Faking it with Damian Black by Louise Jane

Chapter 45

-DAMIAN-

Choosing a location for this meeting with Sonja was tricky. The winning nominee

was a local coffee shop ten minutes’ walk away from Uni, two corners away from

the bus station, and in front of the subway. It was the busiest one we could find.

Sending Sonja the wrong idea was the last thing I needed, but from how quickly

she responded to my text message, she clearly assumed this was more than a

business meeting.

I sat at a table outside the shop, a big white umbrella sheltering the table from

the heat of the afternoon sun.

Heads turned as Sonja sl*pped out of her rental car. She stood out in the crowd

in her tiny red dress, owning the streets like her personal runway. Her eyes lit

up when she saw me, fiashing her signature smile.

That smile caught my attention back in college. That smile trappedin her

claws the second taround. It used to make my heart beat faster. It used to

put my world in slow motion.

Under the cacophony of the busy cafe, pedestrians on the walkway, and cars

passing through the street, I listened for an irregular bump in my chest. I

frowned. Even when Sonja stood before me, leaning down to k*sson the

cheek, I felt nothing apart from the urge to put a mile distance between us.

“Damian,” she purred, batting her long fake lashes. I put a hand between us, her

l*ps landing on my palm. Grimacing, she glared at me, l*ps pursing as she

straightened up. With a huff, she stomped to the chair across from me, sinking

her bratty

as s on the seat

She plucked the laminated menu on the table! browsing through the list. “I

knew you couldn’t stay away fromthat long she leaned forward, setting the

menu down, “but this place is a bit loud, don’t you think? Do you want to go

somewhere.” She searched for words. I’ve seen this trick a thousand times. I bit

the insides of my cheeks and let it play. She reached over the glass table,

tracing my knuckles with her red fake fingernails. “Less loud and crowded?”

I sneered at her, pulled my hand from her reach, and got down to business. I

took pleasure in watching the emotion supersede Sonja’s perfect poker face

when I slapped one of the photographs from Mon’s file on the table. It was the

picture of Sonja and Rat the playground, the one taken the day she

surprisedat Lo lita’s.

Glowering at me, she looked down at the picture, confused. “What?”

“Stop playing games with me, Sonja.” I scoffed, leaning back in my seat. “How

could you stoop this low? Hurting Millicent? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“W..what?” she stuttered, glaring at the server who cto our table.

The server opened her mouth and closed it again, spinning on her heels.

Sonja stared at the picture as if it was the first tshe had seen it. “I don’t

know what you’re talking about.”

“Cut the bul ls hit,” I spat. “Are you this desperate?”

Her confusion morphed into anger, her nails digging through the photo paper as

she crumpled it. “Whatever sh it you are talking about, I had nothing to do with

it. I don’t even know what this picture was about!”

The college students at the table next to ours stopped chatting, their prying

eyes pointed in our direction.

Belching fire through her nose, she stared into my eyes. She was so mad, her

nose fiaring; it would’ve made the tabloid headlines if there were pap ara zzi

nearby. I wanted to laugh at how easily she lost her composure in front of me.

Pushing her buttons used to turnon, and I was an expert at it. Now I feel

nothing. It’s like Sonja had suddenly lost her appeal to me.

She used to be my world. Now she’s just an eyesore I want to remove from my

sight, from my life.

Keeping my face passive, I searched her face for lies and deceit. I’ve experienced

the downside of failing to judge her character and have no plans to becher

pawn again. Surprisingly, I saw nothing but genuine confusion lingering beneath

her annoyance.

O

Chapter 45

Is she telling the truth?

No. This is Sonja we’re talking about. She would say anything to save herself, to

get anyone to believe her lies.

She pushed off from the chair, the metal chair gritting against the cemented

fioor. “I don’t know what games you’re playing. Damian.” Her ch*st heaved,

hands balling above the table as she leaned closer. She looked like a cobra

ready to strike. “I don’t get you. You kept sendingfiowers and letters; that’s

why I am here in Roslin City, and now you’re accusingof something I don’t

even understand.”

My eyebrows knitted together. “What are you talking about?”

Gaze sharpening, she glared atthrough the tip of her nose. “You’re the one

who’s playing games here, Damian. Those fiowers, white calla lilies, and the

sweet emails I’ve been receiving. You’re the only one who knows about those

things!” She raised her hands in the air. “I thought you were finally ready to fix

us, and I am here to help you figure things out. That it’s reallyyou want and

not that st upid blond!”

“Hold on.” I raised my hand, gesturing for her to sit down.

She mulled over her next move, her mind gears shifting loudly. Grunting, she

slumped in her seat, tossing one leg over the Mother.

“Back up to the fiowers and letters. Do they have my signature, or did it come

from my email account?” I continued..

She looked thoughtful for a beat, chewing her bottom l*p. “The fiowers didn’t

have a return address, but they were delivered to my apartment, the one we

shared. I bought that apartment for us. D. you know that” Her eyes softened, a

memory crossing her mind. “I hadn’t taken anyone there apart from you

I know that, but that isn’t the issue right now. “And the emails?”

She took out her phone, handing it over. The emails cfrom

s&[email protected]. And to back up her statement, she started receiving

emails a month ago. It was nothing but simple messages of I miss you: I miss us:

I miss our ttogether, and tons of I love you.

“Didn’t it ever occur to you that this could be an admirer trying to win your

attention?” To Sonja’s credit, she was good at her job. She had a good following

online. A lot of them were young girls dreaming of being in her shoes. This

wouldn’t be the

first tsdiehard fan of hers tried to do this kind of stunt.

“Why can’t you just admit it was you?” She scowled. “I would take you back in a

heartbeat, D. Just say the word, and I would leave Silvefor good.”

I slid back her phone. “That wasn’t me, Sonja. I ended things between us for a

reason, and I don’t have any plans of gett back with you.

I am trying to be positive here that this was a diehard fan of hers trying to win

her attention. Still, after all that happened with Millicent, I fear that someone

wanted Sonja to be here in Roslin City, doing what she’s doing right now, and

she’s playing that role perfectly.

Hurt fiooded Sonja’s face. Without another word, she dumped her phone back

in her purse, rising from her seat. I followed suit, sna tching her arm before she

could walk away, pulling her closer. “Sonja… You have to leave this city now.”

She searched my face, glowering. “Don’t tellwhat to do.” She pulled free

from my hold, strutting away with her head held high

In the car, Dantry waited forwith a frown, starting the vehicle as soon as I

secured my seatbelt. He heard every detail of my conversation with Sonja.

Remember when I said I wasn’t taking a chance with Millicent’s safety? I’m glad I

didn’t.

“You think it’s the detective?” Danny asked, driving out of the parking lot.

“Could be,” I said, pulling Sonja’s phone from my jeans Trace that email, and

we’ll have the answer”