean. “I used to think that too.”

I wished more than anything that I could make him see what a bad deal he made. Maybe with his resources, we could run away and pretend my father no longer existed. But that would mean leaving my mother, and I just couldn’t do that.

“Do you ever wonder what life would be like if we were normal?”

“In what way?”

I shrugged. “You know, if I wasn’t the daughter of an asshole, and you weren’t…doing whatever you do that’s illegal.”

“I’ve already lived it,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“And?”

He swallowed as if he was thinking of bad memories. “And people die just as easily when you play by the rules.”

He stood and brushed the sand off his butt. “We should go back in.”

“I’m not ready yet.”

He stared at me for a moment, then turned and walked away. Whatever I thought might be building between us was clearly only because we were on this island. Once we went back to life, he would still be on the wrong side of the law, and I would still hate every second of it. No matter how much good I saw deep inside of Asher, he wasn’t willing to put that first for anyone, including me. I was just the unwanted bonus of his business arrangement with my father, and that’s all I would ever be.

17

ASHER

“We’re going back early,” I said to Lock and Chase.

“What?” Lock stared at me in confusion. “But I just started training your guys. It’s only been a few days.”

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