Deadly Promises by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, Laura Griffin, Cindy Gerard Page A

other and keep pace with Vinny’s long stride toward the exit. Anger boiled off him like an invisible steam. She understood. More than being angry about the mess she was in, Vinny felt as though he’d failed her. He’d been all business the minute he walked into the interrogation room. She’d had to admit he was damn good at what he did.
    She’d just never expected to need his services.
    Vinny stepped ahead of her and opened the glass doors. She followed him into a gloomy overcast day that matched her mood.
    Ten paces down the walkway she heard, “CeCe, wait up.”
    Vinny stiffened next to her, but she’d made a decision last night to stop letting everyone tell her how to live. Her family was going to have to accept her decisions, just as Jeremy would have to.
    And she had to take responsibility for anything she did.
    CeCe put a hand on Vinny’s arm. “I need to talk to him.” She turned around to find Jeremy closing in on her. She’d expected anger, but the disappointment ringing his gaze struck her harder than anger ever could have.
    A strong breeze lifted the hem of her jacket, which she smoothed back in place. She’d run home and changed to a conservative pants suit before leaving with the FBI agents. Squaring her shoulders, she walked away from Vinny to meet Jeremy halfway.
    “We need to talk,” Jeremy started.
    “No, I need to go pack up my house and move.” She stood her ground, struggling not to give credit to the pain in his eyes. She’d changed her mind about asking Jeremy anything after walking out of the interrogation room. There was nothing he could say that would magically fix all this. Instead, she pointed out, “I asked you about your past.”
    Jeremy shook his head and released a snort of disbelief. “You’re condemning me for having a record when you’re a member of the DeMitri family?”
    At that barked reply, Vinny pounded up next to CeCe who glared at him. “As her attorney, I’m advising her not to talk to you.”
    “As her attorney or her brother?” Jeremy snapped right back, anger boosting his sarcastic tone.
    Before she could speak, Vinny added in a low and controlled voice, “As her brother, I’m advising you to walk away and never speak to her again if you like the way your face looks.”
    “Bring it on.”
    Vinny’s chest expanded with a breath of fury. “Back down, asshole.”
    “I’ll back down if and when CeCe tells me to. Not for you or a hundred brothers just like you.”
    CeCe realized in that moment that Jeremy would not let anything or anyone stop him from getting to her when he was determined. That was the man she wanted. How could she love him so much when the same heart felt like it was tearing down the middle?
    “Vinny, give me a minute, would you?” she asked. Wind batted loose hair around her face. She swiped a handful behind her ear and waited for her brother to move back, then she swung around to Jeremy. Before she could vent, Jeremy got in the first shot.
    “You said you were all about honesty, but you didn’t say a word about being part of the DeMitri organization.”
    CeCe jerked back at the accusation in his voice. “I’m not part of the organization. My mother married into the DeMitri family and I’m not going to apologize for that because they’ve always loved me like a sister and daughter. They understood when I moved here that it wasn’t because I didn’t love them. I just didn’t love what they did. As for honesty, you didn’t tell me you had an adult record and I asked you point blank.”
    “I told you—”
    “—about a boosting conviction as a teenager.” She fisted her hands at her hips. “Do you or do you not have a string of convictions that you’ve spent time in prison for?”
    Jeremy locked his jaw shut to keep from trying to explain. He couldn’t tell her how he’d amassed a criminal track record just for BAD or that since signing on with the agency he hadn’t gotten a traffic ticket unless BAD had orchestrated