Page 105 of Twisted Truth

I walk in that direction, and then the hallway turns to the left. There are three doors at the end. I pound my fist against the first one. “Asher,” I shout. “Open up!” Nothing. I repeat my pounding on the second door. Nothing. But the third door flies open just as I raise my fist.

“What are you doing?” Asher growls.

“I came to look for you.”

“I’ve got to go,” Asher hisses into the phone still at his ear. He ends the call as I push past him into the office.

“Why are you here?” he snaps. “I was in the middle of something important. I already fucking told you that I was dealing with a problem tonight.”

“I was worried about you,” I snap back. “But clearly that worry was misplaced.”

He scoffs. “I don’t need you to worry about me, Ella.”

I almost flinch at his words. “Message received. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

I move to walk around him, but his hand darts out and grabs my wrist, stopping me. His phone rings again.

“Wait,” he says.

I tug my hand away. “No. Deal with your problem. I’ll meet you at the car.”

“I’m sorry. That was a dick thing to say. Please, just wait. Let me wrap this up, and we can go.”

He answers his phone. His face is pinched as he listens to the other line. “When?”

I lean against the door, feeling like an idiot. I shouldn’t have come. I move to leave, but Asher places his hand on the knob.“Please,”he mouths at me. Then he moves to the black leather sofa along the opposite wall and slumps down on it. He lifts his whiskey off the side table next to it and takes a long drink.

“I want to see it. Have his wife bring it in. I want it checked through forensics. And get security around their home and his hospital room.”

My curiosity is piqued.What is going on?Whatever it is, Asher looks not just upset, but almost hurt. He takes another long drink. How much has he had tonight? A lot, I think.

How much have I had?I can’t remember.

“Keep me updated.” He hangs up.

“What’s going on?”

He lets out a long breath. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“I didn’t ask because I’m worried about it, I asked because I’m worried aboutyou.” I lock my jaw.Why did I say that?The champagne is giving me loose lips.

Asher looks at me now, his brow furrowed. “You’re worriedabout me.” He says the words as if he’s mulling them over—unsure of the feel of them in his mouth.

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“No one worries about me except my family.”

“That can’t be true. Surely Matthew worries over you.”

He gives a derisive laugh. “Okay. My family and Matthew worry about me.”

“No one else?”

“No one else.”

“Is that because no one else actually cares or because you don’t allow anyone else to care about you?”

He raises his glass toward me. “Both.”