Free Cash Money (Bad Money #4) by Ali Parker Page B

away, Kate. Anything you want to know. I don't want anything between us. No secrets, no lies, no untapped spaces."
    "Okay," she whispered softly as her fingers dug into his back.
    "What happened today? Tell me." He brushed his nose by hers and kissed her once more before moving back and getting his shoes on.
    "Billy wants me to go to New York for him, and Marcus is in Chicago interviewing for a position with another syndicate, or so I assume. He lied about it, so I have no clue what he's really up to." She pressed her fingers to her eyes. "The Billy stuff is silly and not something I'm concerned with, though maybe I should be."
    "The thing with Marcus is tearing you up?" Jon moved back to hold her, hating that Marcus or any other man had so much power over her. She was his, and only he should be able to have such an emotional hold on her.
    "Yes." She pushed back and turned, walking into the living room. "I keep trying to figure out how this is going to work out, Jon. I love you both. I need you both, but that's selfish and it’ll never work."
    "I agree." He grabbed his jacket and his keys before offering her his hand. "But, for now, neither of us is asking you to choose. One day we will, but that's not today."
    She nodded, not responding, but he was almost grateful for her silence. The last time he'd questioned her on who she would run to, it was Marcus.
    Hopefully things were changing, but something told him that he was living in a dream that would soon beckon him to wake up.
    And when he did? She would be gone.
     
    *
     
    "Where did you get all of this money?" Kate turned and looked over her shoulder as she stepped away from the large safety deposit box.
    "I stole it from Benton. Once I made the decision to get out of the syndicate, I knew I would need backup, and the best plan for a man on the run is usually cash." Jon chuckled and rubbed his fingers over his chin. "I owe Billy a debt of gratitude for taking out the old bastard. He would have killed me if given the chance."
    "Billy or Benton?" Kate closed the box and turned to face him.
    "Benton." Jon tilted his head to the side, testing the beautiful woman before him. She'd killed Benton, not Billy. Now was the time to see if she were willing to open up a little and start letting him in.
    Her teeth pressed into her bottom lip as she studied his face. "I killed him. He's the only person I killed before Victor, and I regret it every day."
    "Really? Plot twist?" He smirked and walked toward her. "Mike already told me."
    She popped his chest. "Why the fuck did you just act like you thought it was Billy?"
    "Because, Kate, you're reserved around me. I know you and Marcus go way the hell back, but I don’t know hardly anything about you. I trust you as far as I can throw you, which obviously is how you feel about me too." He motioned toward the safety deposit box. "What were you expecting to find?"
    "Evidence that you're pulling the strings behind all of this." She pressed her hands to his chest. "Are you?"
    "No. I'm a cop looking for a future, a family and someone to love." He touched her cheek. "I want you to be that woman so fucking bad, but I'm not sure that's what you want at all."
    She nodded. "I'm not sure what I want either. It's not as easy as you think to turn away from everything you know and walk away, Jon."
    "I actually do know that path quite well." He pressed himself against her, trapping her between his thick frame and the table behind her. "It's hard as hell, but it helps to have someone walking beside you who knows the way out. That's me, baby."
    "Let's go." She lifted to her toes and kissed him softly, ignoring his comment.
    "Did you find what you were looking for?" He kissed her once more before stepping back and taking her hand.
    "Yes. Thank you for letting me snoop." They walked out and Kate moved to the door, crossing her arms over her chest as Jon wrapped things up with the bank manager who was assisting them.
    "Let's grab something for dinner. You want