Page 8 of Beautiful Betrayal
“And yet you went to him.”
“I took a job, and I’m certain you know more about why than maybe I did before—” I stop myself. “At the time, I admit I was angry at Grayson and hurt. I just needed a place to go.”
“You knew how he’d feel about you going to Ri.”
“Do you know how I felt about whathedid?” I hold up a hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not with Ri and I’m tired of being a token in a game between two powerful men.”
“You’re not a token,” Eric says. “You’re the woman Grayson loves and that hasn’t changed. You’re a weapon Ri is using against him.”
“I know that now,” I say. “That’s why I’m here. I’m not going to be a weapon against Grayson. Not now or ever.”
Grayson steps onto the porch and our eyes meet, the charge between us cracking. “I never intended to be a weapon against you, Grayson. Please believe that.”
Grayson lowers his lashes, the lines of his face hard and sharp. He’s struggling to maintain control, and he never struggles to maintain control, because of me. Because we both know I’m not completely innocent. I did leave him and go to his enemy. I did know that would upset him. I wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me.
“I regret it,” I breathe out, saying the words I should have said a long time ago, the words I’d rather say to him alone. “I regret going to him, Grayson.”
His lashes lift and I don’t find forgiveness or understanding. I find anger.
Chapter six
Mia
“Mia,” Davis says, stepping to Grayson’s side; he’s a tall man, in his late thirties, with dark brown hair and a beard to match. Today he’s left his famously expensive suits behind for jeans and a T-shirt. “It’s been a long time,” he says warmly when he’s rarely warm to anyone. “Toolong.”
I am stunned by how warm his greeting is and this tells me that Grayson never gave him reason to hate me. Grayson’s angry, yes. They know he’s angry, but my stomach twists with the idea that they’re sympathetic to me, that they know he’s guilty ofmuchwith me. Some part of me wants to believe he’s not. I’ve always wanted to believe that he’s not, perhaps because I had this fairytale idea of who and what we could be, what I thought we were. Maybe because my father loved my mother to the point of no return. He would have died for her. The man gave her part of his lung to try to save her life. And no, it’s not a fairytale in that she died, but their love was.
Nowmylashes lower, the pain of losing Grayson is acid in my throat. “Let’s sit,” Grayson says, motioning to the table, andwe all listen because he’s the one in charge, and not because this is his house. Because no matter how powerful the people in the room, Grayson owns the room itself, he’s in control and I’ve always found this incredibly alluring. What I didn’t do, was fear where that would lead me or what that power over me meant until he burned me. I cannot allow him to burn me again.
I walk to the table and sit down, noting the rain has now stopped, the only storm left is that between myself and Grayson. Eric sits to my right, Davis across from me, but there is only one person that consumes me. Grayson sits to my left and when we look at each other, no one else exists, a million unspoken words and so much anger between us.
Eric clears his throat. “I’ll update Davis. Grayson, Mia ran through the situation with me. To make a long story short, Mia was at the DA’s office for an interview.”
“An interview?” Davis asks. “Why the fuck would you interview with the DA?”
“Irrelevant,” Eric states. “She overheard a plan to take down Grayson.”
“Grayson doesn’t break the law,” Davis states. “This is ridiculous.”
“It’s a set-up,” I say. “I saw one of the detective’s cards on Ri’s desk. I think he’s behind it all and that means he’s doing what he has to in order to ensure Grayson looks guilty.”
Grayson looks at Eric. “Where are we weak enough to allow this to happen?”
“You have employees worldwide, Grayson,” he says. “Anyone could be paid off to plant false information, or to even go so far as to break the law. I told you. We should have dealt with Ri years ago.”
“He had Mia,” Grayson says. “I didn’t think he’d act beyond that, but obviously, that’s changed.”
“I know a guy at the DA’s office,” Davis says. “I’ll make a call. It’ll cost us, but he’ll get us what we need to know. If he confirms there’s a problem, we’re at war and we need a good criminal attorney advising us. I’m corporate and I’m good, but I want an expert.”
“I’m criminal law,” Grayson says. “I can handle it. I don’t want anyone involved that could leak this.”
“You haven’t actively practiced in years,” Eric argues. “And you’re too close to this personally. I agree with Davis. We’ll need an expert to help you insulate yourself.”
“I’m a criminal lawyer,” I say. “I’m actively practicing and I’m good at my job.”
“You’re too close to this,andto the enemy,” Davis says, his voice hard now.
“I haven’t lost a case,” I say, that topic hitting a nerve between Grayson and I that has me avoiding his stare. “And I haven’t resigned from Ri’s company. I can get close to him and—”