Page 47 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“Are you threatening me, Zane?” I ask, my brows furrowing. I’m angry at myself that his words actually kind of hurt. Why is this happening?

“Listen, Zane. We need to slow down on Keystone, not speed up.” All the information I’ve received today starts to whirl in my brain like an overheated computer, making it hard to sort emotion from logic. “I’ve gotten new information I want to check out about the deal, and we need time to investigate.”

Zane shakes his head.

“I’m not threatening you, Liv. I’m really not,” he says, each word clipped. “I’m just reminding you Orisun has three otherboard members besides you and me, and we have bylaws for a reason.”

“Why are you pushing this so hard, Zane?” The words are soft, a murmur, and once again, Melissa’s warnings hit me…along with Storm’s.

Drop the deal. Drop the deal and let the chips fall where they may.

“We’re not doing the deal,” I clip out, and Zane’s expression flashes from stunned to irate, then to cajoling—his masks forming and falling in the blink of an eye.

How have I not seen this before?

“That’s a mistake, Liv,” he says, his voice low. “I’ll give you time to think about what that’d mean for us…and for you.”

And with those ominous words, he leaves me standing in my empty, cold office.

Entering my empty,silent condo after the blow-up with Zane, I feel on edge. It’s like danger is around every corner; every stranger is someone who wants to hurt me.

I feel so invincible most of the time, but now? Now I feel completely vulnerable.

And honestly, it’s notjustbecause of Zane, although our fight in my office has me shook. The look in his eye when I said no…it was like I became the enemy. Still, before leaving the office for the day, I sent a mass email to our executive and legal teams, officially putting a halt to the acquisition pending further investigation. I blamed the delay on the Keystone team, which feels true enough.

Then, I left, needing space to think before I step foot in that place again.

But walking into my deserted home, all I can think about is a man who tried to break my heart.

Storm Sandoval.

“You ain’t no weak bitch,” I mutter into the air, thinking about Zane’s veiled threat and Storm’s goddamn sudden appearance. Sharks to the left of me, monsters to the right.

Something about Zane’s tone in that last moment...the calm way he left. It’s like he already knows how this will end.

Almost as if saying, ifIdon’t fall in line, he’ll make me. Or he’ll move me out of the way.

By any means necessary.

Ruger pistol in hand, I navigate from room to room with one in the chamber, sweeping behind the curtains and into closets.

Clear.

“Get a fucking grip,” I say when I finish with my bedroom, flopping back on my bed. Everything feels…gross, but if there’s one thing I know: Keystone’s fucked. And now? So am I.

Dear God, Shae. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?

Melissa’s warnings alone would have given me pause, but then she reaffirmed everythingthat mansaid. Storm’s presence makes everything ten times worse. I feel thrown off, jittery, at risk of losing my entire shit, and Ineverfeel like this.

Not since that day I spent crying outside Storm’s apartment after he fucked me and threw me out like yesterday’s garbage.

And now he wants to save you.

I blow out a breath and press my palms to my eye sockets. I just went through every file Storm left behind—double-checked them against my own. And even though I want to deny it, want to think I wouldn’t bethatdamn gullible, as every second ticks on, it feels more and more like every horrifying detail is true.

Storm says he can help. But would Zane hurt me? No. He wouldn’t.

Would he?