Page 30 of Corrupted Lies

Like that answer was going to pacify her.

Safe how?

Like hiring her a bodyguard or like locking her away somewhere?

Neither were particularly appealing options, but she would for sure go for the former rather than the latter.

“Explain,” she ordered. If she didn't know where his head was at and what he had planned, she couldn’t counter any outrageous ideas. It wasn't like she was intending to plant herself in the middle of a park again and wait for this pyromaniac to come for her, but she also wanted to be reasonable. This might be Jake’s area of expertise and not hers, but she wasn't some stranger. She was his best friend, and she didn't want that to get forgotten as he scrambled to put together what he thought was the best plan.

“You know Cassandra went to stay with Delta Team after we found out she was the product of our mom’s rape. That was the safest place for her, and she’s the only living proof of what happened. We couldn’t let those men get to her. After what happened to Essie and Gabriella, we thought it would be best for all the girls to go and stay there. Then these last few days with fire after fire aimed at you, the guys and I talked and all of us are going to go there.”

A part of her actually liked that plan because it meant Jake was treating her like family and that soothed the torn edges of her heart that her parents’ neglect had caused.

But another part of her couldn’t agree to that.

Playing it safe was sensible, but she couldn’t be so far away from her business right now. She had to stay alive, but she alsohad to have a way to pay her bills when this was all over. And the gym was her livelihood as well as her passion.

“Where do they live?” she asked, willing to have a reasonable discussion on the topic. If they were close by, maybe she could make that work.

“Nobody knows. Well, I'm sure Eagle does but no one else. Those guys … they’re not like everybody else.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“It means they have secrets. Big ones. But they’re good men, and they’ve been taking good care of Cassandra. They’ll take care of you guys as well.”

“I can't just disappear, Jake. I'm already losing money every day that my business is closed. I can go away for a bit, but I have to be close by for me to come back for meetings and such.”

“You can do meetings over the phone.”

“For most things, sure. But not for everything, and definitely not when I reopen if I want people to trust me enough not to take their business elsewhere.”

“You care more about your business than your life?” he snapped.

“Of course not,” she said soothingly, refusing to lose her cool and be drawn into an argument. “But I also have to be practical. Once my gym is open, if I want to minimize damage and get things going again, I have to be there.”

“Alannah, this isn’t up for discussion. In the morning, we’re all leaving and you're coming with us.”

“What does that mean, not up for discussion? What are you going to do if I refuse?”

“Whatever I have to.”

“And that means …?”

“It means I’ll drug you and tie you up if I have to in order to get you on that plane.”

Alannah gasped. “And when we get there? How would you make sure I didn't leave? Would you keep me locked up like a prisoner?” He wouldn't really do that. Would he? Yet the answer was written clearly on his face.

He would.

He’d do anything it took, just like he said he would.

“Jake, right now, I'm the one being targeted. I don’t think I should be anywhere near the others.”

“And these people could just as easily switch back to one of the others. You're coming, Alannah. It’s not a discussion. I'm telling you what's going to happen. You can either come along nicely without causing trouble, or we can do it the hard way. Your choice.”

“Why are you being so unreasonable?” Seeing Jake like this was unnerving. This wasn't the sweet to her best friend who was grumpy to everyone else she knew and loved. This man was … scary. Intimidating. Would be terrifying if she didn't know he was doing this out of fear and not to hurt her.

“Because I promised to protect you,” he roared, like the words he’d spoken as a five-year-old were a binding-for-life vow.

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