“I assumed when Mr. Newsome told me you were going, they had turned me down. That’s what he insinuated to me anyway.”
Our gazes met, and at that moment we both realized the same thing. We’d been lied to and had never questioned that lie.
“Why would he do that to us?” she asked. “Why? What would have been so horrible about you and me moving out of the home and going to school together?”
“I can’t think of any reason he’d care,” I said. “You would think he’d be happy with the way he was always complaining about how much we all cost him. Hell, he could have gotten rid of two of us at one time. That should have been akin to winning the lotto.”
“We have to find him.” A settled look had come over her face, and she no longer appeared to be close to tears. No, if anything, she looked mad as hell. “I wonder if he’s still alive.”
I had a vision of Bri dressed in all black. A cat burglar, sneaking into his house to get the truth out of him once and for all, one way or another. She’d be damn hot.
“I’m not sure,” I said, telling myself now was not the time to be thinking of such things. “I remember him being old as dirt when we were kids. If he’s still alive, no doubt he’s at least one hundred and three. And I bet he’s still in London.”
“If he’s alive, I’m sure he’s still in London. But I doubt he’s over one hundred. We were kids at the time. Everyone over twenty-one looked older than dirt to us then.”
I had to admit she was right.
She bit her bottom lip and glanced down at letter again. I knew what she was going to say before she spoke.
“We need to go to London,” she said.
Chapter 15
Bri
In my mind, London was not just the best next step but the only one that made any sense. We’d been lied to for years, and for what purpose? None that I could think of. At the moment, the realization left me in shock, but I knew as soon as I had a second to sit down and process everything other emotions would prevail.
Piers didn’t share my assessment.
“That would be the best way to get to the bottom of whatever this is.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, I can’t go out of the country right now. Not with so much unknown about the threat against Tenor and Mia.”
His words drove a knife into my chest. To say Tenor and Mia instead of Bachelor International made everything I was doing seem much more personal. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d worded it that way on purpose. Was it possible Piers knew of my involvement or my role in that threat?
I didn’t think so. While we were nowhere near as close as we’d been in the past, I could tell based on what little time I’d spent with him that at his core Piers hadn’t changed since those days at the group home. If he knew of my involvement, he’d call me out on it.
Since he didn’t know, that made our current conversation the perfect time to confess everything. Now would be when I should drag all my dirty secrets out of the dark and expose them to the light.
But I couldn’t because I was scared. Scared of the disappointment I’d see in Piers when he looked at me. Scared he’d leave and that this time I’d never see him again. Scared he’d be angry and wouldn’t let me explain.
Could I explain?
I wasn’t sure, so I said nothing about the Organization and agreed with him that the timing wasn’t right for either of us to leave the country.
“We can look into Mr. Newsome as much as we’re able to from here, and if after the threat is gone, we need more information than what we’ve found, then maybe we can take off for London.”
Again I felt the urge to speak up and confess that I was the threat against his friends. That they would be fine with me in London. And again I failed to do so.
“Yes,” I agreed with Piers. “That sounds like the best thing to do.”
Besides, I told myself. I had been avoiding the Organization for the past few days. It was possible they’d sent someone to Boston to hasten my uncompleted job. If so, I needed to be nearby to protect Tenor, Mia, and Piers. Another good reason not to travel to London—not just yet anyway.
Piers chuckled.
“Is something funny?” I asked.
“Not really,” he said, but his smile hadn’t disappeared. “It’s just I was getting ready to ask you if everything was okay because you had an odd expression on your face. Then I realized what a stupid question that was. Of course everything’s not okay. How could it be?”
“Everything feels more okay when you’re with me.” The words flowed from my lips without thought, and I took a step closer to him.
“Then I’ll do my best to stay with you so you can continue to feel okay.” He gently cupped my cheek. “I knew deep inside my soul there was no way you’d have left without a goodbye.”
“That’s not the way it felt from where I stood less than fifteen minutes ago,” I joked.
“It took longer than it should for the truth to travel from my soul to my brain.” His thumb stroked my bottom lip, sending shivers throughout my entire body. “I’m sorry for not seeing the truth earlier.”
I opened my mouth to tell him it was okay, but before I could get a word out, his lips were on mine. My heart just about stopped. Pier was kissing me. And holy Mother of God, the man could kiss.
His lips were strong and determined, and the way he controlled the kiss surprised me. Fairly easygoing in his day-to-day dealings, there was a notable change the second our lips touched. The fingers that had stroked my lip were now buried in my hair, holding my head still as he plundered my mouth. I tried to tilt my head, and he nipped my bottom lip. The sharp twinge of pain shot straight to my clit, and I moaned. In response, the hand in my hair tightened. Piers pulled. Not hard, but definitely not gently.
I’d thought I wanted him before, but after just a taste of his kiss, it was no longer a question. I wanted him. Badly. I wanted to experience him completely. If he could make my body react the way it was with a mere kiss, what would a night in his bed be like?
Death by pleasure? Was that a thing?
I wasn’t sure, but if it was, I wanted to experience it. And to experience it with Piers. Somehow I knew a night in his bed would change me forever.
“I want you, Brigitta.” His voice was hot against my skin, and his use of my full first name sent a shiver down my back. “I want you so fucking bad.”
As much as I wanted him, I was torn. It would be so easy to stay in his arms and allow him to take me down the hallway to his bedroom. I knew a night with him would be incredible and more than likely ruin me for all the men I’d meet in the future.
But hanging over me was the knowledge that we didn’t have the truth between us. How could I allow for anything physical to happen between us before I told him everything?
Being in his arms felt so right. As if this was the place I was meant to be. How could I risk losing him again? Because if I told him about my part in his dealings with Bachelor International, I would lose him. I didn’t think I could stand to see those eyes, currently looking at me with such naked need, looking at me with disgust and loathing. And they would. The second he found out, that’s when he’d look at me differently.