No, I don’t work for your father. Not really. My lips long to utter the truth—long to utter anything—but like always, I bite back the truth. “It’s just a job.”

“Is it?” she questions with a drop of hope in her eyes. “A lot of my father’s acquaintances would disagree with you.”

“Well, I’m not them.”

“I want to believe that.” She rests her chin on her knees, her bottom lip slightly jutted out. “After what just happened between us, I want you to be the guy I first met. The one I keep trying to convince myself exists, but I’m not sure I can.”

“Why not?”

“Because you work with the person who hurt me.”

“Your dad did that to you?” I gape at her, even though I’m not shocked.

“You look so shocked, yet you know who my father is. How much of a monster he is,” she says with her brow curved. “How is that so?”

“I don’t know.” I’m nervous talking about her father, worried I might let the truth accidentally slip out. My fingers and lungs ache for a cigarette, a dose of nicotine to settle my nerves. “Because you’re his daughter… I didn’t think he’d hurt you.”

A soft, hollow laughs slips from her lips and then she stares at me long and hard. “I think if you really knew him, you’d know that he’ll hurt anyone who doesn’t abide by his rules, even his own flesh and blood.”

I don’t know how to respond to what she said. I want to tell her that I’ll beat the shit out of Doc for hurting her, but I’d be sentencing myself to death if I tried. But good God, I need to help her somehow.

Her shoulders sag, misinterpreting my silence. “It wasn’t my father, anyway. It was Evan, which is worse.”

“Evan, your ex-boyfriend? He’s the one who hurt you?” When she nods, anger ripples through me like a violent thunderstorm. “When?”

“This morning,” she mumbles with a shrug. “After class… He gets rough with me sometimes… All the time actually. Even on our first date, he gripped my wrist so tight I bruised, all because I suggested we go to a movie instead of a party.”

The idea of Evan being in her place, touching her, hurting her… forcing her? “Did he… did he force you to do stuff?”

She shrugs again, her eyelashes fluttering as she fights back tears. “He does all the time. Has for years.” She sucks back the tears. “Up until recently, I thought that’s how things were supposed to be but… How can they be so different with you? I don’t get it.” She huffs in frustration, pressing her hand to her forehead, stressed out. “I don’t get it. I’m not supposed to be this comfortable with someone who works for my father. I’m not supposed to be with someone who isn’t part of this world. Someone like the you I first met.”

“I am the guy you first met,” I assure her, trying to remain calm. I want to ram my fist into Evan’s face, watch blood spill from his nose, do the same to him as I did to Ben. “I want to beat the shit out of Evan.”

“You don’t have to do anything to him. That’s not why I told you—so you could go risking your life.” She lowers her hand to her lap. “I get it. Evan is Evan. Everyone hates him but has to respect him because he’s Donny’s son.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

My jaw drops. Evan is Donny Elderman’s son? What the fuck? How didn’t I know about this?

Emery reads the shock on my face, and she slaps her hand across her mouth. “Oh, my God. You didn’t know who he is, did you?” Tears bubble in her eyes. “I thought you knew Evan is Donny’s son. I thought… because you were so close to my father… Oh, my God. Oh, my God. They’re going to kill me. They’re going to kill me.” She folds her arms around herself and scoots away from me.

I think about all the signs I missed that made Evan’s real identity pretty obvious. Evan has bodyguards. He’s protected at all times. He’s in charge of import tasks, but never actually does the dirty work.

“I’m not going to say anything to anyone,” I assure her, dipping my head to meet her teary gaze. “It doesn’t even matter who he is. At least not to me.” My gut twists at my lie. It does matter. A lot.

This bit of information could be my ticket out of here. Could I do that to Emery? Betray her like that? A few weeks ago I might have been able to say yes. Now, I’m not sure I can, not when I’m starting to care so much about her.

“Yes, it does matter.” Hot tears stream down her cheeks, leaving streaks on her skin. Her eyes are glossy and round, and her hair is tangled around her face. Still, she looks absolutely amazing, so perfect, so untouchable. Yet, she let me touch her in the most intimate, trusting way possible only an hour ago. “No one’s supposed to know Evan’s out here.”

“Out here?” My head cocks to the side as pucker forms at my brow. “What do you mean?”

“Out in Laramie instead of…” she trails off, looks toward the wall, and wipes her face with the back of her hand. “I’ve already said too much. God, I just need to stop talking.”

My heart pounds deafeningly from inside my chest. Emery knows where the warehouse is. I can feel it. But how can I get her to speak about it when she’s so terrified simply thinking about it?

Fear.

I know how toxic it is.

How it can possess one’s soul.

Devour your mind, your body

and swallow you whole.

“Why is Evan here in Laramie, anyway?” I sign cautiously.

“I don’t know,” she mutters, staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact with me.

Before I get a chance to press her for more information, she straightens her legs and stands to her feet. “I think it might be time for you to leave,” she says, seeming torn. “I don’t want to talk about this stuff anymore. I shouldn’t have told you anything in the first place.”

I don’t know what to say to her. I know what I want to say, but want and need are entirely different things.

I’m not who you think I am.

I’m as lost as you.

I just want to be free.

You and me, we’re not so different.

Night and morning on the outside, we’re simply day on the inside.

“I can’t leave you alone tonight,” I finally sign with an apologetic look. “I have to take you somewhere with me and then stay with you until your father says it’s okay for you to be alone.”

Her expression plummets. “Where are you taking me?”

“To…” I wince, my hands freezing in mid-air. After what we were just talking about, how can I say it? “To Evan’s to pick something up for your father.”

Her features harden as she glares at me. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her so infuriated, so angry.

“Fine,” she says through gritted teeth. “Let me get dressed.”

She ushers me toward the door with a wave of her hand, and I head to step out, picking up my clothes on the way.

“I’m sorry,” I sign as I step out into the hallway.

“For what?” Her voice wobbles.

I fix my gaze on her, hoping she’ll see the truth. That I am sorry and that I do care about her. “For everything.”

“Me too.” She smashes her lips together then closes the door.

The walls rattle and the wooden symbol on the wall slips off one nail, hanging crookedly. I watch it swing back and forth as I get dressed.

Out of all the goddamn people we have to meet tonight, why the fuck did it have to be Evan? Donny fucking Elderman’s son. Donny fucking Elderman’s son who bruised Emery.

My patience is going to be tested.

I want to bang my head on the door.

Pound a hole into the wall.

Scream until my lungs burst.

But like always, all I can do is remain silent as more secrets push me down into the dirt. I’m starting to believe that I’ll never be unburied again. That this life will be my final resting place, and the peaceful moment Emery and I just shared will never be again.

Die.

Die.

Die.

Slowly.

Letting your secrets bury you alive.

Tags: Jessica Sorensen Unbeautiful Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net