Page 66 of In the Dark

“Trying to make a point with Demi?” she grumbled, and then asked, “Are you going to see her again?”

I eyed her warily. Demi was a friend and a sort of colleague. She’d been my lover too. The relationship was complicated. “She gave us the evidence to look over—”

“That wasn’t the question,” she responded, cracking her neck. “But it’s a good enough answer. If our marriage is open, it’s probably for the best anyway.”

I wanted to correct her, but my mother’s words were echoing in the back of my mind. It was true. Jasmina wasn’t a Diamond, wasn’t one of us.

And that was a damn problem. I couldn’t trust her. And beyond that, I couldn’t fall for a woman that I was forcing to marry me. That didn’t want me in the same way I wanted her. And I couldn’t force her to want me either.

I wasn’t that type of man.

Which meant I needed another outlet. I needed someone like Demi back in my life. Even if it drove my viper wild.

19

Jasmina

I DON’T KNOW WHY I was fuming mad still when we got back to the estate. He didn’t love women, he’d said. Well, I didn’t love men either. We didn’t have time for that when we were working for our families.

Love was blinding. I’d seen how Paolo had loved Lex, how he’d done everything he could for her rather than the people he should have.

We’d drove home in silence, not sharing a word of our emotions with one another after I asked if he was going to still see her. And as soon as I walked into the foyer, Callahan nodded to Archer. “Good to have you here tonight.”

Archer nodded. “I’ll be around for a month or two.” I saw Archer had a small cut on his cheek, but I didn’t dare ask from what.

Then, Callahan said, “Get her dinner tonight? I’m going to have company.”

Company? If he so much as brought that bitch into this house … “What company?” I crossed my arms and waited, tapping my foot.

“That’s not your concern.” His tone was clipped as he responded to me.

“Great.” I turned to Archer. “I’d love it if you’d have dinner with me tonight.”

“What?” Callahan’s brows slammed down.

I tilted my head and fake pouted. “Can I not have dinner in this house with someone, Cally baby?”

Callahan’s jaw popped three times before he answered through clenched teeth. “Fine.”

“Fine,” I repeated before stomping off, because what more was there to say? He wasn’t really mine. And his mother wasn’t really going to be my mother-in-law.

So, claiming him as that was ridiculous. And being hurt his mother didn’t approve was even more idiotic.

He let me go. We didn’t need to spend extra time together when I was considering slitting his throat.

The knock on the door later that evening had me grumbling to Romeo, “Don’t they all know by now the only guy I like here is you?” Romeo stretched on the bed and made no effort to get up to go to the door.

Neither did I. I was perfecting a crocodile stitch and was not going to remove all the yarn for anyone, especially Callahan’s rude ass.

Then again, Callahan had a habit of not knocking.

“What? I’m going to bed,” I called out.

“It’s Archer. Got the dinner I was asked to bring?”

That was interesting. Callahan was letting him come to my bedroom, which either meant he was still concerned about me eating, didn’t care that I could have relations with Archer, or was having his own relations and felt guilty about it.

Or all the freaking above.