Page 78 of Reckless Hearts

I say “none of your business” at the same time Dahlia says “his employee”.

The overlap and the ensuing silence is…telling.

Dahlia clears her throat first, her cheeks red as she awkwardly approached Raquel and holds her hand out.

“Hi, I’m Dahlia Roy.”

Raquel smiles at her thinly, ignoring her outstretched hand.

“You work for Deimos?”

Dahlia nods. “I do, yes.”

“And is it part of your job description to give her your panties?” Raquel snaps coldly. “Or are you just his little toy?”

Dahlia’s face goes crimson, her throat bobbing quickly.

“Oh, I, no—”

Raquel laughs a brittle, icy laugh. “Well you just collect playthings wherever you are, don’t you, Deimos?”

My jaw ticks.

“Laconia Logistics isn’t quite open for business, Raquel. There’s the door.”

She snorts, glaring at me before ripping her gaze back to Dahlia.

“Just to point out the obvious, hon,” she sneers. “Hewillget tired of you.”

Dahlia stammers, her face. “Oh, no, we’re not—”

“That might hold a bit more water if he wasn’t holding your fucking panties, you dumb bitch.”

Something flickers in my veins like fire.

“Your exit options, Raquel, are the elevator, the stairs, or the windows.”

She bristles, shooting me a snotty look. “Those windows don’t open.”

“They will if I throw you hard enough.”

Raquel glares at me, then at Dahlia.

“Well, I can see you’re…busy,” she sneers. “Maybe I’ll call first next time.”

“Better idea,” I growl. “We call this goodbye and thereisno next time.”

Raquel ignores my comment, turning towards Dahlia again with a thin smile on her lips.

“You poor, poor thing,” she hisses malevolently. “He’s going to chew you up and spit you out, you know.”

Dahlia says nothing, and neither do I, as Raquel smirks, whirls, and storms over to the elevator. The office is silent as the doors close.

I scowl when Dahlia yanks her underwear out of my hand. When I turn, she’s tight-lipped as she turns away and pulls them up under her skirt. Then she grabs her bag.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

“Class,” she says in a clipped, cold tone.

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