Page 85 of One Secret

She giggles.

'Where else would I go?' she quips before curling over the side of the mattress.

I try to hide my sharp inhale.

Where, indeed? I might have this woman now but in two days...

There's the soft swish of fabric as Darcy finds one of the legs of her pants. She fiddles with the cuff before returning to my side. This time, we're facing each other as she entangles her legs with mine. The smooth lengths of her thighs are pure seduction over mine. And I feel the shiny little tips of her toes pressed up against the back of my calves.

I'm distracted from her fine legs when she holds something up in the dark. It's small, oblong, and inky black in the night. More concerning, it's bleeding a little red light.

'Please tell me that's not what I think it is?' I ask, my blood running cold.

'You mean a bug? Yeah. I recorded everything that was said at dinner.'

My heart actually stops in my chest. Just goes right there into cardiac arrest. My limbs numb out and my fingertips freeze over.

I snatch the little device from her as if I can retrospectively save her from suspicion.

'You can't be serious?!' I hiss, shaking the thing in her face. 'Do you know how dangerous this could be?!'

The moonlight catches her brows drawing low.

'How did you think I was going to get the leverage I needed against deportation?' she demands.

'I...'

Eye-witness testimony? Maybe a photo or two? Honestly, I don't know. I learn now that I've not given it much thought at all, in fact. Used to working alone, without consideration for others, I'd not factored Darcy's intentions into my own plans at all.

My fear takes on new heights, spurred by a healthy dose of self-blame.

'Fuck, Darcy...' I groan, a hand over my eyes. 'Do you have any idea what would have happened if they had found this on you?!'

'We'd have both been strung up,' she says with somber certainty. 'I know. It was a poor call on my part. I thought I was safe when they didn't check us before dinner.'

I groan and try to rub the panic from my features. My nose is like ice and my lips feel slack. I mutter my thoughts aloud, just to try and breathe some life back into my face:

'Checking beforehand would allow you to make up an excuse. Caruso's a tricky bastard. Searching after the fact leaves you red-handed upon discovery.'

Instant entrapment for any new associate who's uncovered as less than honest.

'I should have seen it.' Darcy's sigh sounds dejected in the dark.

For a moment, I want to comfort her, to tell her it's not her fault. But my head is still stuck on the image of her summarily executed before my eyes. I have to take several deep breaths through the nose.

Darcy's hands feel too hot against my chilled skin.

'At least I got out of it,' she says, affirming herself in my silence.

'You made sure Rocco was too distracted to search you thoroughly,' I recognize. 'That's why you were being so forward.'

'Most of it was the drink. The idiot put away more than the rest of the table. Caruso must have a serious boner for family loyalty to put faith in that guy.'

'Not always,' I say. 'He framed and put away another cousin to get where he is now. I think he likes the fact that Rocco can be easily manipulated. It worked in our favor today but, in general, men like Rocco are easier to control.'

Darcy makes a rude noise. It's clear she has little to no respect for Felix Caruso, despite the power he wields in the darker circles of society.

'A good leader shouldn't need to control,' she says wisely. 'They should inspire loyalty.'

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