EverWorld (Book 3 of the Down World Series)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Out," I said as decisively as possible.

I could see the look of anticipation on Jin's face fade for just a moment before he perked back up again with a new thought. "Look, I know it sounds too good to be true," he said as he stepped even closer to me in the living room. His hand reached out towards me, as though to pull me into some proximity now that he realized we were being watched by others in the room.

I flinched involuntarily, my mind suddenly flooding with images of my own dead body, sprawled on my bed—our bed, Jin's and mine—in some dark fate that was apparently awaiting us.

Marina O'Connell was murdered in her sleep by her estranged husband and partner, Jin-soon Cheong.

"Don't touch me," I breathed out as my feet stumbled away from him.

That was apparently all Kieren needed to hear to be sure of what he suspected: this man who had walked into our house was not somebody I wanted here.

Before I knew it, Kieren was standing behind me, his broad chest radiating warmth into my back. "What do you need, man?" he said from above me, as though his voice were coming from some invisible appendage attached to my head.

Jin's eyes flitted up to Kieren and then back down to me. A look of disappointment came over his face, but he collected himself quickly. "Hey, it's cool," he said to Kieren, picking up his hands to show his palms. "We're just talking, man. I didn't know she was with somebody."

Instead of answering, Kieren placed a possessive hand around my upper arm.

Jin kept his eyes fixed on mine, steadfastly ignoring the enormous blond man lingering above our conversation. "Hey," he said quietly, "it's okay. I get it. But, listen, this is just a business proposition. Honestly. The guy asked for you by name. I really think we could make a lot of mon—"

"No," I said, finding my voice finally. I gently wrapped my hand around Kieren's and removed it from my arm. I needed to be assertive in this moment, and being held like a child wasn't helping me do that. I stepped away from Kieren and waved for Jin to follow me back to the front door.

I couldn't help but notice a small, glinting flash of a smile cross Jin's face as he and I walked away from Kieren, who knew me well enough not to follow us.

Once we made it to the front door, I whispered so only Jin could hear me. "I'm sorry," I began. "But Alexei Pavlovavich is not who he says he is. It—it just wouldn't work out, okay?"

"Oh, no, it's fine," Jin said, smiling at me and leaning so close that for a second I was afraid he might try to kiss me. "I looked him up. He's totally legit. I wouldn't be bringing it to you otherwise."

I shook my head, trying to figure out how to warn him without revealing too much.

"Hey," he said, and his finger found the bottom of my chin, lifting it up to meet his face so he could look me in the eye. His face exuded warmth, radiating off his handsome chin and his perfect teeth. And for just a moment, I could see an entire possible timeline flashing across my mind:

In some reality, he and I did work on this project together. Late nights in the lab.

That warm smile. Those straight teeth.

Did we get married in a big hotel?

Or on a cliffside, overlooking the sea?

Did we talk about children?

Did I love him?

Did he love me back?

Was it greed that drove him to strangle me in our bed that night? Or madness?