Page 29 of The Reluctant Siren
Because you dumped her without warning. Because youpicked revenge over her when she would never have done that to you.Notever.She had the chance to get her client out and stayed to help you.
She would have gone to Mexico and given him cover and donewhatever he asked because her love was worth something.
His wasn’t.
He was in the wrong and acting like a massive asshole. “Tellme what you need, and I’ll get it done. Are you here for one of the subs? Theyaren’t really, you know. They got hired with the promise of big tips and weregiven almost no training and thrown to the wolves. It’s not bad right nowbecause the club is pretty new and mostly tourists and couples. But at somepoint they’ll be expected to serve at a private party.”
She nodded. “I remember how it went.”
She’d taken a job to get close to her target, and onlyJensen coming in and claiming her had saved her from being asked to serve atone of those parties.
“Is it one of the girls?” he asked. He was worried about acouple of them. “Please tell me it’s Miranda because she’s getting moved up,and you know what that means. You already know the truth. Hamilton is cominginto town, and he wants to expand into Houston. I need a couple of weeks andthis is all over. I’ll help you if you’ll trust me this much.”
“I don’t trust you at all, but it doesn’t matter. Aftertonight I won’t come back. My partner and I can handle it all from outside theclub,” she promised. “Now can I get back to my boyfriend?”
There it was again. That hesitation around the wordboyfriend.
“I want to meet him,” he said. “We walk out into the lounge.You first, and then I’ll follow. I’m the dungeon monitor so no one will thinktwice about me introducing myself to the new couple.”
“There’s no need for that,” she replied. “Like I said, wewon’t be back. I shouldn’t have brought him in the first place. I should havetaken a bodyguard, but they’re all close to my dads. The last thing I need ismy father showing up here to make sure I’m safe.” She went pale in the lowlight. “Or worse. My dad bringing my mom here and going undercover. They mightactually do that, and Reasonable Dad would come along. Mom always says shewould be good undercover.”
He loved when she talked about her family, when she jokedand told stories about how weird they were. They were odd but loving from allthe stories she told. “Harlow, I need you to let me help.”
“The last time you helped I woke up in a prison infirmary. Ithink I’ll deal with it myself.”
He had to find a way to make her see reason. “You know I’mthe best shot at getting Hamilton. I realize you don’t like why I’m here, but Ican take him down and save a whole bunch of people who’ve fallen into hisschemes. I can map out the whole organization. But I can’t if you blow mycover.”
“Getting Hamilton isn’t my job,” she said.
But he knew her. “You want to take him down as much as I do.You can’t stand the thought of all the lives he’s ruined, and if you get thechance, you’ll do anything to bring him to justice.”
“You don’t want justice. You want revenge.”
“What if I was willing to do it your way?” He couldn’t quitebelieve what he was saying and yet he also couldn’t stop. She was here, andwhile she was upset as hell with him, there might still be a way to save this.She hadn’t walked out. She was still standing here and he wasn’t blocking thedoor.
She was unsure of this “boyfriend” of hers. Did this maneven exist? If she wanted to save face with him then he had to consider ascenario where she was lying about not caring about him.
“You’ve been planning on killing Cliff Hamilton for years.You’re not going to give up on it.”
He moved closer. Carefully. Like she was a deer he wouldscare away if he moved too fast. “What if I did? What if I agreed to give youeverything I have if you’ll let me work with you. What if I decided sending himand everyone he works with to jail was enough?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
A little closer. She refused to cede space to him, and hecould use that stubbornness to his advantage. “Any number of reasons. I’ve beendoing this for years, and I’m sick of it. I want to have some kind of life.Because you’re smarter than I am and have way more connections. You’re right.My plans only work for revenge. If I kill Hamilton, I cut off the head andanother one grows back. If I work with you, we can take down the entireorganization and save all those kids he fucked over.”
“Again with the why?”
He almost had her. “Because if I prove to you I’ve changed,you might give me another chance. I know you don’t believe me but I left youbehind to save you. I thought you were in danger, and I knew I couldn’tconvince you to leave me.”
“It’s not going to work, Jensen.”
But it kind of was because she’d softened. Her shoulders hadcome down, and she was looking at him, really looking at him. Now that he washere, this felt right. “I’m willing to take that chance.”
Her gaze went sharp. “I’ll meet you tomorrow.”
“No, you’re moving tonight. I know how you work. You madecontact and if you aren’t planning on coming back it’s because you don’t haveto. You’re picking her up tonight. Whoever it is, she’ll be in danger.”
“I was planning on coming back,” she explained. “I even toldher I would come back so no one would think we were connected, but seeing youhere made me rethink because you won’t be able to not give us away.”
