“We haven’t even touched the surface of why I pulled you in here yet.”
“You kidnapped me… in the parking garage where I live, on my way to work. The only thing missing is the creepy, windowless white van.” She balls her hands into fists at her sides. “I stand by what I said—youarea psycho. All Montgomerys are.”
Her body still rolls beneath me while she catches her breath.
I give her a devilish smirk. “If I’m a psycho, you must be one too.”
She stills, and I count her breaths in my head.
One. Two. Three. Four…
“Whatever.” She groans, falling back against the seat with a defeated huff. “Can you get off me now?”
“Promise you’ll have a calm, civilized conversation with me, and I’ll move.”
“I don’t think you’re capable of a calm, civilized conversation.”
“Come on, Lark.” I press my lips together. The silence swells, and I tighten my grip on the leather seat, forcing me to keep my hands to myself.
Stay away from the poison, Rome. Remember the reason you hate her.
“Fuck,” she breathes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine, I promise.”
“Good girl,” I tease, taking one last jab at her for the fun of it.
She doesn’t take the bait, though, now unwilling to even look me in the eye. She keeps her arms crossed over her chest as she stares blankly out the tinted window.
I sit back in my seat and adjust my tie, straightening out my suit before clearing my throat. "I dropped the lawsuit against Holt."
She lets out an audible gasp before snapping her head to the right.
Somehow, I pull myself together and gather the strength to look back at her.
“You did?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“My lawyer contacted his team this morning. I’m sure he’ll have received the information by now.”
Her eyes soften, the relief practically oozing out of her the moment she realizes I’m telling the truth. But it doesn’t last long. Suspicion is written all over her face, as it should.
“Thank you for dropping the lawsuit.” She swallows and unravels her arms. “Can I go now?”
“We aren’t finished.” I lower my voice.
Her eyes roam over my face, and I see it all there staring back at me.
The hatred.
The betrayal.
She’s always been so easy to read. Perhaps it was our downfall.
And it continues to be.
“I should have known there was more,” she says dryly. “This entire conversation could have been an email up until this point.”
