I shouldn't be even remotely surprised to hear Aiden's words, and yet I stared at him, wondering if my mind processed the correct data. The news about Dominique didn't bother me. I wasn't fond of him anyway, yet the clear statement that there's a decent amount of illegal business going on among the richest was slightly bewildering. Of course, I wasn't that naïve to consider all people with billions on their accounts decent, but there's a difference between suspecting and hearing that it was the truth. As soon as my brain analyzed Aiden's words, an obvious question appeared.I moved my throat, swallowing the thick knot. "What about Hart Global?" I asked, my voice barely audible. "What about… your father?"Aiden sucked in a deep breath. "Can I trust you?""Of course," I said and the guilt hit me in the gut. He shouldn't trust me, not if he was going to tell me something he wouldn't have told the legal authorities. I hated myself for it. I should have stopped him. I should have told him
I finished the bottle of wine, but the alcohol had zero effect on my system. I was obnoxiously sober—sober and dreadfully nervous. Why did I need to prove my alibi?! I felt that the man who raped me was tormenting me even after his death!When Emily returned to our apartment, I debated whether or not the second bottle of wine would help me regain composure. Once I briefly told her about the call from my father, she made the decision for me, and I had my wine glass full before I fully acknowledged what she was doing. After a moment, we were both sitting on my bed with our backs against the wall and glasses of wine in hand."That Captain Lockwood must be a total nutjob if he suspects you," she grunted in between sipping her wine.I sighed. "I didn't think he liked me even before I accused his son of being a rapist. And I don't think he truly believes that I murdered his son. Perhaps he's only trying—" I cut myself off and cursed. Then I gave Emily a wry smile. "I don't even know what he
"I'm going with you." Aiden folded his arms, repeating the same statement for the fifth time."No, you are not," I argued, frowning at him.It had been a little more than an hour since we moved to the kitchen to have our so-called talk. I put on one of my favorite sweatshirts that was old and so loose around the neckline that it constantly fell off one shoulder. Aiden found it sexy and gave me a mischievous smile each time the damn shirt decided to help my shoulders play peek-a-boo. His smile didn't help. His presence didn't help. We were discussing a serious matter, and I shouldn't be distracted by how mouthwatering he looked wearing that half-unbuttoned shirt while drinking coffee in my kitchen."This is serious, Aiden," I told him, even though I didn't sound serious at all. I was almost certain I was giving him the fuck-me look because I all but couldn't think of anything else.He leaned forward, sliding his hands through the kitchen table until they grasped mine. "I know how serio
As expected, I got a call from the Philadelphia police on Monday morning. I remembered the one who called me; he used to work with my brother. It seemed like he got promoted and was now a detective. I didn't know Malik Riaz too well, but he seemed to be one of the good guys. If he was a part of this investigation, perhaps my questioning wasn't going to be that bad…Chandler insisted on taking his car. I didn't argue, especially since I wasn't sure if my old buddy would carry us safely to Philly and back without stopping somewhere in the middle of the road. I packed myself into my lawyer's black BMW, and we set off on the road to Philadelphia."Don't worry too much," Chandler said as we were about to stop at the police station. "Mr. Hart prepared everything we need to make your alibi solid. You are going to be questioned as a witness. You'll be able to walk out of there whenever you feel like it."I nodded and stretched my lips into a faint smile. I understood my situation, and I trust
Chandler was wrong. I think that Detective Rias took the news about the guy with the scar quite seriously. And yes, I think that my testimony made him scratch me off the list of suspects—his list of suspects. Unfortunately, I was almost positive that, in the eyes of Bernard Lockwood, I was still a highly probable murderer. Chandler wasn't fond of the idea of spending another hour at the precinct, but I was determined to tell Malik Rias everything I knew about the guy with the scar. This time, the detective led us to his office. I could see a few frowns and curious gazes reaching us before Malik closed the door. I knew that many of those policemen recognized me, and most weren't happy to see me. I knew why. Damien was their friend, and I was the girl who accused him before and was also a suspect in his murder case. I sucked in a deep breath and turned my gaze away. I did nothing wrong—Damien did. I only hoped that one day the truth would reach all those fucked-up brains of theirs. "I
Hands trembling, I reached for the switch and turned off the lamp by my bedside. The sun had just begun to set, but wrapped in a thick layer of clouds, it didn't give off too much light. It worked to my advantage… or so I hoped. Certainly, the completely logical part of me told me to stay calm and consider all—more likable—possibilities.The car might have had nothing to do with me. Maybe whoever drove that car lived nearby and only parked in front of my building. Maybe whoever drove that car was visiting someone who lived nearby. Maybe whoever drove that car lost their way and was now looking at the map, wondering how to get out of here.I half-hid myself behind the curtain, then squinted my eyes, concentrating my stare on the van. I couldn't get a good sight of the windshield—possibly the only untinted window of the van—but my angle still allowed me to notice some movement inside. I froze. Someone must have been inside. I scratched out all the safe and logical arguments. Whoever was
I heard a whisper. Someone was calling my name, but the voice felt weak and hoarse. I forced air into my lungs. Stretching my chest made me wince, and wincing spread the pain through my insides. Something felt wrong with the way I felt my body. I opened my eyes and realized I was upside down, hanging on the seatbelts. Then I remembered. Two cars hit ours, pushing us off the road, and we fell down the hill."Aiden?" The raspy voice that came out of me sounded nothing like mine. It was dark, and I could barely see my fingers, even when I brought them close to my face."Charlie." I heard Aiden's ragged exhale. "Thank God… You're awake," he said softly and swallowed. "Hold on, I'm going to get you out of here."I looked to the sides, but I couldn't see him. Panic gathered within me. I needed to confirm that I hadn't imagined his voice. I needed to know he was real. "Aiden!" I called out hoarsely."I got you." His hand grabbed mine. I glanced down and noticed him crouching beside me, his f
The world around me froze. My brain processed the facts at a speed hundreds of times faster than light. I heard three shots. Not one, not two, but three. Who the hell fired the third one? And, most importantly, where did those bullets go? Would I feel an explosion of raw pain as soon as time restarted? Was I… going to die?I inhaled sharply, and all my senses returned. I expected the agonizing pain to come within a heartbeat, but it didn't. All I felt was a scorching cut on my right arm. I still held a gun pointed at the shooter, and his gun was pointed at me. Did he… miss?Another second passed, and he turned pale. The hand holding a gun lowered to his side. Did I shoot him? My heart thundered against my chest. My ribs shrank, limiting my breathing to shallow gasps. I wasn't wounded. Not severely. Not by his bullet. But he got hit. He must have gotten shot, but where? It was hard to spot blood on the black shirt and black combat pants he was wearing. After a heartbeat, he fell to his