Page 85 of Convict's Game

Oh shit. Of all the information he could’ve given, I hadn’t expected that.

The colour drained from Mila’s face. “Esther’s dead?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry if she was a friend of yours.”

She tried and failed to start a sentence, then managed, “How did she die?”

“She was discovered in Deadwater Harbour. Drowned.”

Tyler told us what else he knew, which was only the very basics, and promised more when he had it. We filtered outside, Kane coming with us.

In the corridor, Mila stepped closer to him. “Seriously, if you’re doing this for me, don’t bother.”

“I’m not. It was my choice. I saw an opportunity with your boyfriend’s people. Probably with more sense than you did.”

Irritation rose in me. “Watch your mouth.”

Kane shrugged. “Calling it as I see it.”

I got in his face. I was a big guy, but he was fucking huge, yet that intimidated me none. “At least in part, I blame you for Mila going into that auction. You’re her brother. What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I don’t coddle anyone. Emilia isn’t a kid. She said she knew what she was doing, and I played the role she asked.”

“And if she got hurt?”

“All she had to do was pull her last name card and she’d walk. Her grandfather’s reputation would save her.”

“Except it didn’t, right? Meanwhile, you were all too happy to throw her to the wolves. Why? To keep the money rolling in like all the other relatives harassing her?”

He looked past me to Mila. “How much do you like this guy, because he’s starting to piss me off.”

Mila’s tone was tight. “Kane never took the money. It goes elsewhere in his part of the family.”

Her brother held his steady gaze on me. I got the sense that if I punched him, it would be like hitting a wall of solid rock.

“Not that it’s any of your business, lover boy. We might be colleagues, but I don’t have to like you.” He slanted a final glance at his sister. “I’ve got work to do. See you around.”

He strolled away as casually as he’d appeared, and Mila watched him go. I reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

“I want to go home.”

Heaving a sigh, I followed her out of the warehouse and to the car then got us on the road.

The frostiness from the office descended over us like an icy fog. I peeled out of a junction, still confused over her upset.

“Sorry about Esther.”

“So am I, but how about my brother? I can’t believe you did that.”

I exhaled exasperation. “You thought I’d just release him?”

“Yes! Did you think I lied to you about who he was to me? Unbelievable.”

“No, I just didn’t trust him. The man who’d already thrown you into harm’s way and who could do it again.”

“He’d spent days as a captive already. Can you imagine how that would’ve affected him? I asked you to rescue him and you just swapped out his cage.”

“Seemed fine to me.”