Page 129 of The Scarab's Game
I swiped the back of my hand across my eyes, clearing away the tears threatening to fall. “Fine.”
In two long strides, he was at the side of my bed. He fell to his knees, leaning his elbows on the mattress. “I would have switched places with you in a second. Would have taken Enzo’s bullet if it got you home safely last night.”
The memory of Emmett fighting with Enzo on the yacht flashed through my mind. The terrified look in his eyes when he told me to drop, and the fierceness he went after Enzo with. The struggle for the gun. Enzo’s curses from the water.
“Those wouldn’t have been stupid choices, either,” he said.
He’d crushed me to the floor of the speedboat, shielding me with his body. His weight, the scent of his cologne mixed with sweat, and the rapid beating of his heart against me all came rushing back.
“Giving in to my feelings for you wasn’t a stupid choice, Jenn. Making love to you wasn’t, either.”
I clutched the blanket tighter to my chest, as if it could protect me from the choices my heart wanted to make. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“You don’t understand mycareer. That’s all.”
“You’re a thief!” That was so much more than a career.
“A recovery agent. We use our skills to return stolen items.” Emmett shook his head, leaning forward slightly. “You knew that already. Just nothowwe do it.”
Was this another con? Another way of twisting words to manipulate me? But why? He’d already gotten me into bed. Already gotten away with the scarab he was after.
“I don’t know how to explain it any better or how to apologize or how to make you change your mind.” Emmett’s words came out in a rush. He extended his hands across the bed toward me. “Let me try. Please, honey.”
My heart clenched. God, I wanted to believe him. I’d been in love with him for so long, and I’d honestly thought this was my chance.
“I don’t know if I deserve it or not. I’ve lived so much of my life thinking I was no better than my father, and now? Now, I’m just… I’m lost.” Emmett’s shoulders sagged. “Scarlett and I only learned about Mum’s MI6 connection two months ago. We hadn’t talked to her or the team about it yet.”
“Really?” The word slipped out before I could stop it, but he kept talking through my surprise.
“And my dad?” This man, always confident and in complete control, was slowly breaking down in front of me. “I had no idea, but did Mum? Why did he confess if he was innocent?” He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his cheek. “I’m tired of secrets. After I came home in April, I couldn’t even go out in public for weeks until everything healed. There would have been too many questions.”
My hand twitched, wanting to reach out and comfort him. To tell him everything would be all right.
“But when I woke up next to you Thursday morning, I thought my life could go back to normal.” Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he didn’t try to hide them. “And then that night? I wanted to tell you everything. Let you into my crazy world and maybe earn a little of your love.”
I shuddered.
Did he say love?
“I don’t know if I’ve lost my chance or if you can find it in your heart to let me back in,” Emmett whispered, “but I swear, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you.”
Despite everything, despite the lies and danger, I reached out. My hand trembled as I took his. “Where would you start?”
Emmett’s brows knit together as he twined his fingers with mine. “Wherever you want.”
I stared at our hands, letting the warmth of his skin against mine melt away a little of the pain. “I want the truth. All of it. No more lies, no more half-truths or omissions. If you want me for more than this week, that’s what I need.”
He stood slowly, his rich brown eyes locked on mine until he slid under the covers beside me, wrapped me up in his arms, and kissed my unbruised cheek. “First, the bracelet is equipped with an advanced GPS tracker.”
A what? I stiffened as a hint of anger seeped back through the sympathy.
“I won’t apologize for that.”
He was tracking me? Maybe the truth wouldn’t fix everything.
“It’s how we found you before they got away.” He lifted my left hand to his lips. “I’ll have Will remove the tracker, but I’d like you to keep the bracelet.”
And the smidgen of my anger receded again. “Is this sort of thing normal in your world?”
