The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 517

"I was just asking."

But Callahan wasn't easily fooled. Knowing Leilani, she never asked questions without a clear intent. If she was bringing it up, she had already decided to go.

"Is this where your next 'business trip' is taking you? What kind of patient could possibly be worth risking your life in a warzone?"

Callahan's voice was distinctly frigid now.

Leilani remained silent. There was simply no way to drag Paulina and Payton's messy history into the light and lay it bare for him. "I have a reason. I have to go."

The tension in the confined space crackled, threatening to detonate into a full-blown argument.

Callahan sharply turned the steering wheel, pulling the car smoothly to a stop by the side of the road. He turned in his seat, his gaze piercing as he stared her down. "I don't understand. What kind of reason is so secretive that you can't even tell me?"

The first time, the second time—Callahan had let her evasiveness slide. He knew her past was complicated, and he understood that trust took time to build in a new relationship. But if they were going to move to the next level, her constant deflections were bound to hit a nerve.

They sat in heavy silence, locking eyes for what felt like an eternity.

Leilani met his intense stare, fully understanding his frustration. She was willing to share almost anything else with him, but the tangled web of Paulina and Payton was something she couldn't even begin to untangle aloud.

When she still refused to speak, Callahan took a deep breath. A rare spark of genuine anger ignited in his eyes. His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white. He finally tore his gaze away, staring blankly out the windshield. "Leilani, you know I can easily find out on my own."

With his vast resources, Callahan could uncover her secrets in a heartbeat. However, as her partner, he had consciously chosen to respect her boundaries and stay out of her private affairs. But if she pushed him into a corner, he wouldn't hesitate to pull those strings.

Hearing his thinly veiled threat, Leilani surprisingly didn't get angry. Instead, a rare, soft laugh escaped her lips.

"You won't." She stated it with calm confidence.

"I know you'll respect my decisions. Won't you?" she asked softly.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify