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. “Too long.”

I am stunned by how warm his greeting is and this tells me that Grayson never gave him reason to hate me. He’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 of much with 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.

Now my lashes lower, the pain of losing Grayson is acid in my throat. “Let’s sit,” Grayson says, motioning to the table, and we 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 is 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 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 in here.”

“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, and to 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—”

Grayson gives a bitter laugh. “That’s priceless, Mia. Really fucking priceless. You left me to fuck him and now you want to fuck him for me? Or fuck him because you aren’t fucking me anymore.” He stands up and without a word, walks into the house.

My emotions quake inside me and I can feel my hands shaking when I never shake, but this is Grayson. This is the man I still love and never stopped loving. I look between the two men he trusts the most. “I’m not with Ri. I have never been with Ri. I swear to you both.”

“He’s the one who needs to hear it,” Eric says. “Not us.”

He’s right.

I stand up and follow Grayson, shutting the sliding glass door as I enter the living room.

I find him behind the island, his hand on the counter, head dipped low, my regret I’d declared gnawing at me. I’m not a person that lashes back. I really didn’t lash back the way he thinks I lashed back, and for reasons he might not deserve, I really need him to know the truth. I don’t leave the island between us. I round the counter and I stand beside him, facing the counter, not him.

“I’ve never been with Ri. I know you think I was, but I haven’t been. He’s tried for years. Recently I was lonely. I was really lonely, Grayson. I saw a picture of you with a woman and I realized that you’d moved on and I hadn’t.”

“I didn’t fucking move on, Mia,” he says turning to face me. “I was trying to survive you fucking my enemy.”

I whirl around to face him as well. “I didn’t, though. I didn’t fuck Ri.” My voice lifts as I add, “Ever. After seeing you with her, I finally agreed to go out with him. I tried to do what you think I already did and I had to drink wine, lots of wine, to try and actually make it happen. I mean, why wouldn’t I? You and I—and you were—” I stop myself. “It doesn’t matter why. I had too much wine. I fell asleep on his couch and even after seeing you with that woman, I dreamed about you, and us, and I called out your name.”

“You did what?”

“I called out your name and since I was dreaming about the funeral, after the funeral, actually, the last time we were together, it wasn’t in anger, but passion.”

He’s still, so very still, before he says, “And what did he do?”

“He was furious and then he grabbed me and tried to force himself on me. He told me he’d make me forget you.”

Grayson’s hands come down on my arms and he pulls me to him. “Did he force himself on you? Because if he did, I’ll kill him.”

He speaks those words with such guttural anger that I believe him. My hand settles on his chest, his heart racing beneath my palm. “I gave him a knee so damn hard, I doubt he walked right for a week.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good enough punishment.”

“He didn’t touch me again. He got the point. Grayson, I should never have gone to him at all. He wanted what was yours and I knew that and even though he couldn’t have me, at least, to him, you thought he did. Now, I left him and he’s lashing out. I did this. I did this to you and I’m so sorry. You have to let me help. I don’t want to go near that man, but I need you to understand that I’ll do it for you.”

He tangles his fingers into my hair. “Going back to him is like sticking another knife in my heart, Mia. You will not go back to him. Do you understand me?”

“If it protects you, I will.”

“You will not. That’s not up for debate.”

“You don’t get to decide.”

He turns me and pins me between himself and the counter, his powerful legs caging mine, his hands on my waist. “On this,” he says. “Watch me. I’m not letting you go back to him. Even if I have to do what I should have done before and tie you to my damn bed until you listen to reason. One of my biggest regrets is not doing that a year ago, so I damn sure will do it now.”