Page 63 of The Verdict

“No. I know them. Who they are. What they’ve done. There’s no other option. I’m a loose end to Jupiter. Killing me eliminates any concern… and any other claim to the diamond.” She sounded so sure—so sincere. And still… “Or do you need another knife to my side for proof?”

My chest tightened, and I let out a low hiss. “No.”

Distrustand possessiveness warred inside me like oil andwater trying to mix. No matter how I tried to blend the two emotions, they kept splitting me at my seams. How much more of a fool would I be to so furiously protect the woman who so easily betrayed me?

“Jupiter—Ramos killed Neptune, and now he wants me dead.”

Killed—Wait. That wasn’t right.

“Jupiter killed Neptune?” I was careful to keep my face emotionless. That wasn’t what the papers reported; they’d said the police had shot one of the crew members and kept his name out of the reports so it wouldn’t compromise the investigation.But I wasn’t going to correct her. Not until I knew more.

“Yes,” she scoffed incredulously. “I saw him—watched from the back room as he shot Neptune and then looked back at me… like I was next.”

Let him fucking try,I wanted to say but held back.

“I see.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged. She wasn’t getting any more information from me—not until I had a chance to process what she’d told me.Verify it.And decide what the hell I was going to do.

“It’s not nothing…”

“It is to you.”

She let out a deep exhale, and I hated the look she gave me—the one that said she knew just how damn bad her betrayal had hurt.“Please, let me explain.”

“You were a jewel thief masquerading as a teacher who’s wanted for murder, and we had a two-night stand. There’s nothing to explain.” I forced one of my easy smiles onto my lips. The careless, superficial ones that welcomed everyone but let no one in. “I never ask for explanations from all my other one-night stands; I think that’s the whole point of the concept.”

Her eyes glittered over with pain.

“You can be mad at me—hate me if you want—but what was I supposed to do?” she demanded, her tone frustrated rather than resigned.Always a fighter.Even now that I knew why, it didn’t diminish how much I admired her. “A band of murderous thieves were hunting me. The police were looking for me. And you…”

“All I wanted was to protect you.”From them. From the world.

Her eyes shimmered. “You dedicated your life to bringing criminals to justice. I couldn’t… wouldn’t be one of those criminals.”

“Well, it’s too late for that now, isn’t it?” I said flippantly. “Don’t worry, Merritt. I’ll take care of your life—and your lies.”

Her eyes flared wide, and then she quickly turned her head away, keeping it high. My fists balled at my sides. I didn’t want her to have to fight on her own—to be strong on her own.But she’d left me no goddamn choice.I couldn’t trust her. And because I couldn’t trust her, I couldn’t trust myself around her.

“I never asked you to do that. Just let me go.I have to find Jupiter—Ramos—” She struggled to sit taller, biting back a cry when the movement caused pain.

With a low growl, I popped the cap on the painkillers and tapped one into my palm. “Take this.”

“No, I’m fine,” she insisted, but her strangled voice made her a liar.

“Fine?” I reached for her hand, pushing the pill into her hold.In an instant, all I could think about was the moment the knife plunged into her side. Her cry of pain. The urge to kill Morte.And the fear that I’d lost her… for good.“You almost died in my arms, Merritt—” I broke off, my throat practically closing at the violent memory.

“I have to put an end to this.” She turned her hand so it was holding mine. “Please.”

“Merritt.” My voice was low and it deepened as I crouched next to the bed, sandwiching her hand between mine and lowering it close to the side.

“I have to find him, please, before Mercury?—”

The sound of the zip tie cut her short. If she’d noticed the one already on her wrist, she hadn’t paid any attention to it until now,as I’d just secured it with another tie to the chain latched to the metal frame of the bed.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

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