All Chapters of Our Dirty Little Secret : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

71 Chapters

Chapter Sixty one

RyderI shoved the office door shut behind me the next morning and went straight for the side drawer. My fingers were steadier than I felt as I unlocked it, the code something only my mother and I could know.It’s where I hid everything I needed to hide from my father, almost in plain sight.I pulled out the diary and began flipping through the pages, scanning for the name I needed. My shoulders stayed tight, the muscles across my back pulled hard as I turned each page. Suddenly , the door clicked open and Mellisa swept in without knocking.Like she owned the place.I ground my teeth in annoyance and quickly closed the diary, pushing it to the end of the table. “Ryder darling , here you are!” Mellisa sang, coming to sit at the edge of my desk.Her strong perfume wrinkled my nose but I forced myself to look at her. She’s to become my bride soon after all. I kept my face still, jaw locked, even as my fingers curled against my thigh under the desk.“The photographer wants us for coupl

Chapter Sixty two

“Hundred grand,” I proposed, sliding the offer across the tense space between us. “Half up front. Get the rest when the mole’s name is in my hands. Then we proceed to the other business.” Steve’s jaw twitched, eyes narrowing as he stared me down.“Sure.”I moved to the car, popped the trunk, and yanked out the thick envelope. I tossed it to him and he caught it mid-air, tore the flap open with a quick rip, and started flipping through the stacks of hundreds. His thumb rifled the edges, the cash flipping under his fingers.“I’m in.” He shoved the envelope inside his jacket and turned, boots scraping as he started walking away.“47 Willow Lane,” I called after him. “Nice little place. That’s where your wife keeps the kids on weekends, right?”He stopped dead, shoulders bunching tight, and turned back to me.“Familiar right?”He shook his head, mouth opening then closing without a sound, shoulders rigid, but he kept his face neutral. “12 Cedar Drive or unit 214 off Route 9?” I tilted m

Chapter Sixty two

DallasI sat at the extreme end of the bus, my mind tangled in the aftermath of the incident. I arrived at work thirty minutes before my shift, steps slowing as I reached the back door. The bouncer offered a small smile. I returned it and slipped inside, heading straight for the staff changing room. Everything looked normal, but my hands still shook as I tied my apron strings.“Hey, love,” Lila cooed, dropping her bag on the counter. “Ready to make some moneyyy?” She drawled the words, dancing around as she peeled off her clothes and wriggled into her strip bodysuit. “I got the afternoon private section.”I smiled through her energy, already bracing for the gossip about how pissed Lena was, but nothing. The heaviness in my chest eased a little. I had half-expected everything to explode into something worse by now.“Dallas.” A familiar voice cut through the chatter. My chest tightened as I turned and saw Lena. “Please see me in my office. Now.”I froze. The smile I had managed to conju

Chapter Sixty Three

RyderI was in the middle of addressing the team when the buzzing of my phone disrupted me. I excused myself mid-sentence, reached for the phone, and Bruce’s name flashed across the screen. I dropped it back on the table and continued the meeting, jaw tight. “Where was I? Right- we can’t afford to slip on this.”But it kept going. One vibration after another, slicing through every other sentence. My fingers flexed on the table edge. I could feel the team shifting in their seats, eyes darting between me and the phone.I Finally, I stopped. “Let’s adjourn this conversation until we get the full picture of the project.”They nodded and filed out quietly, the door clicking shut behind the last person. I picked up the phone, thumb hovering for a second before I answered, shoulders already knotted.“What is it, Bruce?”“I need you to handle something tonight.” “I have my own things to deal with,” I snarled, shoving back from the table and pacing toward the window.“I’m not asking.” He

Chapter Sixty four

I sat there, staring at the blank screen while the warning sank into my bones. Wondering why the Italian man who I suspect was sent by my father is trying to save me. What does he mean by it’s a trap? My fist clenched the steering tight as I took a deep breath to make space for the rising rage in me. I slammed the car and speed off to Bruce’s, that job won’t be done until I figured out what the entire thing is all about. I’m not endangering my life for him.The security in his villa eyed me with shiv as I drove roughly into the parking lot, slamming the door in my wake.I found him in his office on a call, sipping whiskey while talking to one of his whores.The second he saw me, he dropped the call but there was no hint of surprise on his face.“Where’s the file I asked you to get, boy?” He demanded instantly, his eyes hovering over my empty hands.The words people called me flashed through my mind. Bruce’s errand boy. Not his son, not the heir to this dark empire, his lapdog,

Chapter Sixty five

The rage boiling inside of me made me want to choke the life out of him right now. I wanted to wrap my hands around that arrogant throat and squeeze until his smug composure shattered into nothing. My fingers twitched with the urge, curling and uncurling at my sides as my nails bit deep into my palms, drawing sharp pinpricks of pain that barely cut through the fury. Jaw aching, I forced a breath through my nose.My mom’s pale face flashed in my head, the pain of still not having gotten her away from this man clawed at my ribs. Bile rose sharp in my throat, and my vision tunneled for a second.Bruce leaned back in his chair, face twisted in that infuriating mix of amusement and disdain, completely at ease. His hand reached casually for his phone on the desk, like I wasn’t standing there vibrating with the need to rip him apart.But I knew I couldn’t do anything. He had me on his chokehold. If I wanted to see my mom again-if I even wanted her alive-I would continue to dance to his beat.

Chapter Sixty Six

My boots sank into the soft soil with every careful step, heart slamming against my ribs. I was already rethinking this. Fighting Bruce would’ve been easy compared to here. At least with him I knew what I was up against. This… this felt like suicide in slow motion.Moonlight barely sliced through the thick canopy overhead, painting everything in washed-out grays and blacks. Nike moved like a shadow beside me while the rest of the team fanned out ahead, silent as death.“Shift change in thirty seconds,” Izzy’s voice crackled low in my earpiece. “CCTV loop is holding. Move, Now!.”I clicked my comms twice in acknowledgment. Up ahead, muffled pops cut through the night as suppressed shots dropped the outer patrols. One of our guys dragged a limp body into the underbrush, the wet gurgle fading fast. Another team member killed the lights on a section of the fence line, plunging that stretch of the perimeter into deeper dark.We slipped onto the premises, melting into position. Nike and I

Chapter Sixty Seven

I jolted awake as ice-cold water slammed into me, gasping and choking while it soaked every inch of my bare skin. The sharp, tangy taste of blood flooded my mouth, and my head throbbed so violently the room spun.I shivered hard, trying to move, but thick cuffs bit deep into my wrists behind the back of a metal chair, locking me in place.Before I could catch my breath or even take in my surroundings, the blows started raining down.A heavy fist crashed into my jaw, snapping my head sharply to the side. I groaned deep in my throat as white-hot pain exploded across my face and stars burst behind my eyes. Almost instantly a boot drove viciously into my ribs, the sickening crunch of bone sending fresh fire lancing through my chest. I gasped sharply, the impact forcing a wet, choking cough from my lungs as blood sprayed across my lips.The pain blurred everything together. I curled inward on instinct, grunting and snarling with each new strike. Blood dripped into my eyes, blurring everyth

Chapter Sixty Nine

DallasSadness crashed over me the moment Ryder walked out of the ceremony. A twisted, selfish spark inside me flickered with dark satisfaction that still cared enough for my actions to hit him so deeply. But that small victory did nothing to loosen the heavy, suffocating ache that had taken root in my chest. It only made everything hurt worse.I gently peeled Ryan’s hand from my waist, murmuring something about needing air. My shoulders slumped under an invisible weight. My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides as the memory of the pain flashing in Ryder’s eyes and the tight set of his jaw replayed relentlessly. I could not even tell anymore if the crushing sadness came from Allie’s smiling photos displayed in every corner of the house, or from the fact that I had forced myself to bury my grief for her just to provoke that reaction from him.I drifted toward the decorated table crowded with her frames. Her bright, familiar eyes stared back at me, full of the life I had stolen

Chapter seventy

Ryan stood by the corner of the living room, a bouquet of red roses mixed with white lilies gripped loosely in one hand. He wore plain dark brown trousers that hung straight on his lean hips and a sky blue button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off the corded muscle in his forearms.“Hey…” I mumbled, forcing a weak smile as I closed the door behind me. “Did you call?”I fumbled for my phone, quickly checking the screen. Hazel leaned against her bedroom doorway, watching quietly.“Yeah, but it’s fine.” He nodded, still smiling softly.He stepped closer and held out the bouquet of red roses mixed with white lilies. “I thought this could brighten your mood after yesterday.”“Aww,” I stretched up on my toes and breathed in their sweet scent. “That’s really thoughtful of you.”His eyes softened as he watched me. He rubbed the back of his neck, almost like he was a little embarrassed about the gesture. “Yesterday was rough on you.”I smiled, genuinely this time, but st

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