Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,76

like. “Can’t believe Marty didn’t give me more time to get out.”

“Guess Marty was double-crossing you.” Winston sighed in mock sympathy. “You simply can’t trust anyone these days.”

Dwight nodded in total agreement. “Damn straight.” He smiled again. A flash of yellowed teeth. “So…we good?”

“I don’t know who hired you.”

“I don’t, either, man! That’s the problem! It was all online! Never saw him in person, never got a name. Just Player69.” He snickered. “And you know what that shit meant.”

Winston didn’t smile. “How did he contact you?”

“I told you—online! Through the Dark Web and—”

“On your phone? On Marty’s phone?”

“On Marty’s laptop.” His expression became sly. “If I tell you where to find it, will you stop the agents from taking me?”

The interrogation room door opened. A rumpled—and very pissed-looking—Dex filled the doorway.

“Aw, damn, not him again!” Dwight craned his head and glowered. “What is that no-dick SOB doing—”

“He’s the agent who will be transporting you,” Winston told him. Now, he did smile. “Have a fun trip.”

Dwight didn’t just slump. He shriveled.

Antony’s shoulder brushed against Sebastian’s arm. “We need that laptop.”

Hell, yes, they did.

“If we have it, we can track the mystery boss down in five minutes. Five minutes, and the bad guy is ours.” Antony turned toward Sebastian. “I’ll wait and make sure Winston gets the laptop’s location. You go and talk to my sister, then we can meet up and—”

“I’m not talking to Alyssa.”

“What? Dude, she’s being held in Winston’s office. The cops with her are under strict orders—probably from you and Winston—that she can’t leave. If she tries to walk out, they might cuff her or some BS like that. She needs to see you. So walk in there, let her know you’re all right, and then we can—”

“I think it’s better if I don’t see her.” It’s better if she never sees me again.

Antony didn’t blink. He barely seemed to breathe.

Sebastian cocked his head. “You okay? Your face just went all red.”

Through clenched teeth, Antony snapped, “Why aren’t you going to my sister’s side?”

“Uh, why are you even asking? Since when do you want me around your sister?” He tapped his chin and deliberately kept his voice flippant. “Aren’t you the one who told me to keep my hands off her? Should have listened to you sooner. From here on out, consider my hands to be one hundred percent off her—”

Antony grabbed him and shoved Sebastian back against the one-way glass.

“Easy,” Sebastian warned him. “You’re not the one who gets all crazy.” That’s me.

“I am when we’re talking about my sister!” Antony glared at him. “She shoots a man to save your ass, and now you’re dumping her? Are you kidding me?”

She shoots a man to save your ass.

Hold up. He’d shot the guy to save her. Right?

“This is why I wanted you to stay away from her. The challenge is over, isn’t it? You got what you wanted, and now you think you’re moving the hell on.” Antony’s gaze burned. It was so hot that Sebastian was surprised the man’s glasses weren’t fogging.

“Antony—”

“This is my sister! You don’t hurt her. You don’t pull your crap on her!”

“You seem a little angry,” Sebastian pointed out softly. “For all you know, Alyssa will be glad to see me walk away.”

Some hard emotion flashed on Antony’s face. There one moment, gone the next. Too complex and too fast for Sebastian to figure out what the hell it had been.

“She’s had nothing but trouble since I got close to her,” Sebastian continued as he fought to keep his voice from giving anything away. “Maybe me staying away from her is exactly what she wants.”

“I don’t think so.” Antony still held him in a tight grip.

Sebastian had the feeling that Antony was holding back on him.

“If she shot a man to save you, I think that’s a pretty clear statement on what Alyssa wants.”

“Okay, that’s the second time you said that. What the hell are you talking about? The guy was going to shoot her. That’s the reason I fired, and the reason she had to shoot, too. She was in danger, and I’m damn sorry about that.” More than sorry. He was ripped open, torn apart with regret. I don’t want to put her in danger. “Don’t you see that’s why I need to step back? Because as long as I’m close to her, she will—”

“Dumbass. Listen to my words. She shot him to save you. Alyssa told me that while your ass was unconscious—from that freaking face-first slam into the