I sincerely hope that he didn't, because I've grown to like Oliver over these past couple of weeks. He always talks to me from across my desk and seems like a genuinely nice person.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts and scribble in some copy editing marks to my manuscript. I know I must look like hell from my lack of sleep, but at the moment, I really don't care.
My thoughts drift to James. I haven't spoken to him in a few days, I should call him at lunch. I hope he doesn't think I'm ignoring him, or something.
A piece of paper lands on my desk, startling me. I jump slightly and Dylan smirks from his desk as he leans back in his chair, clicking a pen rapidly.
I grimace at him and unfold the note.
Roof at lunch.
I furrow my brow. What? I scrawl below the words and toss it back to Dylan.
Dylan reads the note and rolls his eyes. He clicks his pen open and scribbles a response before throwing the paper back to me.
Meet me on the roof at lunch.
I crumple up the note and toss it in the trash. If it weren't for my damned curiosity, I wouldn't agree. But of course, even after Dylan has told me about Alec and his business, I'm still hungry for details. I hate being so nosy.
I try to focus on my work, but I can't. Dylan doesn't even try, he just plays with a glob of silly putty. I wrinkle my nose at him as he stretches it out again and again.
Finally, one o'clock arrives, and I stand to follow Dylan to the roof. He smiles at me as everyone files out of the office and into the break room for lunch.
"Roof?" I ask him when we're the only ones left in the office area.
"It's not raining today, so we should be fine," he says, as if that answers my question.
"Why can't we just go in the break room, like everyone else?"
"Because we need to talk about something."
His words send shivers down my spine and I nod faintly.
"Follow me, all right?" Dylan raises an eyebrow.
"I'm capable of following you, if that's what you're implying," I snap.
He smirks. "Yes, I know you are."
I frown at his reference to how I've followed him twice to events I shouldn't have, and I got caught both times.
I follow Dylan out of the office complex and into the elevator.
"Don't you dare push all the buttons," I say.
"Relax, Katherine," he says, rolling his eyes as he pushes the button for the fifteenth floor.
Memories of the time Dylan and I were stuck in this very elevator flood me. When we fought ruthlessly and insulted each other. It seems like such a long time ago, now that Dylan has told me part of the truth.
The elevator ride is silent and soon it dings and the doors open. Dylan strides out and I have to jog a bit to catch up with his fast pace.
"Would you wait up?" I huff.
"Nope," Dylan says, rounding the corner as he begins climbing another stairwell.
"Why are we even--"
"Quit complaining, Katie, before I push you off of this roof."
I grimace at his teasing and follow him to the top of the stairs.
When we reach the top, a smile tugs at my lips.
All around us is the Pearl District of Edinburgh, bustling in the afternoon sunshine. A small bench sits off to the side, overlooking the city. The navy blue waters of the Willamette River gleam in the distance.
"This is so nice," I say as I sit beside Dylan on the bench.
"I know," he says. "It's peaceful."
"Do you come up here a lot?" I ask him.
He shrugs. "Occasionally, when my life is particularly annoying." He looks at me from the corner of his eye. "So, I've been coming up here a lot since I met you."
"Hey!" I sock him in the arm playfully and he laughs. I roll my eyes at him. "I'm not annoying."
"Keep telling yourself that, Katie."
I roll my eyes again at the nickname he calls me and try to swallow the horrible memories rising at the name.
"Why did you bring me up here?" I ask him.
Dylan puts his hands on his knees. "I talked to Alec yesterday afternoon," he says quietly.
I stiffen. "Oh."
His jaw clenches. "Things aren't looking good."
"What do you mean?" My voice rises a few octaves.
"I mean, now that he caught you eavesdropping on that meeting...he knows you know something."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him that you didn't hear anything you shouldn't have, only information regarding yourself. He's not entirely convinced, but he's not coming after you yet so that's a good thing."
"He's going to come after me? What does he want from me? Is he going to kill me?" I sound hysterical.
"Katie, calm down." Dylan puts a hand on my thigh and fire erupts within me. "I'm going to keep talking to him, I'll convince him you don't know anything. Because you don't."
I almost open my mouth to remind him he told me everything, but he gives me a look and I close it. He removes his hand from my leg.
"You never told me what you do," I say. "With...with the organization."
Dylan leans back. "I manage funds, much like I do here at Crane," he says. "I divide the income into what Alec keeps and what goes on to other companies." He looks down at his lap.
"It's fraud, you know," I say.
"I know." He looks over at me, his brow furrowed. "I'm not exactly proud of it, Katie, just so you know."
"Then why do you do it?"
Dylan runs his tongue over his teeth. "Why do I do it?" He laughs dryly. "It's a very long story, Katie, and I'm not prepared to tell it. Besides, lunch is over in fifteen minutes."
Something suddenly dawns on me. "That time that you caught me going through your file," I say, turning to Dylan. "You didn't turn me in because you've been breaking the law yourself, and--"
"I wouldn't want anyone to turn me in." Dylan grimaces.
"Why don't you just stop?" I ask, my voice lowering to a whisper.
"I can't." He looks out at the city. "Alec won't have it. I know all his secrets, and he doesn't exactly trust me anymore since...well, since you."
"So there's no way for you to escape?"
Dylan looks at me, his eyes boring into mine. "There is one."
Chapter Thirty Six
I look at Dylan with confusion. "What?"
Dylan crosses his arms over his chest. "In the organization, I work closest with Oliver, William, Ethan, and George. It's been two years now, and there has been more than one time that we've though of..." Dylan clears his throat. "That we've thought of rebellion."
I blink. "Rebellion?"
"If we can turn on Alec, he might back down and let us go without a trace. We won't turn him in if he won't turn us in." Dylan sighs. "But there's always one idiot that doesn't like the idea."
"Who?"
"Leigh-Anne." Dylan rolls his eyes.
I look at my lap. "Why did you become involved with these people?" I ask.
Dylan tenses. "I was at a shitty time in my life," he says. "And I had no choice."
My phone suddenly goes off, startling us both.
I bring the phone to my ear and answer. "Hello?"
"Katie! Katie, Katie, Katherine," James slurs on the other line.
"James, are you drunk?" I ask, furrowing my brow.
"No, no I'm nooot," he says and then bursts into laughter.
"You told me you were at work."
"I always tell you I'm at work."
Ouch.
"So you've been lying to me?" I raise my voice and Dylan looks at me confusedly.
"No, you've just been gullible," he says and I hang up, anger coursing through me.
My skin is hot with rage as I take calming breaths that really don't do much to calm me. All this time, he's been lying.
"Douche."
I look over at Dylan. For a moment, I had forgotten he was there. His short statement broke my angry train of thought and I don't think I've ever been so grateful that
Dylan was next to me.
He pulls something out of his pocket and I almost laugh and cry at the same time when I find that it's a Snickers bar.
"Do you carry those everywhere?" I ask.
"Pretty much," he says, opening it and breaking off half for me. "They keep my stress levels down." He looks at me. "Unlike you."
I roll my eyes at him, stifling a laugh.
We eat our chocolate in silence, looking out at the city.
"What are you going to do?" Dylan asks me.
I shrug. "I'm going to need to talk to him, that's for sure." I frown.
Dylan looks at me for a moment longer before looking down and rising from the bench. "Lunch break's over in five," he says.
I nod and stand, following him down the stairs and back into the elevator. This is one of the only times Dylan and I have had a civilized conversation--well, maybe the topic wasn't so civil, but at least we weren't insulting each other.
I'm dying to know why Dylan began working for Alec, but I can't pry. I've pried so much already, and I know if I try to dig deeper now, Dylan will only get mad. I don't blame him.
We walk back into our office complex, and I sit down at my desk. I notice I have a voicemail on my machine and pick up the phone.
I'm surprised to find it's from my mother.
"Hi, Katie. I'm just checking up on you, and I have something to ask you, so call me back. Bye."
I dial her number quickly and lean back in my chair.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mom. It's Katie. I got your call."
"Oh, hi! How are you, Katie?"
"Fine," I say. "You?"
"All right, I suppose. Anyway, your...your father and I were wondering if you wanted to come up to London this weekend to visit."
"Oh." I pause. "Is...um. Is Courtney going to be there?"
"Yes...Courtney will be here."
"Mom, I don't--"
"Please, Katie. I know it's difficult, but your father and I would really like for you to come down, and your sister--"
"Doesn't give a shit about me," I finish for her. I feel Dylan's eyes on my from his desk.
"You know that's not true, Katie," my mother says. "She loves you--"
"She hates me, everyone knows. Enough with the pretending."
My mother sighs. "Fine. If you don't want to come up just because your sister will be here, then fine."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "All right," I say. "Fine."
I can practically hear my mother's smirk. "Wonderful. We'll see you this weekend. Love you."
The line goes dead.
I hang up and put my head in my hands. Why on Earth did I agree to that?
How am I going to face my sister? I haven't seen her since...well, since the incident.
I feel like a thousand tons of dread has descended upon my shoulders.
"Katie."
I look up and lock eyes with Dylan.
His eyes are filled with concern, something I rarely see in him. I wave him off and look back down at the polished wood of my desk. I don't feel like dealing with anyone when it comes to my family.
Four o'clock comes around and I gather my things to leave.
"Katie." I look up to see Mr. Morris leaning against the doorframe of his office. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"
I nod and walk up to him. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, not at all," he says. "I just noticed that you seemed a little distracted today. Is everything all right?"
I nod quickly. "Yeah, just fine. I'm sorry, I just haven't had much sleep."
"Of course. I'm no stranger to insomnia myself. I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong." He gives me a friendly smile.
"Thank you," I say. I'm glad Mr. Morris is such a kind and compassionate boss.
"See you tomorrow," he says with a smile before turning and reentering his office.
I make my way out of the complex and out into the parking lot, my coat draped over my arm. My hair falls in its usual waves, but I know they're slightly disheveled from my fingers running through them again and again.
I fumble for my keys in my bag and almost scream when I look up to see Dylan leaning against my car.
"Jesus, don't do that," I say, pressing my palm to my chest as Dylan smiles.
"Sorry," he says and I look back into my bag, continuing to look for my keys. He tilts his head to the side. "Are you okay?" He asks.
The question is so out of character for Dylan that I almost do a double take. "Uh, yeah," I say. "Yeah."
"Who called you?"
It's such a switch for Dylan to be asking the questions and me to be guarded about them. "What does it matter?" I say exasperatedly.
Dylan raises an eyebrow. "Look, it was just a question, Katherine," he says defensively.
"Well, you shouldn't care," I snap.
"What's going on with you?" He asks.
"What's going on with you?" I rebut.
Dylan narrows his eyes at me before turning on his heel and stalking off to his car across the lot.
Chapter Thirty Seven
I toss my things onto the couch as I shut my apartment door behind me, letting out a sigh. Why was I such a bitch to Dylan? He was just seeing if I was all right. I shouldn't have been so rude.
Seconds after I pull my hair into a ponytail and decide on taking a hot shower to calm myself, there's a knock at my door.
I almost scream in annoyance when I answer it to James. His hair his neatly styled and his eyes aren't bloodshot at all--strange, for someone who drunk dialed me barely three hours ago.
"Hi, Kate, did I leave a phone charger here?"
I refrain from slapping him.
"A phone charger? No proper greeting, no nothing, just 'did I leave a phone charger?'" I ask in disbelief.
He looks at me confusedly. "Kate, what--"
"Shut up, for five seconds!" I shout at him, turning on my heel and stalking into my apartment. He follows, shutting the door behind him.
He Looked Back Page 17
