The Fall of East: Book 3 in the Hear No Evil Trilogy, Malone, Nana [inspiring books for teens txt] 📗

"Interpol had her, and she started to talk, more than willing to give up any and all information on Warlow, on Theroux, the whole thing."

"Christ. So, she informs, and then what happened?"

"I don't know. I guess she grew closer to my father. By then he’d gotten her a new ID. And then I guess she was still in love with Theroux, even though she thought he'd betrayed her. She left my father for a short time, and I suppose that’s when she and Theroux briefly got together again, and my father almost caught him. Soon after she went back to my dad, they found out she was pregnant, and Theroux said she wanted me to have a stable life, so she stayed with my dad. She and Theroux saw each other again several years later, the second time my father almost caught him, and she realized that it was Warlow who had betrayed them, not Theroux."

"That had to sting."

"Yeah, considering at that point she had married my father and was living this whole new life. That's when Dad, or Agent Kincade… I'm really going to have to figure out what to call both of them. Anyway, that's when Agent Kincade went after Theroux with a vengeance. My father was obsessed with him because he knew that my mother loved him still, after everything, and he just couldn't let it go. Couldn't fathom why she would not want the life that he'd given her, the ease that he'd made of her life. So, he relentlessly pursued him, even long after my mother passed away. Desperate to bring him to justice, even if it was just in his own head, because the woman he loved, loved someone else."

"Jesus, these people had some complicated shit."

"So anyway, Theroux was here to steal back the Collins painting. He said he wanted to return it to a place he knew my mother always loved, so I let him go. What he doesn’t realize is that the painting he stole isn’t the original. It’s the one that was forged by Garreth Jameson, the son of his sworn enemy."

I still frowned down at her, stunned by the revelations she was sharing with me. "I don't like seeing you hurt, Ny."

"It's fine. Hell, you shot me. And he's a better shot than you are."

"Impossible," I said, scowling.

I saw her lips twitch, and I knew she was fucking with me. "Woman, you almost died. If you don't mind, I prefer if you don’t joke around about it."

"Who said I'm joking?"

"I swear to God, I will kill you myself, Nyla."

"Oh, the threats you make. You're welcome to try, East Hale. But I'm pretty hard to kill. Besides, the man I love is very protective. You harm one hair on my head, and he will come for you, full of vengeance."

I watched her even as she teased me. "You know it's true, don't you? If anyone harms you, I really will come after them full of vengeance."

"Yes, I know. The good news is you don't have to. I can take pretty good care of myself."

"Yes, but think of me as your backup."

"I like having a backup. It makes me feel fancy."

I shook my head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me? Not berate me for getting shot? Because honestly, it wasn't my fault."

I rolled my eyes. "You asked him to shoot you. That's the very definition of your fault."

She chuckled then. "You know what? Why don't you just go ahead and give me a kiss? You'll feel better. And then we can forget about this whole I-let-the-rogue-go thing."

"We're not done, Nyla."

"Oh, I know we're not done. Reprimand, reprimand. Can we just skip to the sex part? I think that even with my arm in a sling, I can make that happen."

I choked back a laugh. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Like I already said, love me forever. It's not hard."

"Jesus." I leaned over the bed. "Scoot."

She grinned at me then. The sweetest smile I'd ever seen in my life. "I knew you'd give in. You might have to do all the work here. My movement is limited."

I shook my head and tucked her into my side. She tried to turn and nuzzle my neck, but I wouldn't let her. "For now, Nyla, I'm just going to hold you. Remember what that's like?"

"Ugh, not back to that thing where you take care of me and you don't give me sex."

I had to laugh. "Okay, orgasms are in your future. Jesus woman, you drive a hard bargain. But for now, you rest. And know that I'm here keeping guard until you can guard yourself. How's that?"

"That's pretty good, East Hale. Not bad at all."

"I'm so glad I have your approval."

This woman tucked into my arm was both my salvation and the end of me. And I was pretty happy about it either way.

Chapter Twenty-Four Nyla

"Do you want to tell me why in the world we're taking a private jet? This is terrible for the environment."

East nodded. "I know it’s shitty for the environment. But rest assured that this plane is being made good use of after it takes us where we're going. We're also transporting supplies for a school in Haiti, so it's important."

"Well, where's everyone else?"

"Everyone else is flying commercial."

I eyed him suspiciously. When he said we were taking a surprise trip to the Winston Isles, I jumped at the chance. I'd never been. Bryna had been suggesting we all needed to go. She wanted me to meet Penny, which I was terrified about, because honestly, what did one say to a queen? But if she was cool like Jessa, we shouldn't have any problems.

Something was up though. Lucas had been cagey, so this impromptu team trip felt like something big. "Do you know something I don’t?"

East blinked at me. "Like what?"

"Like why we would suddenly all be going to the Winston Isles?"

He just grinned. "Don’t