Page 89 of Under the Lies

“Why?”

I look him in the eye. “Because I wanted to see you.”

“Here I am.”

“Here you are,” I echo in a whisper.

We’re close, chest to heaving chest, our anger festering into something more. Something that tightens my chest, steals my breath and robs me of sense. I start to lean into him and him into me when a throat clears.

Reality washes over me as Noah pulls away with a curse. “What.”

Gabe stands behind Noah with his hands in his pockets. “We got a problem.”

Noah doesn’t move.

“It’s Seamus,” Gabe continues. “He’s outside asking for you.”

Noah swears under his breath, reaching around to grab my hand. We walk down the hall to where Reeve and Thea are standing, waiting for us.

Thea’s lips twitching is the only reaction from any of them. Their focus is somewhere else. On someone else.

“Seamus from Mrs. Montgomery’s party?” I ask, remembering his tattooed knuckles.

They ignore me. I huff, feeling Noah’s hand squeeze mine.

“What does he want?” Noah asks, and of course they answer him.

I glare at nothing in particular.

Thea worries her hands. “We don’t know. He’s just asking for you.”

Noah looks down at me. “After I deal with him, we’re going home.”

Knowing now is not the time to be difficult, I nod.

“When we go out there, get in the car and don’t open the door.”

Again, I nod.

Reeve hands Noah his glasses, a thermal black shirt and coat, which he quickly changes into.

Once he’s clothed, he grabs my hand again and we go outside where the wintery air bites into my cheeks.

We only get a short distance before Noah stops, letting go of my hand. A man in a charcoal coat and beanie leans against Noah’s car, running his finger along a knife’s blade.

Seamus.

“You rang?” Noah has a posture of leisure but his jaw ticks.

“We have business to discuss.” Seamus looks at everyone, including me, and it looks like he lingers on Thea for the longest.

She flips him off.

He only grins.

Noah ignores the interaction. “The only thing I have to discuss is the money you owe us before I start charging you interest up your skinny ass.”

“I’m here to change the agreement.”

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