Page 90 of Break Me
That’s what I was most angry about. No, I was livid and wanted to tell her how shitty Liam was as a person, but I also knew that could push her further away. I’d also thought about killing the man, but what good would that serve?
“Okay, I get it,” Sasha chortled.
“From what I can tell, Liam is so far into bed with Papadakis that I’d be surprised if the Greek wasn’t using him as muscle against us.”
“Wow,” Sasha mused. “Have you told her?”
“Ha! Now you tell me how I could say that to her without sounding… Oh, hell. I don’t know how it could sound other than me trying to alienate her from her family. This is just a nightmare. But I have a terrible feeling a target has been placed on her back.”
“Why do you say that? Because of what happened the other night?”
“Yes. Haven’t you seen the pictures of the two of us circulating all over the internet?” Plus, what she’d said about the text pissed me off. And the reporters. And some fucking heavy breather.
He grinned. “They were pretty good. And very telling. You think Papadakis will go after her.”
“What better way to retaliate? That’s why I allowed some distance between us so maybe he’d think otherwise, but it’s too quiet. He hasn’t retaliated or even sent a threatening message.That’s not like him. Plus, as of the night her daughter was taken to the hospital, she’d already been hassled by reporters and maybe by Papadakis.”
“From what you’ve told me she’s a smart girl.”
I glanced at him, knowing my cousin’s accusatory tone. “What are you getting at?”
“There is no way she doesn’t have a clue about Liam and the O’Leary family. You’ve heard the rumors. Do you honestly think being married to one of them shielded her from the truth?”
Now I wanted to punch him for questioning her motives. But I had to give his suggestion a thought. “You’re still saying she could be playing me.”
“Well, maybe not at first, but after she found out who you were and you insisted on dinner. Maybe she hired the photographer. Maybe she tipped off the assailants about where you’d be. I know you don’t want to believe it. Hell, neither do I since you’re obviously falling for her, but don’t allow your dick to cloud your judgment.”
A moment of tension settled in. If the situation were involving any other family member, I would have suggested the same thing, but her possible betrayal hadn’t entered my mind. “Fuck.”
“I know you like this girl. I get it. However, you might need to put security on her. Just to ensure she isn’t working with Liam who in turn is doing Papadakis’ biddings. Maybe that’s why we haven’t heard a peep from Viktor or Petros.”
“I have a man on her. And Viktor is just trying to determine the right way to strike. In the meantime, I had to find a newfood distributor at triple the cost.” I was finished talking about whether she was guilty of betraying me. I could tell by now.
He laughed, shaking his head. “I was going to chat with you about that. That will take a huge cut into our profits.”
“Yeah, but you have that fabulous pop singer on your payroll for a couple months. What’s her name, Lainey Rose? Maybe this time she’ll honor her contract.” The woman was the hottest singing sensation in the world. It had been a coup that my cousin had managed to convince her that a residency would be good for her career. It was also a major win for our corporation and something we didn’t want to fuck up. We were businesspeople after all. We liked making money.
“She had some personal shit to deal with. We survived. I was kidding with you, Alex. Stop being so serious. We all do what’s necessary for business operations to run smoothly. But I can’t stress enough that women are very… cunning.”
“You don’t need to beat around the bush. I’m not sixteen and in love for the first time.”
He stared me dead in the eye without smiling. “You could have fooled me, but you’re not fooled so easily. If you think she’s in danger, protect her. If you think she might be using you, have her followed and use the information to your advantage. I’m not suggesting you hurt her, but you’ll know whether to distance yourself.”
What struck me the hardest hearing his words was that I didn’t want to leave her alone. I craved being around her. Touching her.
Kissing her.
Fucking her.
Well, shit. Maybe I had lost my perspective already.
“Don’t worry. I have every intention of keeping her safe. Whether she likes it or not.”
He burst into laughter. “No wonder she’s not too fond of you. I take it you didn’t mention that either.”
“Hell, no. Maybe you’re right, cousin of mine.”
Sasha kept the grin on his face. “I always am. You deserve to find that right woman and settle down. However, you need to be careful.”
