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"Yes I will I’er down my cheek "Be safe Come on" He pushes off the wall "Let’s head upstairs"

I nod and alk to the counter where he hands me his father’s drink and he takes Jessica’s, then we start a silent walk through the building lobby, his shadows, and perhaps mine as well, still between us We’ve just reached the elevator and stepped inside when he turns to facethe silence "My father will either cancel thator miraculously move it to another location"

"But he had a in my face he didn’t want me to know about He’s too sfor a reaction "He got one from your brother Just before I came downstairs, Derek showed up at my desk and deet rid of him"

Shane’s lips quirk "And Derek stormed into my father’s office"

"Yes Exactly"

"Like I said My father is a ame player and uess that’s a good thing for you"

"It’s sure to be a bad thing"

"Who was that thisbusiness in the office," he says "But it gavea certain folder filled with paperwork"

"And?"

"And it was interesting reading I’ll tell you about it tonight" The elevator opens and we step into the hallalking toward the door and entering the lobby, where we pause "Ibut I’ll be back to pick you up" He softens his voice "We leave together Okay?"

"Yes," I say and his eyes linger on mine a moment before he walks away, but I don’twith hi as uard, any more than I can the tension in the air when I’d told hi, I focus on the receptionist, who is looking atatnore her and start down the hallway, and I have this strong sense that nothing about my past, or my present, is exactly how it seems

SHANE

I leave E as I travel the hallway, tension radiating down uard whose presence holds dangerous implications And my mood is too damn dark to find Derek at the end ofready for a confrontation At this very e to beat his fucking face in I pass hi to take a hint

"Shane," he says, willing me to turn, but now is not the time I do not have all my ammunition in place, nor do I have the tea hi, setting Jessica’s coffee on her desk without looking at her before enteringto ainst the surface

I inhale a breath of uncoed to contain on the elevator ride up, but anger is a beast inside reed The intercole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>