Page 57 of Wicked Oath
She waves a hand. “No, I doubt that. I saw how he looked at you the first time you met. He pursued you like a man stuck in the desert, desperate for water. He brought the offer up to marry you. It wasn’t your dad who did that. He wants you, Olivia. He always has.”
“Maybe,” I murmur. “But these past few days, it hasn’t felt like that. Can I … can I confess something?”
She nods so hard her curls bounce frantically. “Absolutely. You know I’m desperate for any information since I have to live vicariously through you.”
“James has asked me countless times to trust him, and yet … I’m not sure if I fully do.”
“What do you mean?”
I open my mouth to speak when our waiter appears to deliver our food. It’s an awkward moment as he places our plates in front of us before asking if we need anything else. After motioning him away, I can finally say what’s been on my mind. “I can’t help but wonder if James played a part in the fire in my dad’s warehouse.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but Lucy’s eyes get even wider; the whites of her eyes overpower her pupils. “What makes you think that?”
“He’s so evasive when it comes to talking about work.”
Lucy shrugs. “I don’t know. My dad doesn’t tell me a thing about what he does for your father. And you know your dad and Owen like to keep you protected from that world. James could be the same.”
“That’s not just it, though. The man who kidnapped me, as you know, used to work for James’ dad, and then James fired him, but I know I saw him hanging around at the ring before James and I got married. If he was fired, why would he be around James?”
“Yeah, good point. That is weird.” She takes a long sip from her straw. “Maybe James lied about that guy.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“You told me yourself that you thought maybe he was the same guy you saw in the photo Owen found from the night of the warehouse fire. Maybe James doesn’t want to be associated with him.”
“Are you suggesting James might have played a part in the fire?” My tone comes out sharper than I intend, but it’s a thought I’ve been contemplating, and it worries me.
“I’m saying it’s worth looking into. You don’t want to be married to a traitor, after all.” I know Lucy means well, but the flippant way she speaks pisses me off.
“James isn’t a traitor,” I snap.
Lucy pauses before saying, “You just said you have your doubts about him.”
“Yeah, but I never thought he could be a traitor. I’m sure that whatever’s going on with him, he has a good reason for being distant.”
“Or he could be a traitor, and Owen was right all along not to trust him.”
“Don’t bring my brother into this,” I grumble.
“I’m just saying there’s a chance Owen might be right. He’s very smart, after all.” Her voice takes on the dreamy quality it always does when she speaks about my brother.
“He’s not that smart. He doesn’t even know you have a crush on him.”
Lucy blinks, and I realize a beat too late that my words are hurtful. She looks down at her plate and pushes her food around. “How could Owen not know I like him?”
I take in a breath and let it out slowly. “Because he’s an idiot, Lucy, and you could do so much better than him. My brother is a stubborn dickhead who doesn’t know what’s right in front of him. I think you should stop with this crush and move on.”
She drops her fork, and it lands with a clatter. “It’s not a crush. I love Owen. And how dare you dismiss my feelings like that.”
“Well, how dare you accuse my husband of being a traitor.”
Lucy scoffs. “If the shoe fits …”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m just saying you have your doubts about him, and maybe that means something. He has you so wrapped around his finger that you aren’t able to see what’s right before you.”
“Oh, like you have Owen wrapped around your finger? News flash, Lucy, he doesn’t like you, and he probably never will.”
