Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(39)

She tapped her fingers on my hand. “Don’t shit where you eat, Trinity.”

I giggled. “I try not to. That sounds unhygienic,” I said, purposely misunderstanding her declaration.

“You know what I mean. Don’t date your boss or business associates. It’s messy.”

My hand fell into my lap with an exasperated sigh. “I know. It’s stupid, but this thing with Knox has a short shelf life. Both the job and the relationship are temporary. I’m using him, and he’s using me. It’s not a secret. We both know how this is going to end.” My insides contorted painfully. I didn’t want there to be any truth in my words.

She eyed me suspiciously. I erased all emotion from my face, hoping she couldn’t read between the lines and realize I was already in too deep with Knox. I shared things with him—real things that I’d never told another living soul. Palpable, newfound intimacy sizzled in the air every time he looked at me.

“Okay.” She lowered her voice. “Just don’t get lost in him and forget who you are.”

I nodded, breaking eye contact with her to look for Knox, but mostly to regroup. “Don’t worry about me. It’s not going to happen.”

Even to my ears, it sounded like a lie. Luckily, she didn’t call me out because I couldn’t defend my actions or my behavior. It didn’t make sense. I should have run away from him instead of toward him.





CHAPTER





TWENTY-TWO


Knox



I glanced at my wristwatch. Archer and Langley were late. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but Trinity looked like she would come out of her skin if they didn’t show up soon. I rested my arm over her shoulder and slid her body closer to me.

“Hey, don’t worry about Archer or Langley. They’ll like you.”

She swallowed, her gaze fixed on the clear glass bubble chandelier near the entrance. “I know I’m over-thinking the whole thing, but once Leslie gave me the lowdown on them, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.”

“That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

She frowned. “That’s not comforting.”

I swiped a hand down my face and exhaled. “Look, I won’t lie, most people are intimidated by Archer. On the surface, he seems hard and calculating, but underneath he’s a softy. And Langley…” I paused, considering my words as I twirled her dark hair around my finger. “She’s one of the genuinely nicest people I’ve ever met. Before she started acting, she was a physical therapist. She cares about people. She’s going to jump through hoops to make sure you feel comfortable.”

She swiped the tips of her fingers along the crisp white tablecloth. “If you say so,” she said, noncommittally.

“I know so.” I glanced at the floor to ceiling glass windows running the entire length of the front of the restaurant. “But you can judge for yourself. They’re here.”

Her leg bounced up and down on the oyster colored cushion. “I can’t believe you talked me into this. You owe me.”

“I’ll think of a way to repay you.”

I stood to greet Archer and Langley. His characteristic grin spread across his face. “Hey, little brother,” he said, wrapping me in a one-armed hug. “Sorry we’re late. We had some stuff to take care of.”

“Yeah, I bet you did,” I said, pulling away. “Langley, good to see you.” I kissed her cheek. As usual, Langley had a big grin on her face. Her golden hair hung in loose waves, nearly reaching the middle of her back.

“Hi, I’m Langley,” she said, holding her hand out to Trinity.

“Trinity,” she responded, shaking Langley’s hand.

“And this is Archer.” Langley elbowed my brother.

“Right. I’m Archer.” He squeezed Trinity’s arm. “Sorry if I’m acting strange. I’m shocked my brother actually showed up with someone.”

Trinity’s gaze flicked to me, then back to Archer. “Oh, really? Why is that?”

He shrugged, then settled into the booth next to Langley. “Let’s just say this is the first time I’ve met anyone he’s dating since high school. He normally keeps them well hidden or he kicks them out of his life so fast they’re not worth mentioning.”

“There’s no need to scare away my date,” I said, laughing humorlessly. For the first time in memory, I wanted a woman to stick around. I liked her. I enjoyed her company. On top of all that, I needed her to unravel Miles’s blackmail scheme. “Let’s move on to another topic.”

“Fine. We’ll talk about something else,” Archer said, his eyes narrowing fractionally as he placed his napkin in his lap. “Trinity,” he said, redirecting the conversation. “Are you from D.C.?”

***

Archer cornered me coming out of the restroom after dinner.

“Hey,” he said, slapping me on the shoulder. “You seem a little stressed.”

I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Like I said on the phone, I have a lot going on right now.”

“Trinity seems a little guarded, but nice. She’s a nice change from your usual type.”

“Yeah.” I glanced at the table and passed the palm of my hand over my face. Langley’s hands swirled in front of her as she explained something to Trinity. “I’m not sure if it’s going to lead to anything serious, but I like her too.”