Page 91 of Trust Me
“I wanted to tell the truth because I hate this. Despite what you think of me, given what you know about my history, I’m not this person. I walked away from my father and my brother. I ran my last con on Brendan because I had no choice. I—” I break off on a sigh because what’s the use?
Kyle won’t believe anything I have to say.
Another long silence falls between us.
“Are you going to call the police?” I ask tentatively. As much as the thought pains me, I have to know what he’s thinking. Somehow, I’ll have to make preparations for Eve. The only thing coming to me is that I’ll have to track down my brother to have him take care of her.
I can hardly bear the thought of that happening.
“I should, shouldn’t I?” he says grimly.
“You have to do what you have to.” I lift my chin and meet his stare. I’ll accept whatever hand fate deals me.
“When did you first meet Dean?”
“About three and a half months ago. He was waiting for me at my office one morning.”
Kyle cocks his head to the side as if studying me. I try to will into him that I’m being truthful.
“You never knew him before that?” he asks.
“No.”
“I’m not going to call the police,” he finally says.
I hold my breath because while that declaration should be a relief, I can feel there’s more to it.
“Why?” Everything I know about Kyle up until this point led me to believe that he’d swiftly take revenge once he found out the truth.
“Because there are other ways to make someone pay.”
Panic seizes my insides, and my heart rate kicks up. Dean’s declarations about the Townsends having abandoned houses where they conduct some very ugly business come back to mind.
“What are you talking about?”
Kyle approaches me, slowly, his hard glare never wavering from mine.
“I’m not going to send you to jail, Riley,” he answers. “Because you’re going to marry me instead.”
My eyes bulge so wide it’s possible they may pop out of my head. “Wh-What?”
“Did you not hear me the first time? I’m not going to send mywifeto prison. Not yet, anyway. Not before I get what I need from you.”
“Th-That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not marrying you.”
He snort laughs. The sound is ugly as I suspect it’s intended to be. “You will as you have no choice. I’m not giving you one. If Dean wants you to put on a fucking show, we’ll give that son of a bitch one.”
I shake my head in confusion. “How does marriage accomplish any of that?”
“Come on, Riley,” he mocks. “You’re a con artist. You know how important it is to make a story believable. Dean wants you close to me, right? There’s nothing closer than marriage.”
“Kyle, I’m not marrying you.”That’s absolutely absurd.
He chuckles. “It’s so fucking cute you believe you have a choice in the matter.”
My first moment of anger rises in my chest. “I do. You can’t force me into a marriage.”
“I can’t?”