Page 61 of The Villain

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Athena?—”

“That’s enough, Dare.” Rob grabbed the arm of my jacket and pulled; she might have a certain kind of might, but she didn’t have enough strength to move me. Not like she wanted to.

I shook her off and planted my fists on the bed on either side of Athena, lowering my voice. “Fifty-thousand dollars was deposited into your account a month and a half ago. Explain.”

Her eyes went wide.Surprise—no, it wasn’t that. I wouldn’t believe it.

“No—”Her head started to shake.

“A month and a half ago was when you started to see Ivans. Were they paying you to spy on him? Why? For what?” I pushed.

“No, they didn’t?—”

“And either they got what they needed or they thought you were compromised.” And pushed.

“No, you’re wrong?—”

“So, they paid Brandon to plant the bomb.”And pushed.

“Enough.”Rob didn’t pull me this time, she shoved me. Rammed me, more like it, and hard enough that I stumbled to the side, catching myself before I collided with the wall. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me?” I charged, jamming my finger into my chest and then leveling it at Athena. “They paid her, and I want to know why. What did they want? What did she learn?—”

“Nothing!” Athena stood, her shout cutting through our argument. Suddenly, she appeared wild, wisdom and fury shaping every inch of her. Chin lifted, she looked straight ahead rather than at either of us, though our voices would’ve given her some idea of where we were.

And the subtle magnitude of that was enough to shake me to my core. She couldn’t see, and yet she couldn’t bear to look in either of our directions. Like once more, she was left to face the unimaginable on her own.

“No one paid me anything because I don’t have access to my account.” As she spoke, I realized the pit in my stomach that had been there from the second I barged through the door. Anger had camouflaged it, but no longer.

“It’s okay,” Rob said gently and went to her,thank God.But when she put a hand on her shoulder, Athena flinched. “Tell me what happened.”

Her.Not me.Because I was a fucking asshole. Broken by betrayal. Consumed by anger.Fuck.

Fuck me.

Ty was right; I shouldn’t have come. Hell, I shouldn’t have involved myself in this from the start. From that damn photograph. I should’ve given it to Harm or Rob and let them handle it.

For everyone else, the garage was a haven from the outside world. Not for me. For me, the garage was a cage. Not to keep them out, but to keep me in. Me and all my anger.

“Six weeks ago, the bank called me about suspicious activity in my account. They told me about the deposit, and I panicked. I thought it was Brandon—I thought he was trying to sabotage one more thing before the divorce was finalized,trying to do something to stall or prevent it from going through,” she said, barreling through every hitch of her voice like her own pain and vulnerability didn’t matter.I certainly hadn’t acted like it mattered to me.“So, I asked them to freeze the account. There wasn’t much money in it before that anyway. I figured it was better to open a new account once the divorce was final—one that Brandon wouldn’t have any information on.”

The pause she took…the long breath that brought another stab of pain to her head, making her wince…the anger I’d felt coming here now paled to the depths of my self-loathing.

Fuck. Me.

“You can check with the bank,” she added, biting her bottom lip when it started to quiver. “I haven’t had access to the account…”

I was going to check because it had to do with Ivans—with this case—but I knew we’d only find proof of her honesty.

And of my villainy.

I stared at her.Her eyes were so glassy and blue, it was like staring at the surface of the sea—but not even the sea was big enough to hold the tears I’d make her cry.

“Athena—”

Rob blocked her from my view.“I think you should leave, Dare.”

“It’s okay. I-I’m sorry,” Athena murmured, the words so wounded and habitual, I couldn’t stop the groan of pain they pulled from my chest.

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