Submerged(Bound Together Book 1)(74)

 

“Absolutely,” she says, all earlier hint of amusement gone. Now, tension fills the room like oxygen. Everyone is clearly aware that something is not right.

 

Carly follows me back to her bedroom. When the door clicks closed behind her, I finally turn to face her. The look in her eyes is one of fear. Not fearful of me, but of what is to come. “What is it?” she whispers.

 

“I…I have to tell you something. It’s going to be very hard to hear and may make you a little upset,” I start as I take her hands and guide her towards the edge of the bed. Kneeling in front of her, I continue, “I need you to know something first. You and Natalia, you are the best things to come from this mess, okay? Please tell me you understand that.”

 

Carly’s slow head nod confirming it, is the only answer I get. “Okay. Your father has been arrested, Carly.” Her beautiful brown eyes open wildly as her mouth falls open.

 

“What?” she whispers.

 

“He was arrested very early this morning along with about a half dozen other men, including your uncle Mattias.”

 

“What for?” she mumbles, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

“Grand larceny and grand theft auto for starters. There will be more charges pending, but those are the big ones right now.”

 

“How do you know this?” she asks, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

 

“Because I was there, Carly. I was there because it was my job.”

 

“You work for my dad, this I know. Why do you make it sound like there’s more to it?”

 

“There is a lot more to it. The night we met two years ago, I told you I was getting ready to start a new job. What I couldn’t tell you is that it was an undercover assignment. I was infiltrating a known criminal auto theft ring. Your father’s business.”

 

“Wait,” she says, her breathing becoming shallow and fast. “You’re telling me that you were undercover? You worked for Roman as an undercover cop?”

 

“Yes. I am an FBI agent and my assignment was to get the goods on your father’s entire operation and help take them down.”

 

“Take them down,” she mumbles, closing her eyes as tears leak out.

 

“I didn’t know the connection between you and him then. In fact, I didn’t know it until that day I saw you in his office.”

 

“That’s why you’re always asking me questions about him. Why you never tell me anything of your past.”

 

“I couldn’t tell you, Carly. It would have risked everything. The operation. You and Natalia. Me. If I would have told you who I really was, it could have all potentially have blown up in my face.”

 

“You did risk everything, Blake. You risked everything by not coming clean. You risked everything we have and could have. You risked it all…and you lost,” she tells me, her eyes finally opening again. They’re distant and full of uncertainty. The tears streaming down her face gut me right where I am. I’m practically bleeding a slow death right here in her bedroom.

 

“Don’t say that, Carly.”

 

“You lied to me, Blake. About everything.”

 

“Not about everything. I never lied to you about the way I feel about you. That’s the only thing that’s important,” I plead.

 

“Are you kidding me? How can I even trust you right now? You’ve told me all along that I could trust you, and then lied about everything.”

 

“No. I love you, Carly. Do you hear me? I fucking love you,” I plead, begging for her to listen, to hear the words I’m saying.

 

Her laugh is distant, cold. “Funny that you say that now. After everything you just told me, you now decide to profess your love. Well, do you know what, Blake? Love doesn’t work like that. You can’t just say it when you’re out of options.”

 

“I’m not saying it as a last resort. I’m saying it because it’s true.”

 

“Says the liar.”

 

I stare at her for several moments. My heart is beating wildly in my chest as panic starts to set in. I knew it was completely possible that she’d react this way, but I had hoped she would see the big picture, that she would understand why I left out such a big part of my life. I couldn’t tell her.

 

“I need to see my father,” she says bluntly, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

 

“He asked for you,” I tell her, my eyes searching her face.

 

“Take me to wherever you’re holding him,” she says accusingly, standing up and grabbing a pair of jeans. As if on autopilot, Carly removes her dress and throws on jeans and a t-shirt. Once her feet don tennis shoes, she heads towards the bedroom door. “Blake, I can only deal with one thing at a time right now. I need to see my father and I need you to take me there. This in no way means that you are off the hook or that I’m over the fact that you’ve been lying to me for the better part of a month. I can’t even deal with the fact right now that you’ve been using me to get closer to my father.” Her words rip my heart out.