One of several.
“What are those?”
“Those don’t concern you,” he says flatly.
I open my mouth to argue, but all it takes is a steely look from his dark eyes before my lips seal shut again.
“You have my word, Kai. Those have nothing to do with you or Haven.” He holds my gaze for another second, then starts deleting videos and footage from the folder he opened. I glimpse my face in a few. Haven’s too.
Some I wish I hadn’t insisted he delete, because they’re…
Artistic isn’t quite the right word.
They’re goddamn porn—non-consensual porn—but fuck, we all look hot in them. I don’t know how the fuck he pulled that off when I was so wasted.
“There. Satisfied?”
I have to say no. Have to keep pushing, keep fighting…because fighting is easier than the alternative. Even with Haven’s hand on my arm, her thumb tracing circles on my skin, even exhausted as I am of being so fucking angry all the time, I can’t let him beat me again.
“What about Melissa?”
Rooke blinks. “What about her?”
“You told me Thatcher himself would be arresting me,” I say, but the words are wooden.
Jesus. He doesn’t even remember, does he?
“Fuck around and find out?” I prompt hoarsely.
Understanding dawns on Rooke’s face, then unease, but he shuts it down an instant later.
“I’ll get rid of it,” he says carefully. “You have my word.”
“Now!” My voice is so loud, it carries to the booth beside us. The couple glance over at us before turning back to their conversation.
“I…” Rooke’s jaw tics. “I can’t do that.” He immediately holds out his hand, silencing my protest. “Not that I don’t want to, or can’t. But it’s not a video, Kai. It’s…physical evidence.”
“What evidence?” I say through an incredulous laugh. “I was nowhere fucking near Melissa!”
Haven and Rooke both glance around. When she tries to take hold of my hand again, I snatch it away. Rooke slides a little closer to me, but I shove away from him until I’m nearly at the end of the booth.
“Kai. I promise. Soon as I’m back home, I’ll deal with it.”
The conviction in his voice stops me cold. He’s not performing now, not playing a role. He sounds sincere.
I don’t know what’s scarier. That he somehow manufactured physical evidence tying me to Melissa’s kidnapping, that he’s justgenuinelypromised to get rid of it…or that I want to believe him.
He leans forward, holding my gaze. “I’m not trying to trap you anymore, Kai. I’m trying tokeepyou. Do you understand?”
I want to call him out, but he’s not even being patronizing.
Who the fuck is this guy, and where did he bury psycho Rooke’s body?
Haven squeezes my arm. “You okay with this?”
I swallow hard. “Like I have a fucking choice.”
“Good,” she says, completely ignoring my sarcasm.
