Page 48 of Beautiful Revenge

“I know what it means.” As I grit the words out, Harlow tenses in my hold. I slide my hand down her arm until I clasp hers before I lead her back to the car. “I’m on my way back now. Send me the name and everything you know. I’ll call as soon as I get to my office.”

“Do that,” Bella demands. “Dev, this?—”

“I said I know what this fucking means. I’ll call when I can.”

“I’ll be waiting. Until then, I’ll dig deeper on my end,” Bella goes on. “We’ll talk soon.”

Neither of us say goodbye before we disconnect.

“Devon?” Harlow calls as she keeps up with my clipped pace over the rocky path we hiked to her grandmother’s old home.

I don’t let go of her hand, but I do give it a squeeze. “I have an issue back at the office that needs my attention. I’ll bring you back soon, and we’ll walk through the house. You shouldn’t go in alone. Who knows what you’ll find in there.”

She doesn’t pull her hand from my grasp. She holds on tighter. “What’s wrong?”

We make it back to the car faster than the hike to the house. For some reason, I don’t lie or bullshit her. “I’m not sure, but it could be bad. Hell, with my luck, I’m sure it’s worse than bad. I don’t know enough yet, but I will.”

I’m forced to stop or let go of her when she comes to a halt. “Please, tell me what’s wrong?”

I drag a hand through my hair and realize this is the least comfortable I’ve been in my own skin for years. “I can’t explain.”

“Well, I guess the tables have turned.” She crosses her arms and frowns. “You’re not the only curious one.”

I rip the shades from my face and level my eyes on her. “As much as I enjoy the banter, we need to go.”

Her lips tip toward the sun on each side before her tongue sneaks out to wet the crease of her lips. “I’ll remember this the next time you hold me hostage in a diner and demand for me to be an open book, Mr. Donnelly. It seems I’m not the only one keeping secrets. Take that to heart, for what it’s worth.”

I turn and hold my arm out for her to go first, because there’s no way I’m turning my back on her out here in the middle of nowhere. “So many assumptions. And here I thought you were clever. You might think I have aheartoutside of the very scientific organ that keeps me alive, but you’re wrong.”

She holds her head high, and thank fuck, takes my cue to start moving again. Once she’s a small step in front of me, I follow. “Even though most of the things you do and say make me agree with that, I’ve seen glimpses. You’ll have to convince me you don’t have a heart. I’ve danced with the devil once. I know the difference.”

Fuck.

This woman.

What I wouldn’t give to have time to dissect that.

I’ll have to put that off for another day. I have more important shit to worry about.

Harlow’s creepy-ass house isn’t the only threatening ghost from the past that’s reared its ugly head today.

It seems I have my own.

And it just checked into my manor.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

KISS HIM OR PUNCH HIM

Devon

Victor Turner is the owner and CEO of Fusion Logic, a moderate player in the European tech industry. He’s branched out to parts of Asia, but that’s a new development. From my last research, he started to dabble in artificial intelligence. He’s shady as fuck and just smart enough to get away with it. Before my career ended, my intel supported that in theory alone, but my gut told me something else altogether.

He’s also the slimy motherfucker who fucked up my life and caused my career to deep dive straight to hell.

My intel didn’t support that theory, but my gut is a nagging motherfucker and won’t let it go, even after all these years.

I was investigating Turner when we lost Hugh Bancroft.