it doesn’t change the end state. Dax,” she says, looking back at him. “Our relationship was built on lies.” Ouch.
Dax is enraged. I feel his hands shake next to mine. He’d be killing something right now if he weren’t restrained. Maybe he’ll be on my side when the shit hits the fan. It’s not a matter of if, just when. “What the fuck is going on here, Lainey? You need to tell me something right now,” Dax growls. I feel for him. He’s about to get information overload. He knows who V is, sure, but he has no idea his fiancée has deep ties with him. That she founded her roots in Virginia Beach to spy, gain intelligence, and wedge her way into the SEAL community for monetary gain. She’s infiltrated not just our hearts, but the very core of our community in the worst kind of way. It’s unforgivable for a man like him. For me? I forgave without blinking. She came clean the very first time I caught a whiff of something that didn’t add up. She had too many cell phones, too many email accounts, her meetings were late at night, and her phone conversations were spoken in hushed whispers.
Lainey sits down, folds her legs under her, and tells him a story about a young woman who wanted a better life. She wanted to make money and be around hot men. One particular hot man ended up being the love of her life. She turns around and looks at V when she gets to the part of the story where she cuts ties with him and begins her interior design business. She talks about being engaged to me and how she left everything behind and started fresh, how her espionage roots didn’t matter. Both Dax and I are equally as captivated by her tale. She moves her hands when something excites her and she looks legitimately sad when she speaks of the time when I was taken. She tells us she suspected that V was responsible for my disappearance because he sent vague messages through messengers of one sort or another. I find myself leaning forward to find out what happens next, even though I know all of our actions and decisions have led us to this right here. On a kitchen floor tied up together without any chance of a peaceable reconciliation. Lainey tells this story so effectively that there’s no way Dax can be upset with her. She has this way of weaving a story and then injecting it with just the right amount of guilt. Is he even aware she’s doing it?
Dax takes a deep breath and I feel his back relax against mine. It’s not time for that yet, bro. “Jesus, Lainey. Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Why did you let it go this far?” My ankles and hands are numb from the fucking zip ties. I wonder how many zip ties I can fit down V’s throat.
She sits back on the floor and pulls her knees up to her chest. “You were my shot at a normal life. That woman I just told you that story about doesn’t exist anymore. I’m still an interior designer, Dax. We just have more in common that you knew,” Lainey says. V grunts, groans, and tells her to finish chit-chatting. I’m surprised he’s humored her this long.
“You realize what you did was against the law? You could go to prison for the rest of your life. I mean, hell, Lainey. I’m a Navy SEAL. My morals were about as loose as I can permit back when I didn’t know any of this. Knowing this changes everything. Everything,” Dax says, hanging his head. I can’t help but feel sorry for the man. I bet his uniform is pressed and her wedding ring is sitting on top of his nightstand.
“Morals? You gave him information about Vadim’s whereabouts in exchange for my love. Don’t say that’s not how it went down, because it was. Phones were tapped and conversations were heard. What would happen if the Navy found that out, oh righteous one?” Lainey says. Her eyebrows rise in question and the rest of her body tenses.
“I fucked up because I wanted you so badly,” Dax replies. This is getting unbearable. If I had access to my gun I’d put him out of his misery.
I sigh heavily. “How much more of this fucking shit do I have to listen to?” There’s only minutes before the shit show