the government’s off-the-books prisons. Being held there for years and years while you’re forgotten by everyone you ever knew. That shit really, really hurts.”
Because she was watching the other woman so closely, Lacey saw the faint tremble in Heather’s lower lip. It was a tremble that was quickly controlled. Heather’s lashes swept down over her cheeks while she apparently mulled things over, and then she tilted her head back as she lifted her lashes and asked Lacey, “When did you meet Roman?”
Unexpected question. “Yesterday,” she responded honestly.
Heather appeared taken back. “But…you…you weren’t with him before?”
With him?
She wasn’t going to touch that question just yet. Instead, Lacey told her, “We have you dead to rights. You shot the agents in the woods. You were apprehended right after you took your shot at me. With or without a confession, you’re going to the prison Dex promised.”
Heather tapped the edge of her cuffs against the top of the table. “It wasn’t anything personal. Just a job.”
I take a bullet to the chest very personally. “Who were you working for?” Lacey asked.
“Nope.” Heather exhaled. “Not going to be sharing that information. I am not going to tell you—”
The door opened behind Lacey. She looked back. Saw Roman. His furious stare was on Heather.
The man seemed to have so much rage bottled inside. She couldn’t help but wonder…where had all that fury come from? Part of her was afraid to find out.
Her stare turned back to Heather just in time to see…
Oh. Oh, damn. Yep. That would make sense.
Had Dex caught that little chink in Heather’s armor? Because in a blink, Heather was back to seeming all calm and cool. Lacey crossed her arms under her breasts, leaned back in her chair, and got ready to see what happened next.
Roman slowly stalked across the room. He stopped on Heather’s left side. Crouched next to her. She didn’t turn her head toward him.
Like Lacey, Dex was also just watching. She knew he’d told Roman to give them a few moments before he came inside. She’d been right beside Dex when he made that announcement when they’d all gathered outside of the interrogation room. Grudgingly, Roman had agreed.
Now it was show time.
“Aren’t you going to look at me?” Roman asked quietly.
Heather licked her lips before turning her head toward him. “It wasn’t personal.” She seemed to like saying those words.
“Liar.” Roman’s response sounded like a caress.
Oh, yes. There is definitely something going on here. Or there was.
Heather sighed. “I didn’t kill you, did I?”
“No, you just tried to kill someone you thought was important to me.”
Heather tossed a glare at Lacey. “So what’s your deal, lady? You screwing them both?”
Dex immediately moved to Lacey’s side. “Lacey is with me. No one else. I don’t know what you think is happening between her and Roman, but you’re dead wrong.”
Wait, wait, wait. Heather believed Lacey was romantically involved with Roman? “Dead wrong,” Lacey echoed. But now everything was making sense. “You’re in love with him.”
Heather’s glare became even darker. “Shut up. You don’t know me. You don’t—”
“You didn’t kill him. You left him alive. Probably because you just couldn’t bring yourself to do the deed, hmm?”
“You know nothing.”
“I think I know a lot. Like…I know the look in a woman’s eyes when she stares at the man she wants. You had that look when Roman walked into the room. It was only there a moment, but I saw it.” Now her stare slid to Roman. “During the big ball, Dex told me that you and Heather only pretended to be lovers, that she was really your bodyguard.” She thought of her own arrangement with Dex. “Sometimes, it’s easy for a pretend relationship to become real, isn’t it? It’s easy for those lines to get all blurred.” And the next thing you knew, you were losing your heart when the whole thing was all a lie.
“I didn’t blur anything with you, Heather.” Roman’s voice was low. “We never crossed a damn line.”
“You…” Heather’s head snapped back toward Roman. “I was right there! In front of you every single day! But you didn’t see me!” Her words tumbled out in a furious rush. “Then I saw that picture you kept of her. You kept it hidden, but I found it.”
Not of me. Of my mom. Her stare darted to Roman. Their mom?
“I was supposed to get close to you,” Heather added. “I did. I fucking did.”
“Very close,” Roman agreed.
“No!” She jumped to her feet. Her cuffed hands lifted before her.
Roman rose