Read Online Her Secret by Tara Fox Hall - Free Book Online Page B

now?”
    “Are you?” he said quickly.
    My eyes narrowed. “Are you going to give me a
hard time if I don’t?”
    “No,” he responded. “But I’d prefer you saw
Danial with me present.”
    I changed topics. “Is anyone going with
you?”
    “No, I’m going alone. This isn’t an assault,
Sar. It’s an assassination.”
    No shit . “Be careful,” I said, hugging
him. “Come back to me when it’s done.”
    “I’ll come back to you,” he said softly.
“Stephen gave me some names. We have an appointment next week with
a counselor.”
    “Good,” I said, mustering a smile.
    “Get going,” Theo said, giving me a quick
kiss. “Brian’s waiting.”
    I wanted to see Danial, but maybe it was
better to give the meds another day to work. “Bye.” I walked over,
and got into Brian’s truck. “Are you sure you’re all set?”
    “Yes,” Brian said, starting the SUV. “I’ve
got my bags packed, and Demi knows your number for any
emergencies.”
    I hadn’t talked to Brian much since the night
he’d almost died trying to save me. I felt awkward with a capital
A, especially about his poor wife. “How’s she doing?”
    “Better, now she’s living here with me,”
Brian replied quietly. “Devlin didn’t mistreat her, but Demi
understood what his plan was and her part in it.”
    I sat quietly as he drove, trying to think of
something to say back and failing.
    “Want to listen to music?” Brian said after a
few minutes, breaking the silence.
    “Sure,” I said, relieved.
    He turned on the radio. I turned the dial as
he drove, finally finding a station that was playing light love
songs. The very end of J. Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” was
playing.
    I knew I should turn it off. Instead, like a
drug addict that sees another high in sight, my hand moved to the
dial and turned it up.
    “You like this song?” Brian asked, glancing
at me.
    I didn’t answer him, lost in the music as I
sung the end quietly. “—but it’s time to face the truth: I will
never be with you.”
    “You have a good voice,” Brian said when it
ended. “Devlin taught you well.”
    I didn’t reply.
    “He’ll be happy to know you’re missing
him.”
     

Chapter
Four
     
    I turned to him,
gaping. “What?”
    “You heard me,” Brian said simply. “I meant
no offense.”
    “Then what did you mean?”
    “It’s been obvious for most of the past two
years that he was obsessed with you. It’s equally obvious that
you’re now obsessed with him. I can guess what happened when he
rescued you.”
    I went beet red, pointedly looking away from
him as I switched off the stereo. “Don’t talk to me anymore about
this.”
    “Okay,” Brian said, and fell silent.
    We passed the rest of the way home without
words, my anger building with every mile. I’d taken the high road:
not called Devlin or contacted him. That meant I could long for him
all I wanted secretly without judgment from my guards.
    When we arrived at my house, I quickly got
out and hurried to the door. Brian got there first and blocked me
from entering. “I need to check it first. Wait here.”
    A moment later, he was back. “All set.”
    I glared at him angrily. “I need to walk the
dogs as soon as I’ve eaten.”
    “I’ll go with you. Let me call in first, and
tell them we got here safely.” He flipped open his phone and began
dialing.
    I went about making a sandwich, trying to
ignore him. Then I gave a big sigh and let my irritation go. It was
too much effort to stay angry, and it wasn’t important anyway.
    “Do you want a sandwich?” I called to
Brian.
    “Sure,” he called back. “Lots of meat,
please.”
    As I assembled the easy meal of sandwiches,
pickles, chips, and sodas, I sang the song’s refrain over several
times. Turning with the plates, I stopped in mid-note, startled by
Brian. He was right behind me, his phone to his ear.
    “I almost tripped over you,” I chastised.
    Brian looked up at me, then back down,
nodding. “Yes.”
    “Tell