Page 60 of Cursed Encounter
For a second, I think he’s going to dismiss me when he reaches for his coffee and takes a long sip.
“The man you…sawme with in the alley is responsible for poisoning Sonny,” he starts, no emotion in his tone or expression, and I sense he’s doing his best to hold it all in. Questions ping in my mind, but he goes on before I have a chance to ask any of them. “I didn’t know it at the time yousawus. I only knew he’d been selling drugs in my city. Something I’ve already had a stern talk with him about.”
I wonder if he would have killed the man hadn’t I stumbled into the alley that day.
The front gate opens with a long, shrill creak, but it barely cuts through the tension. I turn my head to find Torrin sauntering in as if he owns the place. He pulls out the chair on my other side, sending me a cheeky smile as he lowers himself down.
“Good morning,” Torrin says. His gaze bounces between Donovan and me.
“This morning we had a lead on tracking him down,” Donovan says as if Torrin hadn’t just joined the conversation.
“Did you find him?” I ask eagerly.
“Oh, so we’re doing this, huh?” Torrin asks, and I can’t tell if his tone is annoyed or amused. He reaches over and grabs Donovan’s cup of coffee. Donovan glares at Torrin as the man puts the cup up to his smirking lips and takes a long, obnoxiously loud sip. “Carry on.”
I’ve noticed quite a few things about Torrin. He’s more relaxed within the walls of this house. His persona outside isvery stoic, almost scary if you catch him in the right light. I believe he’s as deadly as Donovan, only he hides it better. I think there’s a reason for that, but I don’t know him well enough to speculate what it could be.
“We had a lead, but he was gone by the time I got there,” Donovan says with a scowl. “I have people out looking for him right now. I believe they are closing in on him.”
Torrin steals a grape from my bowl and tosses it into his mouth. I shake my head at him, but there’s a slight smile on my face when he throws a wink my way.
“This all leads back to my father, doesn’t it? This guy, the alley one, he’s connected to my father? He poisoned your employee because my father wanted him to?” I ask, but I don’t really need to, because inside, I know the truth.
“Yes,” Donovan says. The dark look that overtakes his face frightens me a little. But only a little. I wonder what that says about me.
He has so much hate for my father. I can feel it coming off him in waves. It’s overtaking my own emotions and clouding my brain.
I need Donovan to know that I’m onhisside.
That Ichoosehim now, and always will.
But how do you tell this to a man who barely trusts the people he keeps the closest in his inner circle? How do I get him toseeit?
“We’ve found him,” Torrin says as he shoves his phone into his pocket.
I jump as he stands, the chair scraping against the concrete. He steals one more grape from my bowl with an impish expression on his face, and I know my chance to make them both understand that I’m on this team is lost.
Donovan rises, too, and I flick my gaze to his.
To my surprise, he lingers for a second. He knows this conversation isn’t done. He’s torn. I won’t stand in his way.
“Later,” I whisper.
He leans over, placing a kiss on my cheek. I nuzzle the hand that cradles the opposite side of my face, loving how his strong touch is warm against my skin.
My eyes stay glued to him as he walks away.
The man really can wear a suit.
“Play nice,” I call out with a smile.
Torrin snorts at me and keeps walking to the front gate.
“How am I supposed to do that?” Donovan asks as he turns back to face me. His hand goes to his hip, pushing the flap of the jet black jacket to his suit back enough so that I can see the gun holstered at his side.
There is a thrill seeing it that I’ve never had before. I can’t believe he’s being so bold in front of me. He’s not even trying to hide the fact that he’s a monster. He’s hurt people, and I’ve seen it, so I suppose there’s no point in us hiding behind flimsy pretenses. I like it more than I should.
I roll my eyes and shoo him away with my hand. We both know my request will never be fulfilled. Donovan doesn’t play nice. Hehandlessituations,takes careof things, anddisposesof the trash.
