Page 93 of Inside the Wicked

“Thank you,” I force out.

Rhett’s breathing is deep and calculated. His eyes pin Jacob with so much loathing I’m afraid he could break and ruin this.

“Why Allie?” he asks, so cold it licks a chill down my spine.

“Alyra DeVerre had a buyer who came to me personally before I knew she was part of your adorable little crime-stopping efforts,” Jacob says. “It had nothing to do with you at first. Until she slipped up in her search for the jewelry. I had to wonder how she knew about the earrings that were destined for her. I wondered what you would do if you were forced to choose which woman to save.”

Rhett’s other fist tightens until his knuckles turn white. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” he says, so low and deadly.

“We have to let bygones be bygones, Kaiser. Don’t want to risk the safety of your girl and your network threatening me like that again.”

I know a storm has to be crashing in Rhett’s mind to keep his words at bay because we’re walking onverydangerous ground.

It’s not a threat; it’s a fucking promise.

We have to keep smart and composed. Jacob is the one we’re luring into our trap. His words are crafty and maddening, and it’s hard to be convinced they mean nothing.

We will win this time.

“Do you know what happened to her?” Rhett asks tightly.

“Unfortunately, no. I got my payment for her before Maddox Cuvier was killed. I have no interest in what follows.”

“Doesn’t exactly look great for business if your buyers turn up dead,” Rhett accuses.

“You’re right. But there is nothing linking me to his death. As I hear, it was amateur work, and it’s still an open case with the might of the DeVerre law firm breathing down law enforcement’s necks, as he was one of their managing partners. I wouldn’t risk that kind of press and recklessness.”

I get a really bad feeling with this insight. Rhett told me of his suspicions that Liam could have interfered, but I found the idea outlandish.

Liam Forbes ... capable of killing a man, and how the hell would he have gotten her out himself? I know he still has feelings for her even after many estranged years, but I still can’t picture him capable of this.

Yet at the same time, I’mhopefulfor it.

Even though I’m not sure how to save him from the mess he’s in because of his father and what they might condemn him with too, and now, if he could be pinned for murder ...Oh god.

I’m starting to feel lightheaded, and I take a longer drink of water. Maybe Rhett can sense my rising panic as he shifts forward, preparing to leave.

“Enjoy your time at Lumina. I can’t say I’ll look forward to seeing you again, but I’ll tolerate it.” He stands, linking our fingers and pulling me up too.

“Piss me off, Kaiser, and I won’t mind earning favor with the president instead by turning you in and saving his damsel of a daughter who fell for a fraud and a criminal.”

Anger boils in me at that threat, but our backs are against the wall right now.

We don’t look back as we leave.

In the car I can’t console Rhett’s tangible anger with my head spinning on Liam.

“He has a house,” I remember suddenly. “I don’t know exactly where it is, only that it’s very remote and his parents never knew about it. No one did. He bought it after shuffling money from his trust into another account for years and passing it off as material expenses.”

“Liam?” Rhett inquires, and I guess this works to distract him too.

“Yes. He wanted a placed no one else knew about, and I always wondered why.” I bite my lip, closing my eyes with the wave of guilt that passes over me. “Now I can’t stop wondering how bad it was for him. If Gregory or Matthew were abusing him—if not physically, then emotionally. If he was so lonely or worried that he thought he might need to hide someday, and I didn’t see it.” I shake my head, turning angry at myself. “That’s a lie. I did see it, I just never questioned it deeper.”

“Whatever was going on with him and the Forbes is not your fault. You were a great friend to him. That was clear.”

“A great friend would have seen past the surface,” I mutter.

Rhett doesn’t speak, but he takes my hand, and that’s enough.

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