Page 41 of The Villain

“The truth,” I whispered, knowing he was close enough to touch—to reach out and hold on to. A flame in my darkness.

“He planted the bomb on your car.”

The confirmation was like another bomb. Different. Silent. But no less harmful.

“Athena…”

Heat exploded from my fingers and ricocheted through my body. I blinked and registered the source—his hand on top of mine, where it rested on my knee.

“There’s more,” he said, his voice drawn tight.More?“Brandon claims the bomb wasn’t his. He said…someone paid him to put it there.”

Someone…paid him…

“I don’t…” I closed my lips and tried to swallow, but it felt impossible. Reality was too big and bitter a pill to swallow. “I don’t understand. Someoneelsewants me dead?” My head started to sway, and the water started to feel even hotter than when I’d first gotten in it. “Who wants me dead? Does he know?Do you know?”

“No—”

“And why?” I interrupted him, my voice pitching higher. “I was nothing, Dare,” I protested, half on a sob. “Brandon turned me into nothing for years. Until I went to divorce him. Then I became something—someone again, but not someone that anyone would want dead. I can’t?—”

“Athena.” The sound of his growl and the tightening of his grip reeled me back. Anchored me. “We have an idea.”

An idea.

Of who wanted me dead.

Of who paid my ex to blow me up.

“Have you heard of a man named Bernard Belmont?”

Belmont.

“The CEO of GrowTech?” My jaw went slack.

“So, you’ve heard of him.”

“Heard? Yes. But I—” I released my breath and gave my head a small shake.This couldn’t be real.

“What is it?” he demanded.

“I met him. Briefly,” I admitted. “Three of my paintings were featured at a fundraiser of theirs a few months ago. Not GrowTech, but?—”

“GrowGood.”

“You know…” I trailed off, listening to the steady stream of his breath blow tightly through his lips. “Glenn—the owner of the Tableau—arranged the connection. I guess she’d sold several pieces of art to Mr. Wenner, who is?—”

“The COO of GrowTech. Belmont’s right-hand man.” His thumb started to stroke mine, brushes of electric heat back and forth on my skin.

“Yes.” My voice hitched, trying to focus on the conversation and not the forbidden feel of his touch. “I was introduced to both of them at the fundraiser, but nothing more than a few words. Actually, that was where I met Rick for the firsttime.”

“Athena,” he rasped, his voice sounding as though it were being flayed from his vocal cords. “We believe a former employee of Belmont’s is trying to blackmail him.”

“Okay…”But what did that have to do with me?

“That employee’s name is Dr. Ray Ivans.”

“I don’t know that name.” Which was why it made no sense to feel a chill along my spine.Ray.No, there was no familiarity there. Was there?

“You don’t know it because he doesn’t use it anymore,” Dare said, the sound of his voice becoming nothing more than a rumble of syllables as he spoke aloud the fear in my mind. “He now goes by Richard Iverson.”

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