Twisted (Never After #4)(89)

My spine stiffens, and I glance around, suddenly wishing that I hadn’t snuck out without telling Julian where I was.

“And you are?” I question.

“I’m Jeannie.”

Recognition flickers through me, remembering she was the one Aidan was telling me about. “The archaeologist?”

She nods, licking her lips, her hands gripping whatever she’s holding tighter to her chest. She looks around again before she steps in closer, and I stumble back, putting a hand in front of me.

“What do you want?” My voice is sharper now, because seriously, what the fuck?

“I’m the lead on the excavation dig in Kharga.”

“Okay.” I look down at the box in her hands. “And what’s that, Jeannie? A present?”

She glances around her again, anxious energy pouring off her body, her fingers digging into the edges of the box until I’m afraid her nails might split down the middle.

“I found something,” she whispers. “Something that can help you. Aidan told me about what Mr. Faraci is forcing you to do, and I…it isn’t right.”

My head tilts to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I’m the one who texted you.” Another step closer.

Recognition flares through me. “You’re the employee of Julian’s.”

She bobs her head.

“Well, I appreciate that, but it won’t be necessary anymore. I love my husband.”

She barks out a laugh and shakes her head, like she doesn’t believe me.

I look at her closely. Something’s off. “Are you okay?”

Again, she glances around before she maneuvers the covered box she’s carrying to her side and reaches out to grip my arm tightly.

I suck in a breath, but before I can scream or do something, her words stop me in my tracks.

“You shouldn’t trust them,” she warns.

My brows rise. “Who?”

“They always talk too loud. Men, you know?” She shakes her head. “They get cocky…messy.”

“Are you talking about Julian?”

She swallows, huffing out a breath like my questions are frustrating. “And his goons. Ian, his assistant? He gets drunk and lets things slip.”

Her fingers rip into my forearm, breaking the skin. I jerk back, hissing from the pain, a small trail of blood oozing from beneath her grip and dripping onto the ground.

“They’ll kill you. Do you hear me? Once they get what they want, they’re going to kill you.”

My stomach deep dives to the floor, my heart slamming against my ribs.

“I can help you,” she says again, nodding down to the box. “This can help you. Barter for your freedom.”

Irritation swims through my veins because this woman is doing anything but giving me answers, and quite frankly, she’s freaking me the hell out. “I don’t need any help. I promise, I’ll be okay.”

A door opens from one of the cottages in the distance, and her gaze flies behind me before coming back to mine with a frantic look.

“I found it,” she whispers. “Nobody knows. And you shouldn’t tell them.”

My forehead scrunches. “Found what?”

She reaches out, handing me the box. “The lamp.”





I’m not sure when Julian had time to arrange things for everyone to leave, but the next day, we’re loaded up and ready to go.

We’re outside the main building’s entrance, Julian’s arm wrapped around my waist possessively, hugging me to his side while we listen to Ian complain about not being on the private jet. And I’m reeling on the inside, my eyes watching as the driver throws my suitcase into the back. The one that has the lost lamp.

God, what the hell am I supposed to do with it?

I was tempted to take it straight to Julian, but something held me back. I don’t know who has eyes and ears here, and if it’s that easy for Jeannie to overhear people talking, then I don’t want to risk someone else finding out what I have. I can just tell him when we get back home.

“I don’t understand. We’re all going to the same place,” Ian complains, crossing his arms as a driver loads his and Aidan’s luggage into the back of the car. I watch him closely, Jeannie’s warning whispering loudly in the back of my mind.

“I want time alone with my wife,” Julian replies. “There are things we’ll be doing that I’m sure not all of you would like to hear.” His eyes flick to Aidan, and I elbow Julian in the side.

“Don’t look so glum, Ian. At least I put you in first class,” he says.

Ian scoffs, throwing his hands up and storming over to the car, sliding into the back seat. Aidan follows, pausing just before he sits down, his hand on top of the door and his eyes locked on me.

He looks downtrodden, and a small pang hits my chest, because I know that nothing between us will ever be the same.

I don’t hold any hate toward him, just a profound sadness for what we lost. He was my first love, my first everything, and while I don’t know how things ended up this way, I have to believe it was for the best.

Maybe one day we’ll be able to stay friends, after the hurt has healed. And really, I have Aidan to thank. If it wasn’t for him loving me, I wouldn’t know the difference. Because my love for Aidan is like a warm sunny day, and my love for Julian is a blazing inferno.