Say I Do (Wilde Ways #10) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,83

to send a message to me? You wanted me to see that if I didn’t stay away from Lacey, she would be the next to die? That you’d rather see her dead than to ever see her with me? Is that what you were trying to say?”

“Hell, no!” A fierce shout of denial.

Larry inched forward.

“Not yet, Larry,” Dex murmured. “I don’t think that counts as a full twitch yet.”

“Are you sure?” Larry didn’t look convinced. A bit disappointed, but not convinced.

Dex nodded.

“I did not kill Heather!” Roman thundered. “I was pissed at her. Felt used and betrayed. But I didn’t hurt her. I wanted to know who she was working for. I wanted to know who put out the hit on Lacey—and on me.”

“Well, you have screwed over lots of bad people during your time as a double agent. I mean, you screwed me over, too, when you went rogue after the rescue mission. When you wouldn’t listen to reason and you went dark.”

“Rescue mission?” Roman’s face reddened. “Are you insane? There was no rescue.”

Yes, there was.

“You honestly think I could ever trust you again?”

Now they were getting to the good stuff. “You trusted me to find Lacey.”

Roman’s stare cut away.

“I’ve been thinking a whole lot about that. About just why you turned to me—a man you purportedly hate with every fiber of your being.”

“Screw yourself.”

Dex ignored that—uh, offer?—and continued, “Maybe…maybe you asked for my help because you were worried. Worried that when you were all pissed at the CIA and selling your secrets to the highest bidder, you made some bad enemies. Enemies that you knew would use a sweet, innocent sister against you. A sister who didn’t grow up in your world, so she’d have no way to handle the danger you brought to her.”

Roman wasn’t meeting his stare. “She doesn’t seem so sweet and innocent, not if she’s falling for you.”

“She is a fucking sweet perfect rainbow, and don’t you ever say any different.”

Roman’s gaze whipped back to him. “Are you serious right now?”

“As a heart attack, I believe the saying is.” He rolled back his shoulders. “So, you didn’t deny any of the things I said. That means they’re all true.”

“You knew that stuff was true,” Roman muttered. “You always know, don’t you? You don’t enter a room with a suspect unless you’ve got the winning hand.”

“I want to know who it is that you fear the most. Who is here at the lodge? What enemy? Who am I missing?”

“I don’t know,” Roman gritted out. “If I knew, I would have killed him by now!”

So they were all chasing their tails in the dark. Wonderful. “Then make me a list. Give me the top ten names of the worst badasses that you screwed over. I can get my tech super star to find out exactly where those people are.”

A bitter laugh. “You know these people have multiple identities, right? Just like you? Like me? It’s not as easy as tapping on a computer in order to find—”

The door swung open. Antony stood there, holding tightly to his laptop. “I found something. Something you need to know.”

Dex leaned back. “See? Sometimes, it is that damn easy.”

“Dex.” Antony’s voice was tense. “It’s about Lacey…”

Dex lunged off the chair.

Chapter Twenty

“Does he have to stay in here?” Elizabeth whispered as she cast a quick glance over at Cornell’s silent form. “I-I need to discuss something private with you.”

They were in Elizabeth’s suite, and a warm fire crackled nearby. Cornell had taken up a position near the fireplace. “Cornell stays. He’s here for our protection.” Lacey raised her voice and said, “Besides, I’m thinking he can keep a secret or two, can’t you, Cornell?”

“Kept plenty of them.” His deep voice rumbled as he never changed his stoic expression.

She gave him a smile. “Thanks.” She sat down on the couch next to Elizabeth. “See? You can talk in front of him. Your safety is paramount right now.”

“I’m not the one missing.” Elizabeth grabbed her hand in a claw-like grip. “It’s Jonathan. I…I didn’t tell you everything downstairs.”

“What is it?”

“We’ve been having some trouble.”

Lacey didn’t let her surprise show.

“The media…the press…they paint us as this perfect couple…”

When Lacey had been working the protection detail for them, they had seemed perfect together.

“But no one is perfect,” Elizabeth continued with a voice that shook. “When he told me that we should get away, that we should come here, I thought—this is our chance. He wants to put us first. He’d been working so much, shutting