Page 240 of Chandelier Sin
I stepped back. “I have a confession.”
He pushed himself up against the bars, jowls jiggling in the soft light. “Let me out of here!”
I paced around the cage. “I’m in love with Eve. Have been since the first day I met her. She’s a remarkable woman in every conceivable way. Only you wouldn’t know that because you’ve got your head so far up your own ass.”
“This is outrageous.”
“Keeping her from her daughter was abhorrent. I just need to say that.”
“What is this?”
“We’ve been seeing each other. And in all honesty, I can see us marrying down the line. You know, after your marriage has ended.”
“I will never divorce her.”
“Who mentioned divorce?”
He scoffed. “This is my house. You won’t get away with anything.”
“The staff were let go for the evening. It’s just you and me.”
For now.
“Atticus, I will give you whatever you want.” He nodded frantically. “You can have a cut of Pendulum. But don’t think I’ll forget this.”
“I’m sure you won’t.”
Sweat dripped from his forehead. “Why are you doing this?”
“This is me protecting the woman I love the only way I know how.”
“I will destroy you!”
“You know that skirmish you mentioned?” I approached thecage. “Well, apparently you offended the opposition. Witnessing the carnage of loved ones along with their people left them pissed off.”
“What are you saying?”
“You gave up the location of their headquarters, which saw the end of the war. But it wasn’t over for them. They still had the fallout to contend with. The fight, it’s ongoing.”
He gripped the bars tight, his knuckles white. “How much money do you want?”
I waved a hand in the air, letting him know I wasn’t interested. “Anyway, I let your location slip.”
“What the hell are you saying?”
I stopped walking and looked at him. “They just want to have a little chat, Aemon.”
Furtively, he glanced toward the door.
“I have to go,” I said. “Have dinner plans with friends. And your wife will be joining us. Something tells me there’ll be champagne.”
“Help!” he yelled, red-faced.
“No one can hear you at this end of the house.”
“You’ve lost your mind,” he seethed.
“Knowing the lives I’ll have saved in the long run is how I’ll live with myself.”
