Deadly Promises (Tracers #2.5)(27)

“As her attorney or her brother?” Jeremy snapped right back, anger boosting his sarcastic tone.

Before she could speak, Vinny added in a low and controlled voice, “As her brother, I’m advising you to walk away and never speak to her again if you like the way your face looks.”

“Bring it on.”

Vinny’s chest expanded with a breath of fury. “Back down, *.”

“I’ll back down if and when CeCe tells me to. Not for you or a hundred brothers just like you.”

CeCe realized in that moment that Jeremy would not let anything or anyone stop him from getting to her when he was determined. That was the man she wanted. How could she love him so much when the same heart felt like it was tearing down the middle?

“Vinny, give me a minute, would you?” she asked. Wind batted loose hair around her face. She swiped a handful behind her ear and waited for her brother to move back, then she swung around to Jeremy. Before she could vent, Jeremy got in the first shot.

“You said you were all about honesty, but you didn’t say a word about being part of the DeMitri organization.”

CeCe jerked back at the accusation in his voice. “I’m not part of the organization. My mother married into the DeMitri family and I’m not going to apologize for that because they’ve always loved me like a sister and daughter. They understood when I moved here that it wasn’t because I didn’t love them. I just didn’t love what they did. As for honesty, you didn’t tell me you had an adult record and I asked you point blank.”

“I told you—”

“—about a boosting conviction as a teenager.” She fisted her hands at her hips. “Do you or do you not have a string of convictions that you’ve spent time in prison for?”

Jeremy locked his jaw shut to keep from trying to explain. He couldn’t tell her how he’d amassed a criminal track record just for BAD or that since signing on with the agency he hadn’t gotten a traffic ticket unless BAD had orchestrated the offense for a mission.

“Yes, and I can explain, but not right now,” Jeremy admitted softly.

CeCe’s throat muscles moved when she swallowed. Her bottom lip trembled until she clenched her jaw. “I moved here to get away from a life built on lies. And for your information the DeMitri men are good citizens, changing things in the organization—”

“That’s enough, CeCe,” Vinny interjected.

She nodded and glanced back up at Jeremy. “How can you expect me to understand any of this if you can’t tell me the truth now? I didn’t want to be around cr—” She stopped short before the next word came rolling out.

“Criminals,” Jeremy finished for her. “I did my time and continue to pay my dues every day. You believe the men in your family are decent upstanding citizens but not me?”

“I’m not saying that…”

“But you’re leaving… me.”

“I don’t want to live around… someone who can’t tell me the truth.” She lowered her eyes to her hands, unable to take any more of his tortured gaze.

“I never lied to you.” Technically. He’d withheld some things, but he’d intended to explain more to her once he figured out how to do it and not expose BAD.

“Keeping something important from me is lying by omission.”

“I can make the same accusation.”

She nodded. “For what it’s worth, I planned to explain everything… if…”

“If we stayed together.” Jeremy checked to see that Vinny was still ten feet back then lowered his voice so that only CeCe heard his words. “You’re right. I did keep something from you just like you kept things from me. But the difference is that I understand why you did and am willing to give you a chance to explain.”

When she sucked her bottom lip in and didn’t answer he took a fist to the heart. “I did withhold some things, but I need you to know one very important detail. I care about you, CeCe, and would never involve you in anything criminal or let anyone hurt you. I can explain everything on my record but, like I said, not right now.”

Silence spun between them with a swirling wind that tossed her hair back and forth around her delicate shoulders.

He held his breath, begging for a break. Just once.

Tears clung to her eyelashes but not a one fell. “It’s probably best that we don’t speak again.”

Her dismissal smashed that flickering hope he’d been clinging to. Hurt clawed up his chest and churned into anger, but he wouldn’t unleash that on CeCe. He could never hurt her.

And she was still at risk until he figured out what was going on with Dorvan and Starface. Jeremy shoved his emotions into that dark hole they should have stayed in and dropped his professional mask into place.

“What do you know about the photo card the FBI is looking for?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He glanced over her shoulder at Vinny. CeCe followed his gaze then snapped her head back to face Jeremy.

She lifted her clenched fists and her chin, ready for battle. “My family is not involved in this. Vinny told me so.”

What Jeremy wouldn’t give for a woman who would stand up as confidently in support of him. He placed his hands gently over hers and said, “I believe you.”