Page 175 of Mended Hearts

“That’s none of your business,” she said, cold and clipped. The same tone that my brother used to clear a boardroom in thirty seconds.

“Listen to me,” Greyson said, more urgently now. “I thought you were safer?—”

“Oh, go fuck yourself.”

“I thought you were safernot knowing. I thought you’d go digging and get yourself in deeper.”

“Is that what you did?” Her attention snapped to Alice.

“This information is dangerous,” Alice said, voice low. “Knowing puts you at risk. And if anything fell through before the op was legitimized, you could’ve been forced to testify. Against Greyson. Againstme.”

Leighton blinked. “That’s why you married him,” she said, voice hollow. “Last summer. That’s why you married him when you hated his fucking guts—no offense.”

“None taken. I earned it,” Greyson said evenly.

“Yes,” Alice said quickly, like she wanted the blame redirected onto herself. “Yes, sissy. I found out when I was digging for proof he’d been embezzling.”

“And you married him for spousal immunity,” she said flatly.

“So I wouldn’t have to testify against him. Or take Ollie—and the kids—down with the ship.”

Leighton turned her scowl on Greyson. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I love her,” Greyson said, and for once, the words weren’t sterile. “I’ve been in love with your sister—her infuriating mouth, her spine of steel—from the moment she stepped into my office.”

“Please,” Leighton muttered. “You were a total prick for years.”

“To push her away,” he growled. “To keep her out of reach. Safe. From HR violations and my extracurriculars.”

“Yeah. That workedgreat, didn’t it?”

“Leighton,” Alice said gently. “What he’s doing—it’sgoodwork. They’re saving lives.”

“It’s not the mission I’m pissed about.”

“It’s that we kept it from you,” I said.

Her eyes found mine, glassy and betrayed, chin trembling like she was holding herself together by will alone.

She sucked in a shaky breath, then looked back at Greyson. “Are the kids safe?”

“I’ve done everything I can to keep them out of it.”

“Like you kept Alice out of it?”

“I’m trying. But bringing you in? That should’ve happened the moment you were in their lives daily. That’s on me.” Greyson sat forward, voice lower now. “The information we started with was classified. Just me and the team. But the op’s grown. So have the risks. And you’re right—you deserved to know. Ollie worked with the information I gave him. I’ve kept him at a wide berth, too.”

“So what now?” she asked, shaking her head. “What about this car? The one in the photos.With our kids?”

“Jax submitted the images for processing. We’ll find them.”

Leighton exhaled hard and cleared her throat, palming the scar beneath her tee. “Then do it fucking fast, or I swear to God, I’ll feed you your testicles on a spoon.”

“Valid stipulation,” Greyson said without blinking.

“And I’m stealing Captain Reynolds.”

“Pardon?” Jax asked from the door.

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