He looked absolutely stunned. “I did nothing of the kind,” he ground out, holding her stare. “Nor would I. Ever.” Fists clenched, chest heaving, she eyed him warily. A denial was the last thing she had expected from a man too powerful to care about her objections to his criminal dealings. Indeed, what she half expected from him was a backhand across the face like O’Banyon had given her, but she would not bow her head. By God, she would not. If the brute was going to strike her, let him look her in the eyes. She held her chin high while he searched her face. “Is that why you threatened to kill yourself, why you ran away?” he demanded. She kept her mouth shut, suddenly not sure what to believe. “Tell me what happened,” he ordered. “If what you claim is true—” “If?” she cut him off in outrage.
