Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. #7)(6)
“Is it safe? I mean, I didn’t want to get between you and your food.”
I laugh at his teasing. “Shut up and look at the menu.”
“You’re not ordering for me?”
“Could I?”
“Yes.”
“What if I order something you hate?”
“I’ll eat it with a smile on my face.”
It hits me then. He’s a prince. I knew that, but I forgot what exactly that entails. He’s probably had to endure many meals that he hated with a smile on his face. I hand him both menus.
“Order for me, please.”
“What? No. I want you to have something you like. I know you’re really hungry.”
“I think you’ll do just fine.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
When the waiter comes back, the smile is gone from his face. He’s polite, but it’s obvious that he was hoping my dinner companion was going to be another woman. Brayden orders in French, earning him a little respect, but nothing more. At least from the waiter. I lean over and kiss him lightly after I hear him order me salmon with potatoes. I knew he could do it.
“I did good?”
“You did.”
“Think he’ll spit on my steak frites?”
“Probably.”
“I can’t fault him for hoping he’d get a chance with you.”
“I am pretty awesome.”
“You really are, Cat,” he says, looking really serious all of a sudden.
“But you’ll still try and destroy me if you don’t get what you want.”
“Yes. I will destroy you.”
“You’re welcome to try, but I’ll warn you now that I won’t go down without a fight.”
“I have an army behind me.”
“So do I.”
He snorts, but he really shouldn’t. We may be smaller in number, but the women—and men—who have my back should never be discounted. The fact that we so often are is how we have such a high success rate on our missions. We’re underestimated, and while modern society has embraced strong women, I think there’s still a ways to go in thinking of us as equally dangerous. And yet we are. Brayden’s going to find that out if he keeps pushing me, and I will honestly be sorry to have to harm him. But I will.
“You’re cute when you’re acting tough.”
“It’s not an act, Brayden. You can consider this your only warning. I am not going to say or do anything that I don’t want to. No matter what you do to me.”
“I can be very persuasive. And if that fails, I have people who can be equally persuasive—just in a less enjoyable way.”
“You’ll never break me, Brayden. You and your ‘people’ can try, but it’s just simply not gonna happen.”
“I need those jewels.”
“I don’t have them.” Not technically a lie—they’re not currently in my possession.
“But you know who does.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Even if that’s true, you know how to get the information for me.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t.”
“I won’t let this go.”
“Then you’ll need to let me go, and find someone else to play pretend with you.”
“No.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “You may be a prince, but that really doesn’t mean anything to me. Or my employers. If I choose to walk away from you, they’ll back me up.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.”
“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we? Or maybe I’ll just make it so they can’t find you.”
I pull out my phone and dial. Reina picks up on the second ring. “Hi, Darcy.”
“Hi.”
“I’m guessing that you didn’t call me to just say that.”
“No. I may need to be removed.”
“Is he there with you?”
“Yes.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“Yes.”
“Do not go back to the house with him. There’s a small hotel we’ve used before. It’s on a side street near a mall, and I don’t think he’d look for you there. A taxi is about to pull up outside. Get in and go. Call when you’re safe.”
“Thank you.”
“Always. You know that.”
“I do.”
I hang up and look over at Brayden before standing. If I was a different girl, and he wasn’t a prince I’d stolen from, this could’ve been something great. But it is what it is, and nothing or no one can change who we are. No matter how much I wish that could happen. I step away from the table as he stands.
“Goodbye, Brayden,” I say, tossing my giant engagement ring in the air as I turn and run.
I hear him yell after me, but he’ll catch that ring before he comes for me. If those other jewels still mean so much to him after ten years, then his great-great grandmother’s ring isn’t something he’ll let go either. That’s why I tossed it instead of just setting it on the table. I needed the time to get to the cab. I make it into the backseat and we’re already moving when he gets to the curb. I look back at him, watching him run his hands through his hair. He looks angry—and a little lost. I’m lost too, and broken. I told him he couldn’t break me, and I meant it. You can’t break something that’s already in pieces. That happened to me years ago, and even though the Society has put some of me back together, I’m still not whole. I honestly don’t think I ever will be.