Beneath These Lies (Beneath, #5)(25)

“Where exactly were you picturing my lips just now?”

I hadn’t expected him to go the bold route, but I couldn’t lie about my body reacting to it. It did. The heat reflected in his gaze filled me, but something held me back from responding in kind. Something? Try someone.

“I’m not that kind of girl, Detective Hennessy. Especially not on a first real date.”

The heat stayed firmly in his gaze, not dimming at all. “I guess we’ll see where the night takes us. You can show me exactly what kind of woman you are, because you’re definitely no girl, Valentina. Seven o’clock. Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at your house.”

Swallowing and still trying to keep up with this different version of Rhett Hennessy than I was used to, I nodded. “Okay.”

“Have a great afternoon, Valentina.”

He turned and walked out of my gallery, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, not sure why I couldn’t come up with a more coherent answer than okay.





A COP, A GANG LEADER, and the daughter of a judge. It sounded like the punch line of a joke should come next, but instead it was my life.

I had a date with a cop tomorrow night, I was waiting to hear from a gang leader, and my father, the judge, had invited me over for a family dinner tonight.

I hadn’t heard from Rix and hadn’t caught another glimpse of him on the street, despite keeping a close eye on it all day. I wanted my update about Trinity. I wanted to demand he get her back right now and quit screwing around. I didn’t care what his reasons were, and I didn’t understand why he hadn’t already done it.

When I let myself into my house, I turned on all the lights and checked every room. No sign of him.

Was I hoping he would be here? I’d never admit that, even to myself.

In my studio, my most recent paintings were all still in place. I thought about moving them out of sight, but dinner with the parents meant I couldn’t be late. I quickly changed out of my gallery skirt and blouse and into a white knit dress and gold sandals.

I walked to my parents’ house, rather than driving, because it was only six blocks away, and that meant I could drink a few glasses of whatever excellent red my father decided to choose for tonight. Because tonight I needed something to take the edge off or I’d lose my mind.

Trinity had been scheduled to work today, and knowing she was being held somewhere by some gangbangers had gutted me every time I’d looked around the room and expected to see her cheery smile and pink streak in her hair. But there was nothing I could do myself to get her back, and that helplessness ate at me. Hence the wine I’d be drinking tonight.

When I opened the front door of my parents’ house with my key, their dog greeted me first, as usual. Chaney was a ridiculously friendly golden doodle that could barely manage to keep her front paws on the ground because of her ridiculous friendliness.

“Hey, pup. Where’s your ball?”

She froze for a split second before running off in the direction of wherever her ball was hiding. Probably under the couch.

“Is that the sound of my baby girl?” my mother called from the kitchen. She bustled out, still drying her hands on a dish towel. “You’re here! I’m so glad! I haven’t seen you all week.” She didn’t slow until I was caught up in her arms for the kind of hug only my mother could give. Like it had been five years since she’d seen me rather than five days.

“I know, I know. I’ve been busy trying to keep up with the gallery. Lots of new business lately.” I wasn’t lying; that was the truth. But my mother didn’t need to know about the other things keeping me busy.

“You’re working so hard lately. You really need to take some time and enjoy yourself.”

“You know she won’t, Jo.” My father came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron that read KISS THE MASTER GRILLER. “She’s too much like her old man. All work and no play. At least until he met his better half.”

My parents hadn’t gotten married until their early thirties and had me a couple of years later. My father loved to talk about the years he spent chained to his desk as a lowly assistant district attorney before the magnificence that was my mother opened his eyes to everything he was missing in life.

It was adorable. Until he dragged her away to kiss her in a way that would “scandalize the child.” Just like I’d developed a decent case of envy when it came to Yve banishing her demons and allowing herself to be swept off her feet by Lucas Titan, I had always been envious of what my parents shared. It was real. Solid. Permanent. If you tried to tell my dad that the sun rose and set anywhere other than directly over my mother, he’d probably give you a stern lecture on how not to be a moron.

Love. It was a thing that other people experienced, and I was wondering if I ever would. I’d had zero prospect of it on the horizon, and now, against my better judgment, I seemed to be drawn in two separate directions.

I’m f*cking fascinated with you, Rix had said. But you could be fascinated with a duck-billed platypus.

I’ve wanted to flirt with you for years, Valentina, but you weren’t ready. I think you’re ready now. Rhett was right; I was ready. Ready to start living again.

“See, she’s probably spacing out right now thinking of something she forgot to do before she left the gallery.”

My dad’s voice pierced through my swirling thoughts. Thoughts better left alone.