Page 89 of While She Sleeps

He knows he’s found out.

He knows we’re onto him.

The question is, will he lie to us? Or will he accept his fate?

“Why don’t you tell us what you know, Graham?” I say, folding my arms against the edge of the desk.

“I don’t know anything,” he answers too quickly.

I nod, considering him for a few seconds. “Okay. Tell me about your gambling debt and how you plan on paying it off.”

His eyes widen for a split second before he leans back in his chair, as if he’s unfazed by the situation he’s found himself in. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Killian makes a sound in the back of his throat as he rustles through the stack of paper in front of him before sliding a few sheets across the desk. “That’s funny, because these photos and bank statements tell a different story.”

Something other than indifference slips into Graham’s eyes as he looks down at the photos we have from inside the illegal casino he’s been frequenting. He clearly forgets who he’s dealing with if he didn’t think we could get access to these cameras. Panic etches into his previously calm gaze, his breathing picking up slightly.

“I’m not so cliché to say we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but we can get this all squared away quickly if you’ll just come clean with us,” I offer.

He drops his elbows to his knees and his face to his hands, his body trembling. He knows his time is up. The question is, will he go out gracefully? Or is he going to make this harder than it needs to be?

“He said I wouldn’t get caught. He said he had it under control.”

“Who said that, Graham?” I ask, looking over at Killian to see him just as confused as I am. We assumed this was just one person looking to make a few bucks. But if someone was paying him to take the drugs, there’s no telling how deep this goes.

“Lucas Trainer.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

EMBER

When I say I’ve tried everything to get myself out of this cuff, I mean literally everything.

If I thought breaking my thumb would help, like in those spy movies, I’d have tried that as well, but Orion knew what he was doing when he secured this cuff around my wrist.

It really begs the question, how many women has he chained to his bed?

An unreasonable wave of jealousy hits me right in the chest, and I groan.

This stunt should have me more motivated to run for the hills the second he lets me go, but for some reason, his desperation to keep me safe, and to have me with him, has my stomach doing somersaults.

God, my poor therapist is not ready for our next session. She’s going to start asking for double the payment if I’m not careful.

I stare at the unopened box sitting on the bed in front of me.

When Orion said he bought me a new laptop, I kind of expected just your standard, run-of-the-mill laptop you can get from Walmart for a few hundred dollars.

That’s not what’s sitting in front of me.

No, the top of the range computer that costs thousands is still in its box while I try to wrangle with myself not to open it.

It’s too much.

But I guess so are the rows of designer dresses in the closet a few feet away.

I sigh and brush my fingers over the smooth white box. I’ve dreamed of having a laptop like this for years. I’m not sure if it’s because I was always the poor kid in clothes that were too small and never had anything that wasn’t thrifted, or if it’s because it’s so fucking pretty, but either way, every single part of me wants to pull this baby out of the box and take it for a test drive.

After a few more minutes of staring, I can’t take it anymore.

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