Page 34 of Merciless Heir

Damon’s handsome face isn’t smiling as he sees me.

I narrow my eyes as I look at him across his desk. Of course, I let myself into his office, but usually this has never bothered him.

There was a time that it turned Damon Reed on.

“Sadie.” There’s something in his tone that sets off a warning inside me, like I’ve caught him, hand deep in a cookie jar. “I didn’t expect you.”

It’s the kind of tone that says he’s been doing exactly that, expecting me, and not looking forward to it at all. I smile at my ex.

“It’s been a while, I thought we should catch up.” I lean forward in his chair and motion for him to take a seat opposite. “What are you feeling guilty about?”

“Me?”

I point. “You.”

He has the grace to turn red. “I haven’t cheated on you.”

“It’s a little hard to do when we broke up five years ago. Of course, you did, then.”

“Sadie,” he says, “you want to talk about this now? I spent a year chasing after you. A year apologizing, pleading, arguing. A year trying to tell you what you walked in on wasn’t what you thought.”

He’s probably right about that. Sure, some hot chick was all over him, but clothes were on. And he’s a good-looking man. He might not be in the realm of the dark hotness that’s Kingston Sinclair, but Damon’s blond beauty is very easy on the eye.

“You should have cheated on me,” I say suddenly. “I wasn’t the best girlfriend.”

“You didn’t love me like I loved you, but again, I don’t think you’re here to rehash the past, so why bring it up?”

“Actually,” I say, “you did. I just asked what you were feeling guilty about. It’s all over you.”

I’ve seen Damon use his skills and brains for both good and the slightly evil. I’ve seen him manipulate. I’ve seen him help others. So, I’m not sure why he never quite did it for me. Why I jumped on the concept of him cheating as a way out of the relationship.

I’m not made for long term, and he is, and I know that. But he’s the kind of man a woman wants. I know that, too.

Kingston, on the other hand…

I don’t like his kind. He fascinates me, and I’m not sure why. Kingston somehow gets inside and stays. He’s smart and hard and cynical and he disturbs my equilibrium in a way no one else ever has. It’s something I want to hate the man for.

Instead, I shove Kingston out of my brain, as much as I can. And I push the folder of photos across Damon’s desk.

“What’s that?”

“It’s not a bomb, Damon,” I say. “Let’s call it a blast from your past.”

I lied to Kingston. Damon’s no thief. He’s in security. High end bespoke stuff. I hand jobs to him after evaluating. The good jobs. We’re at the point I can just send him the number and report and he steps in.

But regardless of how it ended, those fences have been patched and I don’t think he loved me as much as he thinks he did. My reputation and the idea was more appealing than the girl. And he’s gone on to really make a name for himself. People know about the Raven. They don’t know about Damon beyond his security company.

Which drags me back to why he seemed so guilty, but I decide to bide my time before circling to that again.

“If you’re asking me to fence something or arrange a meeting, I can’t.”

“You mean you won’t.”

He takes his seat and the folder, but doesn’t open it. “Yeah, I won’t, Sadie. I’ve worked hard to get to this place. I’m legit and there comes a time you get out of shit, and you know that.”

“That’s why I do what I do and get you work.”

His gaze flickers at me, but he’s wise and keeps his mouth shut. Instead, he opens the folder and hisses in a breath.