Page 75 of The Verdict

We were like two sides of the same coin, impossibly separated yet irrevocably tethered. And no matter how many times fate spun us together, in the end, only one of us could come out on top.

“Rhys…” Vulnerability leaked from the gaping hole in my chest. I didn’t want him to leave.I didn’t want to lose him.

“You’re hiding something from me. The truth.” He kneeled in front of me, pinning my stare.

“Can you tell me that you’re not hiding things from me?”

For a second, I thought he was going to protest—to say something that broke my heart—but he didn’t need words to do that. Not when I heard the familiar click of the monitor locking around my ankle.

“You’re not going to lose me, Merritt,” he swore low. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise. But until you believe me—until you trust me—I’m going to protect you the only way I know how.”

Never in my entire life had I wanted to give up the truth so badly. But I couldn’t. Every time I tried to loosen the knot of fear in my chest, it only pulled my secrets tighter. Maybe it was an irrational fear—murderous thieves aside. But like anyone who’d ever been afraid of the dark or spiders or heights, I was afraid to trust—to care—with a kind of fear that was just as crippling as it was confusing.

To trust Rhys put him in danger, but to lie to him kept him safe. My very own catch-22.

“So am I.” Tears burned against the back of my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them free.

What kind of person would I be if I sacrificed his safety for my own selfish heart?

Chapter Sixteen

Rhys

“Ithink we might have a play.”Ty’s first words had me all ears.

I closed the door behind me, nodding to Harm, who stood next to Ty at the desk. I grunted at Dare, afraid he’d be able to see on my face that I’d spent the last four nights with it buried between Merritt’s thighs.

But I couldn’t stop myself.

I was a glutton for the taste of her. But it was more than that—it had become more than that. I didn’t just want her body, I wanted her trust. I wanted her to know this wasn’t about me. Not my pleasure. Nor some misguided hero complex. I needed to prove to her I wasn’t going to go anywhere—I needed her to trust me.

The more time I spent with her, the more I saw in her eyes the same weight that hung in Dare’s: a desperation for distrust. It was easier to not trust anyone than it was to risk letting someone in and losing them.

“Great. I’m all ears.”

“I’ve been digging—with some help—into Morte, Ramos, and the Cosmos Corporation,” Ty began, pushing some images and documents to the screen. “On paper, the company is a business consulting firm advertising worldwide services for professionals, politicians, and other corporations. Dex took a look into the financials and the Cosmos Corporation is more or less a shell used to funnel money.” A rumble went through the room, highlighting everyone’s lack of surprise. “Most deposits are from untraceable accounts or cyber currency, so not much to go on there, but there was one check that cleared a few days ago to a private foundation.”

The screen flickered, and an image of the check appeared.Written out for thirty thousand dollars.

“What the fuck is GrowGood?” I stared at the green corporation logo.

“A private foundation started by GrowTech eighteen years ago.”

“Eighteen years ago?” We all shared the same look;that was right after Rob’s parents had died.

It was all connected. The Cosmos Gang. Ivans. GrowGood. GrowTech. Robyn. An entangled web of lies and bribes and crimes.

“Looks like it was started as part of a PR campaign to help mitigate the bad press surrounding her parents’ deaths. The foundation did a lot those first couple of years, but then faded into the background of GrowTech’s portfolio.”

“And now a shell corporation registered to Ivans just paid them thirty thousand dollars?” My brow peaked. “Why? Shouldn’t they be the ones paying him? For disappearing and keeping their dirty little secret?”

When the investigation into Rob’s parents’ deaths started to focus on the chemicals they were working on, the policewanted proof that proper medical precautions had been taken—proof that GrowTech promised Dr. Ray Ivans would provide—except that proof would’ve shown that Ivans falsified their medical records to hide the side effects of the chemicals. So, Ivans disappeared before they could question him.

“For tickets.”

More information popped onto the screen, and I squinted at the flashy website advertising a fundraising gala tomorrow night for GrowGood, highlighting a speech by Bernard Belmont, the CEO of GrowTech.Piece of shit.

“To support Belmont?” We’d always assumed Belmont shuffled Ivans out of the country, protecting the doctor and himself by setting Ivans up with a brand new life. Even with all the new names and new faces, it was still a risk to make that connection.

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