LITMIR.BIZ

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said there were some complications in you working on this case. I get the impression you’re not supposed to be here today.”

      He grunted in response.

      “And I took the fact that you even knew her name to mean something was going on between you two.” When he raised a brow she continued, “Normally you only care about the numbers. It’s all stats and KPIs and closure rates. You never take an interest in the people side of things.”

      “You make me sound like a dictator.”

      “I get it, the numbers are an important part of your job. But there was mad tension in that meeting room when we were setting this whole thing up. Wasn’t difficult to put two and two together.”

      He sighed and leaned back in his chair, turning away from Quinn’s sharp, analytical gaze. “Doesn’t matter now, anyway. As you said, she dumped my ass.”

      “Because you were a prick.”

      “That a fact or just an educated guess?” he said sarcastically.

      “I’m gonna plead the Fifth on that one.” She tucked her feet up under her so she was perched on the chair like some kind of punk Buddha. “So, you got in trouble, huh?”

      “Dammit, Quinn. Are you trying to piss me off?”

      “No.” She held her hands up, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Not at all. I’m kind of impressed actually. I’ve never seen you break the rules. Well, except for that one time where you accidentally put recycling into the regular trash can.”

      “Shut up.”

      “Seriously. You never push the boundaries. She’s got to be one hell of a woman to tempt you to the dark side of employee misconduct.”

      Their argument was cut short when Owen called for a quick powwow over the speakers. He was near the gallery with Wren, making sure she was appropriately wired up. They had Jin, another senior security consultant, inside the gallery posing as a potential client in case things got nasty. Two more security consultants were positioned outside, ready to storm in if Jin or Wren needed backup.

      But the layers of contingency didn’t put Rhys at ease. He felt sick to his stomach that she was going to be walking in there to face that son of a bitch. But no amount of logical reasoning had been able to talk Quinn and Owen out of this plan. The thing was, if it had been anyone else in her place, he wouldn’t have batted an eyelid.

      Ainslie needed to be taken down and this was the best way to do it.

      “Have you told her you care about her?” Quinn asked once Owen had stopped speaking.

      “No,” he admitted. Why would he when it was clear she never had any intention of staying? Nothing he’d done had changed that…so why cut himself open in front of her?

      “No?” Quinn raised a brow. “Why not?”

      “It’s none of your business.”

      “You’ve been miserable ever since she offered to do this. I know what that feels like, trust me.”

      “Wren and I are not the same as you and your loverboy.”

      “Maybe not. But you care about her and I haven’t seen you care about many people. I have to wonder why that is.”

      “I made the right decision,” he said, ignoring her comment. “It was tough but—”

      “Yeah, yeah. Tough but fair. I’m familiar with the motto.” She smiled and let the snarky expression drop. “Look, I’m not trying to tell you what to do. But, from one friend to another, maybe think about what that motto means. Tough doesn’t necessarily mean you have to push people away.”

      “I know that.”

      But it was hard not to push people away, or at the very least keep them at a distance. It was easier not to get involved, not to risk anything. Still, Wren had managed to sneak past his barriers without him even noticing.

      Pain wrenched in his chest. Why hadn’t he tried harder to stop her? She didn’t have the training for this. She was driven totally by her emotions and impulses, which meant she hadn’t considered the consequences.

      If something happened to her today…

      She could get hurt and she’d have no idea how he felt; she’d have no idea that he loved her.

      He sat stock-still as the truth burned through him. He loved her. It wasn’t a shock; the feelings had been brewing for a while. But this was the first time he’d admitted to himself just how deep those feelings went.

      What if he’d realized too late?

      His gut twisted in response. Quinn was right; he’d tried to command Wren to live her life according to what he wanted. Instead of offering support like a decent person would do, he’d been a bossy asshole.

      He made a promise then and there, as he watched Wren appear on the security-camera screen, that he would tell her he loved her when this was all over. No matter what, he would tell her.

       16

      WREN’S HANDS TREMBLED as she approached the gallery’s front door. For all the bravado she’d mustered up when she’d decided to volunteer, not much of it had stuck around for the grand finale. She forced herself to think of Kylie and Aimee, how scared they must have been when they realized they were being played. That the man they’d fallen for was nothing more than a thief and an abuser.

      She had to be brave for them.

      Part of her had hoped that Rhys would be here to support her. The other part of her had been terrified that he’d show up and all her resolve would melt away. Last night she’d lain awake, tossing and turning with nerves, her stomach tied up in knots. The reality that soon she’d be leaving New York had washed over her, and instead of making her feel relieved, it made her want to cry.

      She shoved the thoughts aside as she reached for the gallery door. Slowly, she drew in a steadying breath, and pushed.

      The little bell above the door tinkled as she stepped inside, her head held high. This was it. All she had to do was get Sean to confess his crimes. It shouldn’t be hard; he loved talking about himself. And now she had the leverage she needed to get him to confess the truth.

      “Wren.” Lola blinked from behind the reception desk. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d gone home to your family?”

      A family emergency, that’s what she’d told Lola to keep her in the dark. They couldn’t risk any hint of the operation leaking to Sean. Not after the head of Cobalt & Dane had been forced to go to Sean Ainslie personally to make sure they were still employed by the gallery. Without the contract, they couldn’t access the cameras.

      “I need to speak with Sean,” Wren said, hoping to hell her tone didn’t reveal her nerves.

      “He’s just about to meet with a buyer.” Lola nodded toward an attractive dark-haired man in a fitted black suit who was wandering around the gallery, looking at the paintings.

      Wren recognized him as Jin, one of Owen and Quinn’s colleagues. He was her safety net. The guy who was going to make sure she got out in one piece if Ainslie lost his shit.

      “It’s urgent,” Wren replied.

      “Gee, you guys don’t make it easy for me,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you and Aimee both quit at the same damn time.”

      Aimee had quit? That news sounded too good to be true.

      Lola picked up the phone and dialed the extension for Sean’s office. Wren could hear his peevish tone even standing a foot away.

      He won’t

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