Page 42 of Dearly Betrayed

I hang up. Frustration rolls down my spine. I want to kick this stupid Buffalo machine until it cracks in half but I manage to hold myself back.

Rian’s sorry. He’s so fucking sorry he sent me off to live with strangers. And it doesn’t do me any good, him feeling sorry, because he’s not sorry enough to let me send him the documents that might ruin my damn husband’s life. Documents that might get me out of this mess.

Because it would hurt the family if the war started again.

And in some part of me, I know he’s right. I don’t want the war to start either. I want my family to stay safe, which means I have to stay here and smile and swallow my pride with these people for as long as it takes.

Not forever. One year at the most. And at the end of that year, no matter what Rian says, I will release those documents and make sure the man that ordered my father’s murder will pay for what he did.

The phone in my hand vibrates. I nearly drop it—I didn’t know anyone had the number—until I look at the screen.

Jayson’s name stares back.

I raise the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“You’re hard to find.” Jayson’s voice is low, almost sultry. “I had to resort to calling my own wife.”

“You’ve got me now. What can I do for you, Mr. Costa?”

“Hm, I like when you call me that.”

I shiver, looking away from the screens. “I have other things I can call you. Most aren’t very pleasant.”

“We’ll work on the pet names another time then. I was calling to see if you wanted to have dinner with me.”

My eyebrows raise. “Really?”

“Call it a date if you like.”

“I definitely wouldn’t like that.”

“Then call it whatever you want. We’re stuck together and we might as well try to get along. I’ll give you a good meal, good wine, and you can ignore me the whole time if that’s what you want.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

“Good. Seven outside of Chef’s Paradise. You’ll see signs for it.”

“Okay. I’ll be there.”

“See you then.” He hangs up.

I shove my phone into my back pocket.

Dinner with my husband? It feels too normal. What happened to ignoring each other for the next year?

What does that man really want?

Chapter19

Jayson

Itake Fallon to the best restaurant in the casino. It’s a high-end place, obscenely expensive, a modern take on Italian cuisine decorated to look like a mash-up of downtown Venice mixed with an illegal warehouse rave. We’re seated at the best table in the place and served an expensive bottle of wine.

“Should we toast?” I ask, holding up my glass.

“I’m not sure there’s much to toast to.”

“How about to you sleeping in my bed tonight?”

---