Black Listed(29)
She stopped in front of him.
Returned his smile.
And punched him.
Chapter Ten
SAWYER TOOK HER anger like a champ. Of course it helped that there was no real power behind her sock to his arm. “I hope you got it out of your system, because you’re not getting a second chance.”
Shame heated her cheeks. She shouldn’t have taken her frustration out on him, even if he was acting like an ass. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
The fear of becoming her parents had always hovered on the edge of her mind. There wasn’t a day that went by during which she didn’t remember what it was like to curl into a ball as the rain of fists came down on her. She swore she’d never raise her hands in anger, and she’d broken the promise to herself.
“I wouldn’t have let you do it if I wasn’t okay with it. You obviously needed to let off some steam.”
She laughed, relieved he didn’t hold her loss of composure against her. “You mind telling me why you acted like such a jerk in front of my brother?”
His expression turned serious. “Your brother is a reminder of how little I know about you.”
“That’s not true.” She planted herself on the edge of her desk. “Believe it or not, you know me better than anyone else.”
He pursed his lips, and frown lines etched his forehead. “Well, that’s just sad.”
She flashed him a sorry grin in agreement. “Sad but true.”
He joined her on the desk, and they both sat with their legs dangling as if they were on the edge of a pier. “I want to know more. I’m not asking you to tell me why you took the money and ran or where the money went, but tell me something I don’t know. Let me see a glimpse of the real Annaliese.”
She paused, thinking long and hard about herself. What could she share with him?
There were no memories of Christmases spent opening presents under a tree decorated with twinkling lights. No memories of sleepovers at friends’ houses or dates for the prom. No jobs working at the local fast food restaurant or spelling bees at school.
Her life had been about keeping her head down so no one noticed her and reported her to Child Protective Services. It had been about hiding food and change under her mattress so she didn’t starve. When she’d gotten older, it had been about seducing men and women and making her father proud of her by pulling off a successful con.
Yeah, he didn’t want to hear about that.
“My family moved around a lot when I was growing up,” she heard herself say. “By the time I was eighteen, I’d lived in every state but Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah.”
His eyes took on a playful glint. “I get Alaska and Hawaii, but why not Utah?”
She’d never asked, but only one reason made sense. “That’s where my parents were from originally. I guess they didn’t like it very much.”
“Where was your favorite place?” He settled a hand on her knee, his thumb brushing back and forth. It was such an innocent touch. And yet it was as intimate as if he was touching her between her thighs.
“Arizona,” she said automatically. It had nothing to do with the mountain views and the desert climate and everything to do with the fact she’d spent her time there with him. It was the only time in her life she’d ever known true happiness.
He stilled, it almost appearing as if he didn’t even breathe. Then he squeezed her lower thigh, silently acknowledging the significance of her answer. “You and your brother seem close.”
Close? Asa was someone she no longer recognized—the best version of himself. He’d become a family man, one who sang in a goddamned church and probably said grace before eating a meal consisting of fresh-off-the-farm chicken and milk direct from a cow. While she had been hiding behind the mousy Lisa Smith persona, he’d gone and found himself a real life. No, she and her brother weren’t close. Not anymore.
“Before an hour ago, I hadn’t seen him in more than four years,” she said, her heart aching not only for everything she lost, but for every bit of pain she’d caused Asa.
Processing the information, he brushed his hand over his jaw. “Why not?”
She stared at the door, indecision warring within her. With her father dead, the threat to Sawyer’s life decreased, but her brother Mitch was still a wild card. If he found her, would he try and carry out their father’s original scheme so that she’d inherit Sawyer’s fortune? Could he be responsible for trashing her condo? She itched to tell Sawyer why she’d left him. But once he learned about the terrible things she’d done, would he still look at her the same way? Or would he only see the criminal she’d been?