Page 8 of These White Lies

Brady’s eyes flash in amusement, and he presses his lips together as if he’s trying not to laugh.

Dickhead.

Is he ever serious?

He certainly looked serious when he…

NO.

I clear my throat. “We met briefly during Dahlia’s, um, situation.”

Brady’s mouth twitches, and my cheeks heat.

He knows it was me.

Or thinks he knows.

Maybe he’s just toying with me.

But I thought I saw a flash of recognition on his face that day at Dahlia’s condo.

I’m not sure… And he can’t be sure… My mask stayed on.

Maybe he doesn’t even remember that night.

Annnnd now you’re babbling in your head.

“I remember.” Brady’s deep voice cuts through my thoughts, and my eyes widen slightly until he continues. “It’s nice to see you again.”

But the way he’s looking at me…

My skin burns as the image of glittering green eyes and flushed skin appears in front of me.

This isn’t going to work. I want him far away from me.

The woman that night wasn’t me.

It was an aberration. It was….

He’s the only man you’ve ever truly let in, told your insecurities to… truly let go with. The only person you let see the real you, and that fucking terrifies you.

Seriously. Shut up.

I school my expression into something icy when I realize I’ve been silent too long while I had the mental argument. “This isn’t necessary. I don’t need a security detail.”

Luke doesn’t miss a beat. “He’s not just security. Brady co-owns one of the best investigative and personal protection agencies in the country.”

Brady scratches his cheek, clearly trying not to smirk. “The best, actually. Obviously, you’ve heard of me.”

I narrow my eyes, and Brady laughs.

Luke looks suspiciously between Brady and me.

“We need him on your case.”

I curl my toes in my heels to keep myself from screaming. The tightness in my chest, which has been my ever-present companion since I found Keith, constricts painfully around my lungs.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I say through my teeth. “The detective last night didn’t even take me in for questioning. They said it was obvious the body had been moved.”