Page 90 of The Heiress

It was really hard to figure out how to approach this. I was mad at Jace for keeping such a big secret from me, but then again, we both admitted we were, and would be, keeping a lot of secrets. Lying even. Who was I to get pissed now?

Except I was hurt and scared and a little bit drunk.

But mostly scared.

“I’ve had her and David doing research for me. Into all four of my parents, Roark Corp, any questions I had pop up, they would try to chase it down for me. But they mostly came up empty. I guess Hazel figured if they were hitting dead ends it was time to start looking in other areas. That’s when she dug into Jace Malone.”

His knuckles turned white as he stared at me. Always so cool. He absorbed information and let it move through him. He never showed how it affected him. Was he surprised? Disappointed?

Who knew? Not me.

“And what did she find?” he finally drawled.

“What she should have expected, but she was starry eyed about us falling for each other. I think she blanked out theoutlaw bikerpart and insertednice guy who rides for fun.”

“So it didn’t shock you to see what I’ve done.” He kept all that distance between us, which honestly was probably wise. I didn’t know what I’d do if he touched me. I was somewhere between violently angry and ready to cry.

“No it did not.” I made sure to keep my gaze locked on him. I refused to look away. It felt like giving in or something. Although I’m really not sure what I would be giving in to.

He kept his gaze steady. “But something has you upset.”

And that right there was why I was so stuck on this man. He knew me so well. It was addictive to be so important to someone that they felt you even when you weren’t touching, knew what you were thinking even when you weren’t speaking.

He was in my blood and I didn’t know how I’d ever get him out.

“All the police reports were redacted. Heavily. Jace, they’llkill youif they find out.” What was it Teddy said the day I met them all? Traitors get put in the ground? Yeah. That was it.

Half his face flinched back in a grimace. “No one knows that better than me, babe.” He pushed up to his feet and paced around the room.

“Then…why?” Spying on Devil’s Wrath was a death sentence.Fuck. I can’t breathe again.

“Why?” he repeated like I was the one who was informing on a deadly group of killers. “Why?” The look of incredulity on his face was starting to piss me off. “This.” He moved right in front of me and pulled up his shirt to reveal the tattoo over his right pec, moving his finger over the words. “The price is your soul.Not mine, Sam.” He dropped his shirt and jabbed his finger at me. “You.The price wasyou.” His voice cracked at the end.

I…didn’t understand. So I just blinked and stared at the fury and despair flashing through his beautiful eyes. “Me? Like, you had to give me up?” Well I made that easy, didn’t I?

He stared down at me, frozen in anguish, and I realized it was so much more than that.

So. Much. More.

“No, Sam. This is about stakes. And you were the stakes for me. The price they hung over my head.” He moved down beside me again and took my hands in his. “Why do you think I was so determined to join? Todd knew how much I loved you. If I didn’t join…” He let the inevitable dangle in the air. There were some things you simply did not put into the universe, like,If I didn’t join, Todd would have you tortured. And if I still didn’t join, he’d kill you to punish me.

“Jace, no. No, no, no, no.” The word kept coming out of my mouth on repeat. As if I said it enough it would make it true.

“That was the kind of leverage he used to have over me. Join or put you in danger. So yeah, I joined. Todd wanted me and he got me. I’d pay that price again and again, no questions asked.” Jace stared at our hands, shaking his head as he spoke. “I felt all my hopes for the future slipping through my fingers. I was so fucked up over it, Sam. All I wanted was a chance to make you fall in love with me. To be the guy you wanted me to be.”

“I’m sorry.” It felt like someone had their hands around my throat and they were squeezing. “I’m so, so sorry, Jace.” I was mad at myself for the things I said back then. The exact words he didn’t need thrown at him at a time when his world was collapsing. I was mad at Todd for taking Jace’s choices away. I was mad at the whole world.

“Don’t be sorry. None of this is your fault. Fuck, none of it was mine either. It was a shitty situation with only one solution. I joined and you went on with your life, the way it was supposed to be.” His grip tightened with every word.

“I’m still sorry it happened at all,” I whispered. My throat wouldn’t let anymore air through.

He looked up, something strange in his eyes as they darted between mine. “I’ve done a lot over the years. Learned a lot. Fucked up or not, I’m the best person to be by your side right now.”

But at what cost? The price that hung over our heads was incalculable. Charged and taxed by people still controlling us. “Who else knows you’re an informant?”

He frowned, his mouth opened then closed. He shook his head. It was as if he were about to say one thing, then decided on something else altogether. “Riddick and Home Run.”

Two people too many, but at least they were old friends. “How long?” Maybe I could use my new money and connections to protect him, or hide him, or make Todd disappear.

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