Page 42 of Bitter Confessions

“Are you always this prepared, or did you feel the need to arm yourself because we’re going to Colette’s?” She tried to make a joke of it, but she was disconcerted by the fact he had more than one weapon on him for a family dinner. Being armed was second nature to Roth and his mother. She had witnessed Kaia handling a rifle with the same ease most women would a broom. But this was New York City, where the gun laws were very different from rural America. “Are you carrying when you go to the office?”

“Yes.”

She pulled him to a stop. “Yes, you’re armed when you go to the office or yes, you felt it was necessary to bring a gun to my sister’s?”

He searched her eyes. “I told you, I’m always armed in one way or another, so yes to both.”

Mo and Johan stopped several feet away to give them privacy.

“In Lisbon, you said Lyle and my father aren’t the only ones who’ve threatened you. Are you in danger?”

“Anyone with wealth and power is a target. You know that.”

She squeezed his hand. “You aren’t answering my question.”

He slipped his arm over her shoulder to get her moving again. “There are threats,” he confirmed. “I don’t take chances.”

“Do Mo and Johan shadow you at work?”

He glanced down at her with a distracted frown. “No. They’re at your disposal, in case you want to go somewhere. Why?”

“Don’t you need them more than I do?”

He tucked her close as they paused at a crosswalk. “I have a separate team I use, and we’re assembling a second team for you as well.”

“What? Why? I hardly go out.”

“Mo and Johan will be your primary guards, but we may need more men for events or when we travel. I’ll show you the guns I have in the penthouse so you’re familiar with them, and we’ll find time to go shooting.”

This was the second time he’d suggested she should learn how to handle a gun.

She gave him an arch look as they crossed Madison Avenue. “Do you think that’s wise?”

“What?”

“Teaching me how to use a gun and giving me access to a cache of weapons? You piss me off a lot.”

His eyes gleamed. “Guns aren’t my only expertise.”

Before she could question what he meant by that, the doormen of Hennessy Tower spotted her. Smiles broke across their faces, but those expressions altered once they spotted Roth.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” she said.

Though they gave nods of acknowledgment, the men stared straight ahead as she and Roth passed through the revolving doors.

The main attraction in the lobby was a gigantic Christmas tree that towered three stories high. People milling around the base were the same size as the glossy presents stacked beneath the lowest branches. They walked beneath suspended ornaments and twinkling lights to the bank of elevators. She looked up to see Roth’s reaction and felt her merry mood plummet when she saw his grim expression.

Hennessy Tower, a staple of the New York skyline, was one of her family’s strongholds, and he now owned a sizable piece of it. The magnitude of their deal hit Jasmine full force, making her stomach dip. This was what he’d vowed to tear down for five years and had now sworn to restore. How did he not resent her for it? Or was he pragmatic enough to see the benefits he could gain by allying himself with her family were greater than satisfying his need for revenge?

Sensing her stare, he looked down at her. “What is it?”

The elevator doors opened before she could think of a lie. She stepped forward and beamed when she saw who the operator was.

“Terry!” She gave the old man a hug. “Why are you working on a holiday? Don’t you have seniority over everyone else?”

Terry patted her shoulder. “One of the young ones just had a baby, so I volunteered to cover for him. Are you going to Mrs. Hennessy-Caruso’s floor?”

“Yes.”

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