Page 17 of Forged in Peril

“It’s not that exciting,” she started, trying to hold his gaze instead of shying away. “I finished my undergrad in New York City, and then I realized scholarships for law school weren’t so easy to come by. I took a paralegal course and figured that I could work for a while and gain some practical law experience while I saved up.”

“And New York City was more expensive than coming back to Texas?”

“Pretty much. I applied to some jobs in Manhattan, and then Brooklyn, and then New Jersey, and I realized that if I was going to be making peanuts anyway I’d be better off closer to home, and to mom. So I started applying in San Antonio, and here I am.”

She let the final words escape in a rush, wishing that he wouldn’t push the subject, but knowing that he wasn’t going to let her gloss over it.

“When I saw you a couple of years ago, you were talking about your fancy new job. I assume that was Dorling & Porter?”

His tone was light, but she could sense the hurt beneath his words. She hadn’t been very nice to him on that occasion, even though he’d done nothing wrong.

“Yep. I was actually waiting to start, so it was a pretty stressful Christmas.”

Not that it was any excuse for being such a jerk, but it was true. She’d been settling into her new place and trying to prepare for her first grown-up job, while dealing with the sudden reality of having her mother back in her life after years of doing everything on her own. She had hardly gotten to enjoy her favorite season at all.

“Well, I hope running into me and my gang of brothers didn’t add to that too much,” he joked.

“Of course not,” she said quickly, certain that color was rising to her cheeks.

There was an awkward pause, and she clasped the warm ceramic mug with her still-bandaged hands, looking down into the milky liquid.

“Look, Bristol,” Cameron said, taking a sip of his own black coffee. “I hate to bring this up, but I think you know what I’m going to ask.”

“Why I left D&P?”

He considered this.

“Well, yes, I’m curious about that, too, but I meant about tonight.”

“Oh.”

Of course, he had no idea that the two answers were one and the same.

She tightened her grip until her knuckles went white, the steam rising against her already damp forehead.

“Whoever trashed your car clearly targeted you specifically. They wanted to scare you into keeping quiet about something. And it would be a lot easier to figure out what happened if we know what that something might be.”

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with concern.

A part of her wanted to open up to him then and there, to tell him everything that had happened that night, and to no longer have to carry the weight of such a terrible secret alone, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Not with their history, not with the fact that he was now her boss, not with any of it. It would only cause more problems.

“I don’t know, Cameron,” she said, letting out a slow rush of breath. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be keeping quiet about, or who might be afraid of what I’ll say.”

She could hear her mother in her head, scolding her for lying, always ready with an admonishment from the book of Proverbs. At the moment, she didn’t care what her mother or even God thought. The truth was out of the question.

Cameron’s brows knit together.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I believe you, I just…”

“So believe me, and let it go,” she said, the words coming out snappier than she’d meant them.

“I’m sorry,” Cameron said, sipping at his coffee once more. “I do believe you. I’m just worried for you, that’s all. I never would have expected you to be in any danger working at my company, and I feel responsible.”

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