Need Me (Dark Obsession 3)

His history? She finally managed to glance back at Ethan.

“But Devlin decided to put the bad guys away.” He quirked a brow. “He might think you’re one of the bad guys.”

Was she? “I-I…” Dammit, why couldn’t she remember what had happened the night Jeremy died?

“Option two.” He shoved the flash drive into his pocket. “We lie our asses off. You don’t owe that guy anything, Jules. I’ll back up any story you want to give him.”

He would. He’d backed her up before.

“So what’s it going to be?” Ethan asked her.

Julianna squared her shoulders. “I had sex with him.”

Ethan swore. “Because you just wanted to make things more complicated?”

Her gaze strayed to the screen—and to Devlin’s face—once more. “No,” she told Ethan quietly. “Because I just wanted him.” But he wouldn’t see it that way. Not if he realized she’d taken the flash drive. He’d just think that she had been trying to distract him. That she’d used him.

She hadn’t.

She’d been free with Devlin. She’d been able to let herself go and just feel. The house that had been a prison for so long—she’d broken out, with Devlin. No pain. No fear.

Only him.

Devlin lifted his hand and pounded on the door.

“Let’s turn on the audio,” Ethan murmured. He tapped his phone again and sound came out around her as—

“Open the fucking door,” Devlin snarled. “I know she’s in there. Now…Let. Me. In.”

***

Someone had gone slumming.

Julianna Patrice McNall-Smith had certainly shown her true colors. From a mansion to the darkest club in the city. It had just taken a few clicks to get pictures of her rushing inside Wicked so desperately. Going to see Ethan Barclay?

Maybe he was still her weakness.

But now the new lover had joined the fray. From the looks of things, he was about to tear down the door in order to get to Julianna. A jealous lover could be a very dangerous thing for Julianna. A jealous lover could be pushed to the edge…so very easily.

Time to learn about that lover. Time to see how he could be used.

Then eliminated.

***

Devlin lifted his hand. Ethan needed to hurry up and open that damn door. His fisted hand swung toward the wood once more—

The door opened. Julianna stood before him, and his hand hung in the air, far too close to her beautiful face.

“I—” Shit. He dropped his hand.

Julianna backed up a step. Had fear flickered in her eyes? He didn’t want Julianna afraid of him. Never that. He’d like to kick the crap out of Ethan, but he would never do anything to Julianna.

“You should come inside,” Julianna said. She swung the door open a few more inches and Devlin saw Ethan, standing far too close to Julianna. “I’ll explain everything inside.”

He crossed the threshold and marched right up to Ethan. “Why is it…” Devlin gritted out. “That every time I turn around, I’m tripping over you?”

Ethan smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

Devlin just glared right back at him.

Julianna shut the door. “I had enough violence with Jeremy. Don’t even think of swinging a punch right now.” Her gaze cut between them. “That goes for both of you.”

And Ethan’s face softened. “I’m sorry. If that bastard were still alive—”

“Ethan…” A warning edge entered Julianna’s voice.

But Devlin knew what the guy had been about to say. Maybe because he felt the same way. If that bastard were still alive, I’d kill him.

Julianna’s left hand curled—rather protectively—around her right wrist.

Ethan locked the door. “Come this way. We should go into my office.”

They didn’t speak again until their little group was inside Ethan’s office. A place that was filled with fancy leather furniture. Devlin’s sweeping gaze took note of the giant screen that took up a whole wall. He saw that a desk was near the far right of the room, and a computer waited on top of it.

“Let’s just save some time,” Devlin said as he crossed his arms his chest and inclined his head toward the computer. “Put the flash drive in and show me the contents, now.”

Ethan glanced over at Julianna.

“I know she took it.” Did he look like a moron? “What I don’t know is why she ran straight to you.”

Ethan shook his head. “Oh, Devlin, I’m afraid you have this all wrong—”

“No.” Julianna’s voice was sharp. “He doesn’t. He has it all right.” She moved to stand in front of Devlin. “I took the flash drive from you.”

She sounded…miserable. Guilty.

“But don’t even think…” Now her finger j

abbed into his chest. “Don’t think that me having sex with you had anything to do with the flash drive.”

“Oh, shit,” Ethan muttered.

Devlin caught her hand. “How the hell am I supposed to think anything else?” She’d wanted the drive. He’d had it. She’d—

“I wanted you. I still want you. That house was hell for me. Being with you there, I was breaking free. Of Jeremy. Of his cage. I was living. You gave me so much pleasure…” Her breath shuddered out. “What we did had nothing to do with the flash drive, I swear it.”

He stared at her. Devlin wanted to believe her but… “You never had a meeting with Sophie.”

She shook her head. She didn’t try to pull her hand from his. “I had to meet Ethan.”

Why did it just feel as if someone had shoved a knife into his heart? Not someone—her. “Who is he to you?”

“Someone I owe.”

“That answer isn’t going to cut it, baby. I want the full truth from you, and I want it now.”

Ethan sat down behind his desk. His leather chair squeaked. “Why do people always run around demanding the truth? They don’t really want it. You don’t want it, Devlin. You want to go around, living in your happy bubble and pretending that bad things don’t happen.”

Bullshit. He squeezed Julianna’s hand, then stepped around her, directing his attention on Ethan. He didn’t let her go, though. He wasn’t sure if he could.

So how fucked up am I?

“I know bad things happen,” Devlin snapped.

Ethan looked him up and down. “Because your parents were some of those…bad things?”

Devlin fired a quick glance at Julianna.

“What?” Ethan drawled. “You want all her dark secrets, but you don’t want to share your own? I can dig into a person’s past, too, you know. And yours was so easy to obtain. I mean, when two people go on a spree like your folks did, it does tend to make the news. They killed—was it four? Five people?—before the cops took them out. They were on drugs, right, and—”

“They were high for most of my life.” He couldn’t look at Julianna right then. Not when he talked about this part of his life. “I don’t remember them any other way. They were young and they were wild and they didn’t care about anyone but each other.” He sure hadn’t thought they ever cared about him. But his grandmother had. She’d taken care of him. Tried to protect him.