Page 27 of Fanged Secrets
I saw her swallow hard, clearly unnerved by the threat. It wasn't something I wanted to do, but I needed answers. Desperation clawed at me, making me bolder, harsher than I meant to be.
"Tell me everything," I demanded, my voice cold. "Who is she? What is your father planning?"
Amara took a step back, her hands trembling as she typed on her phone. “I don’t know! I swear, I don’t know anything about her or what my father is planning. I’m just as lost as you are.”
I closed the distance between us in an instant, fisting the blade in my hand. The sudden movement startled her and I felt a pang of guilt. I wanted to protect her, not scare her. But I couldn’t let my guard down, not yet.
"You're lying to me," I pressed. "You must know more about that woman."
Amara shook her head, her lips trembling slightly as she typed on her phone. “I’m not lying! I saw her once, outside of myfather’s mansion. She spouted some cryptic bullshit and then I followed her to the club. That’s all I know.”
I snorted derisively. "You expect me to believe that? You're working for Don, and you’re feeding him information about my activities."
Amara ground her teeth as she fervently typed a response. “Do you really think my father would trust me to handle the job? Do you think he doesn’t know howobviousthat plan would be?”
I felt a dark, bitter laugh escape my lips. "Maybe he does know how obvious it would be. Maybe he used you as a diversion, knowing we'd suspect you. Did you ever think of that?"
She stiffened suddenly, her brow creasing as if she’d come to some kind of realization. She shook her head slowly. I saw the conflict and fear in her eyes. She was terrified, and I knew I had pushed her too far. But I needed to know the truth.
“Then what is his plan?” I demanded, frustration boiling over. “Why would he put you in the middle of this?”
Amara inhaled sharply, her eyes flitting around the room as if the conversation was suddenly too much for her. Her hand fisted around her cell, gripping it to her chest, and her mouth settled into a hard line.
“Amara.” I tried to shake her shoulder but she pushed me away. I ran a hand through my hair instead, trying to move my lips slowly. “Just tell me, do you have any idea who that woman could be or what your father’s plan is?”
She typed furiously, the automated voice crackling through the speaker as she turned the volume up presumably to ‘yell’ at me. “I don’t know! I’m just as confused as you are!”
I let out a frustrated growl, turning away. “This doesn’t make any sense,” I muttered, more to myself than to her.
Amara was typing again with trembling fingers, the automated message carrying her words. “If you think I’m lying then just turn me in already.”
Her eyes were glistening when she looked up at me, the automated voice rattling on. “Why haven’t you done it yet? And why are you so concerned about this woman?”
I felt my patience snap, a storm of suppressed emotions bursting forth as I whirled around to face her. “Because I want to keep you safe!” I yelled, the admission tearing through me.
Amara froze, her pupils dilating like a dying star. For a moment we both stood there, the weight of my words hanging between us.
“I just want to keep you safe,” I repeated, my voice softer but no less intense.
The declaration seemed to twist something inside Amara. Her expression shifted from surprise to something softer, more vulnerable. Her eyes welled up with unshed tears, and she looked away, struggling to compose herself.
“I mean – ” Realizing the weight of my confession, I tried to backtrack. “There are dangerous things at play here. It’s not safe –”
But before I could say anything else, Amara stood on her toes and kissed me.
Her lips were warm and insistent, and with no words left to convey what I was feeling, the blade slipped from my hand as I pulled her closer and kissed her back.
Chapter 16
Amara
The intensity of Dylan's kiss shook me to the core. Her lips moved against mine with a fierce desperation, and my fingers tangled in her hair, holding on to her like a lifeline. I felt her hands grip my shoulders, nails digging into my skin, pulling me closer as if she couldn't bear to let me go.
This wasn't what either of us had intended, but in that moment all rational thought slipped away. The doubts, the accusations, the anger – all of it faded into the background, leaving only the raw, electric connection between us.
Dylan’s fingers running over my exposed skin left trails of fire behind them. She deepened the kiss, surging into me, and I stumbled backward. Our movements were clumsy and urgent, tangled bodies clashing together. Dylan was all that I could see, all that I could taste. The back of my legs hit the sofa and I felt her hand move down to my thigh, abruptly pulling it up to her hip so I tipped backward. I landed on my back on the sofa, winded and flushed, with Dylan leaning over me.
There was a part of me that knew this would only complicate things, that our already tainted relationship would become unsalvageable. But I didn't want to think about any of that. I just wanted relief from the pressure that had been building between us since the day we were wed.
