Page 121 of Shadowed Obsession

“And Dee? Tell that man you love him,” she says before hanging up.

I stare incredulously at Deirdre as I await her response to that. “You love me?” I ask.

“Let’s get away from the dead body for this conversation?” she asks with a smirk.

“You got a point,” I agree as her guys enter the room with supplies. I don’t want to know what they’re about to do, so I follow her lead to a guest room.

She shuts the door behind us and leans against it with wrinkled brows. I sit on the bed to give her some distance because I knowthatlook.

She’s about to let me have it. That’s better than her silence.

“I’m still pissed,” she says, crossing her arms. “So, the mushy shit is going to have to wait.”

“That’s understandable. I would be upset, too.”

“I’m willing to hear you out, but you need to talk. Now,” she orders.

“Okay. I am a PI, and I took on a blackmail case, but I think I knew pretty early that I didn’t stand to see this case through. Because you are everything I have been missing. I didn’t expect to be so drawn to you, but you consumed me. Long before you even know I existed,” I admit and swallow as she assesses me.

“I want you to know I never shared anything that you told me in confidence, and even when I wanted off the case, I didn’t feel comfortable with someone else trailing you, so I didn’t quit.

“I’ve done work for the Hales—dobecause I haven’t terminated my contract, but I am. This is my career and how I provide for my family, so I needed a backup plan, and I tried to get one before you learned the truth about me.

“I needed to know if I chose myself, they wouldn’t suffer. I pay my sister’s tuition, help my parents, andmi abuela—m,” I pause, taking a moment to find the right words.

“Mi abuelahas been in hospice care and wanted to be home in Puerto Rico when she passed. I had to fly her down there after our fight and be there for my family. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Her face softens, and she eyes me with unshed tears. “I’m S—” she starts.

I cut her off, “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I was there with family until I got a call from Dara to warn me about Dax hiring some guy to hurt the both of us. I kept trying you, but no response. I tried to tell you to get out of here before my phone died.”

“Well I didn’t see your messages until it was too late. I slept all day and couldn’t find my phone when I woke up,” she defends.

“César, I’m sorry for your loss, and I want to strangle you for being so fucking secretive. You were texting meevery dayand you didn’t mention this at all,” she says defeatedly as I rush across the room to wrap my arms around her. I press a kiss to her head and hold her for a moment. “I love you and I tried totell you, but you didn’t text back and I thought you’d been hurt,” she cries.

She got me there.

“My phone died on the plane, and I didn’t have a charger. I’m sorry. I’m very protective over my family and didn’t want you to feel manipulated into speaking to me. And I missedyouso much. I told her about you, and I’m grateful I was able to,” I say with a smile. “No more secrets. None. I don’t care how unsavory they are. We need to know things about each other, especially because I love you too.”

She looks up at me with those big brown eyes and says, “No more secrets. I need to know things about you and vice versa. For example, I just killed someone. Right there,” she says, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.

“Since we’re being honest, I’m proud of you. You made him your couch,” I joke, struggling to hold in my laughter, and she swats at my chest.

Curiosity may have dire consequences, but it led me to her. Deirdre Klarke may be deadly, but she makes me feel alive.

51/

a new beginning

Deirdre

2 months later

The bar may be in hell, but César raised it drastically. I admire him in a fitted suit from across the room, where he’s having a conversation with Regina, Emiliano, Emiliano’s fiancé Taina, Darius, and my dad at the bar.

Mr. Price is hanging close by, but letting Gi enjoy some time to herself. I’m sure she can appreciate that. My dad lets out a hearty laugh that I can hear faintly over the music, and it’s a rare sight.

César has really hit it off with my family, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. Though, I got nervous when he beat my dad at a game of dominos last week, but he shrugged it off and said he was proud he could hold his own around the Klarke men.

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