Page 79 of Broken Crown

I follow her line of sight, my heart falling to the pit of my stomach when I see what she’s looking at.

Kane Kingsley’s military photo, as well as the three-dimensional rendering of her sketch, the similarities unmistakable, despite the lack of scar in Kingsley’s file photo.

But that’s not what causes the hurt and disappointment to cover her expression.It’s all the background information I’ve amassed, too.

Information I purposefully kept from her.

With slow steps, she walks toward me and picks up the file.I don’t even bother hiding it.

“What is this, Creed?”Her voice is strained.Choked.

I swallow hard.“His name is Kane Kingsley.”

“I see that.”She sets her jaw, but still can’t hide her quivering chin, tears welling in her eyes.“How long have you known about him?”

My chest tightens as I rub the back of my neck, an emptiness settling in my stomach.I could lie and say I just found out about him.That I was planning on telling her but was trying to get more information first.

But I can’t disrespect her by adding more lies on top of the ones I’ve already told her.It’ll only make matters worse.

“A while.”

She levels her fiery stare on me, green orbs flaming with anger.“You found out in The Hamptons, didn’t you?That’s what that phone call was about.Why you’ve been distant since then.Because you’ve been keeping this from me.Because you’ve been lying to me, even when I asked if you’d found anything.Isn’t that right?”

I shake my head, wanting to tell her this isn’t why I’ve been distant.Then again, it would probably hurt her infinitely less than the truth.Still, I can’t bring myself to lie to her.

I also can’t bring myself to tell her the real reason.

“I did it to protect you, Esme,” I finally say.“This guy…” I grab the file back from her.“He’s not a good person.He’s a bloody assassin!”I lean into her.“He’s known as theAngel of Death, for crying out loud.Do you want to know why?”

She blinks repeatedly.

“Because if you’re unlucky enough to see him, you can all but guarantee to die soon.I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him, but I made an oath to protect you.Not put you in the line of fire.”

“That wasn’t your decision to make, Creed!All my life, every decision has been made for me.You of all people should know how that’s affected me.How itstillaffects me.I didn’t ask you to find out who he was as a member of the royal guard.I asked you as the man I love.Who I thought loved me.”

I step toward her.“And I do, Esme.”

“Obviously not enough to tell me the bloody truth.”

“I didn’t have a choice.While I’m still in the royal guard, I have to put my oath first.”

She barks out a laugh.“You didn’t seem to have a problem forgetting that oath any of the countless times you fucked me in the Hamptons.Or when I was on my knees for you.You seem to be more than happy to forget that oath when it benefits you.Don’t you?”

“That’s—”

“Different?”she shoots back, her voice echoing around us.

I cringe, worrying someone might overhear.But I don’t bother trying to hush her.I doubt it would work right now, anyway.

“No, it’s not, Creed.You always have a choice.And this time, you chose wrong.”She spins around, stomping toward the door.

“Esme, please.”I move toward her, grabbing her forearm to prevent her from leaving.“You need to understand.”

“Oh, I do understand.”She smiles sadly.“I just can’t believe it took me this long to realize that when it really matters, you’ll never choose me.”Her voice catches on her last words.

Then she rips her arm from my grasp and storms out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

ChapterThirty

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