“Hmm, what sort of a Dom was he?”
“Not my Dom. Not anymore. He let me go.” Sadness filled her. Not only had he let her go, but he now knew that she’d been lying to him all this time. Just like Greta. Except Greta hadn’t loved him.
It was probably for the best. She didn’t know what was going to happen to her now. It was better if Connor hated her. Meant he wouldn’t try to find her.
Freddy raised his eyebrow. “That so? He seemed pretty angry with you. You never told him who you are.”
“Of course not.” She hesitated. Oh, well, in for a penny in for a pound. “Freddy, I never betrayed you.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“I know you think I did, but I swear I never knew that Martin was a DEA agent. I never told him anything. I didn’t know anything to tell. I swear.”
Freddy leaned forward. “Fuck. Is that why you left? Because you thought I thought you’d betrayed me?”
It took her a moment to follow that sentence then her mouth went dry. “You didn’t think I’d betrayed you?”
“Of course not. Jesus, baby. I’d never think that. You’re my sister. Fuck, even if you had betrayed me I’d never be able to get rid of you. I’m not our father.”
Those words sat between them. No, he wasn’t their father.
“Why would you even think that?” There was the slightest hint of hurt in his voice. Fuck.
“I heard Carson say that I had to be eliminated.”
“What?” Carson barked from across the aisle. “I never said that.”
“Carson worships you. He would never harm a hair on your head,” Freddy said.
Carson frowned. “Unless you give me rabies. Are your tetanus shots up to date?” He clasped his injured hand, which was wrapped in so much gauze it was ridiculous, to his chest. “Do I feel feverish?” He reached up and patted at his forehead.
Freddy rolled his eyes. “You are a pitiful mobster. Why do I have a hypochondriac as my right-hand man?”
“Because I’m your best friend,” Carson shot back.
“I must also be a lunatic.” He turned to Ria once more. “Ria, I cannot believe you thought I would harm a hair on your head. After everything we’ve been through, I thought we’d always have each other.”
“I-I . . . oh, God.” Tears dripped down her face. Freddy looked at her in horror.
“Fuck. She’s crying.” Carson jumped up and backed away. “Didn’t mean anything, Ria. If you have rabies, I won’t come for you. I promise.”
Freddy waved him away. “Go. Give us the pretense of privacy.”
When Carson was standing up in the front where Freddy’s other goons were, he leaned towards her and took her hands in his. “Baby, how could you believe that of me?”
“I’m so sorry. I just . . . I saw Martin being dragged into your study. I didn’t know what was going on. I was so scared. I thought you’d grabbed him because . . . because . . .”
“Because he was fucking my little sister,” he said darkly. “When I found out that you were spending time with him, I did a background check on him. If he’d come out clean, I would have brought him in for a little chat, decided if he was good enough for you, then let him go.”
“That’s how you discovered he was a DEA agent?” She wiped at the tears dripping down her face. She was surprised she had any tears left to shed.
“Yes. Fuck. I should never have brought him to the house, but we ran into some trouble getting to the warehouse and I needed to stash him for a bit. I thought you’d be asleep.”
“I woke up and went to get a glass of water. I saw you pull him into your study and crept over to listen in. That’s when I overheard that he was a DEA agent, about betrayal. And Carson said something about getting rid of
her.”
“And you thought I meant you? Were you wearing your hearing aid?” he asked.