Page 17 of The Devil's Spawn

Combing a manicured hand through her blond curls, she sauntered toward her car. The click-clack of her heels was akin to nails on a chalkboard.

“We both know there’s no love lost between us, but you need to know the truth. I’m the mother of his child, and I refuse to be the mistress. Since he doesn’t have the balls to tell you, then you need to come see for yourself.”

She was lying. She had to be. Gage wouldn’t…hewouldn’t. If there was one thing I knew about Gage Channing, it was that I was the center of his universe.

Then why did she look so…triumphant?

I shook my head, refusing to buy into her lies. But as she pulled her car door open, lifting a shoulder as if to say, “Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” my lips parted and betrayed me.

“Where?”

She walked to my car and set a keycard on the hood. “The Hilton,” she said, then rattled off a room number.

I waited until she slid into her driver’s seat and backed out of the driveway before snatching the keycard from my hood. And as her luxury sedan disappeared down the road, I chewed over the decision ahead. I had three options.

Option A: Call Gage.

Option B: Ignore what Katherine had said.

Option C: Walk into that hotel room in an hour and see for myself.

The first option was not only the smartest, but it was the only option that would keep me out of trouble. The second was the most maddening, and the third was the one my unwavering doubt would demand I go with, to hell with the consequences. If checking this out for myself and finding that she was lying—that my husband wasnotcheating—would land me in hot water with Gage, then I’d accept the consequences. At least then, I’d finally be able to put these doubts to rest.

An hour later, I found myself creeping toward the door of an upper-floor room of the Hilton. Whatever lay beyond, I would accept and deal with it. But if what Katherine claimed were true…

Could I find the strength to forgive him? I wasn’t sure, and that drove home how difficult it must have been for him to forgive my betrayal. I loved him so much at that moment, needed him more than I ever had because we’d both made mistakes, yet somehow we still formed a united front.

At least, I fucking hoped we did.

Sucking in a fortifying breath, I swiped the card and slowly pushed the door open. Nervous energy tingled down my spine as I crossed the threshold. With each step forward, my heels moving silently over the light textured carpet, I felt as if I were stepping into a bear trap, metal claws just waiting to rip into flesh.

Because if Gage were having an affair in this suite, wouldn’t I hear something? And this hotel…it wasn’t his style. Clearly, the room was a corner suite, outfitted with plush furniture that complimented the neutral theme of the space. Straight ahead, I spied two sitting chairs, but both were empty.

The place was nice, though nowhere near Gage’s high standards. If he were going to cheat, I’d expect him to fuck me over in the Presidential suite of a place like the Heathman, at the very least.

I cleared the wall partitioning the vanity and bath area from the rest of the suite and found the king bed empty as well. The white comforter hadn’t been disturbed, and the drapes were wide open, affording a view of the neighboring skyscrapers of downtown Portland.

What kind of sick game was Katherine playing? I reached for my cell. Calling Gage would mean he’d find out how I’d doubted him, and that would mean a harsh punishment on top of his hurt and disappointment, but I needed answers—answers only he could provide at this point.

A beep sounded, and the quiet swish of the door reached my ears, followed by the soft pad of feet. I put my phone away and watched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The last person I expected to see was Ian.

Apparently, he felt the same way. We both froze, eyes wide as we took each other in. I opened my mouth, trying to find a string of words that would make sense, but could find none. My mind raced ahead, mentally cataloging every detail of him—the healthy tint of his face and the subtle weight he’d put on since the last time I saw him.

Without thinking, I launched myself at him, overcome by too many emotions to name, and just held on to him. Tears dripped from my eyes, running in rivulets down my cheeks before soaking his black shirt.

“I’m sorry,” I said with a sniffle. “I’m just so glad to see that you’re okay.”

He stepped back and tilted my head up with a gentle finger underneath my chin. “Hey, don’t cry. I’m fine.”

Nodding, I wiped my eyes, and the precarious predicament I now found myself in hit me hard. I stumbled toward the bed, only stopping when my legs gave out, and I sank onto the end in a stupor.

“But I am confused as to why you’re here,” he said as he claimed a spot on the other side of the mattress, being sure to keep plenty of distance between us.

“Umm,” I blinked several times, running my fingers over the down comforter. “Katherine told me she and Gage…” Humiliation burned my cheeks, and I felt utterly ridiculous for believing her, for falling for her lies. I let out a long sigh that blew my bangs out of my eyes. “God, I was so stupid to believe her.”

“You’re not the only gullible one,” he said. “I got a message that Gage wanted to meet with me, accompanied by this.” He held up an identical key card.

“Bitch set us up,” I muttered.

---