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No, it’s just obvious.

If she was here earlier, she had plenty of time to kill us while we were in bed.

He knows something. It’s in his eyes.

But he doesn’t say anymore.

I guess our little game of quid-pro-quo was pretend.

No. I know his body. The way he shuddered as he ran his hands over my skin⁠—

That’s real.

But this is too.

He can love me and hurt me. The way I can.

Fuck.

That’s sexy as fuck.

But there’s no time to linger in the butterflies in my stomach.

I motion to Camille, tied up in the chair. Give him one more chance to trust me. “This will be easier if we work together.”

“Tell me why you’re really here,” he says. “And I’ll tell you what I have. We can make our best guess as to who sent her.”

It’s a far trade, given the circumstances. But it fits the old Matteo. Not the new one.

I try to find the truth in his dark eyes, but I’m not sure what to make of his intense stare.

Trust breeds trust. If I want to win his, I need to offer mine.

“Your boss,” I say.

“What about him?” Matteo asks.

“I’m supposed to kill him at his retirement party.” I make my voice matter of fact. Like I didn’t change a very important detail.

“Alex?” He looks me in the eyes, trying to decide how honest I am. He must decide to believe me, because he nods. “Only Alex?”

The words rise in my throat. No. Not Alex. You. I’m supposed to find the information and then kill you, so you can’t share what you know. I couldn’t let someone else take the job. I can’t trust them to end your life with kindness.

Forgive me?

That’s ridiculous.

Who could forgive someone for plotting their murder?

So I tell him a half-truth. “And anyone in the way of your information. What do you know?”

“Enough to convict your boss. But…” Matteo looks to Camille. Notices the way her ankles are uncuffed. He motions watch her, goes to the bedroom, emerges with two ties.

He binds her ankles with them, one at a time, then he checks the exits. Slowly, his gaze settles on Camille. “Would she believe you and Elena are lovers?”

Not a chance. I shake my head. “Do you have anything I can give her to loosen her tongue?”

He raises a brow really, you think the recovering addict has a drug stockpile?