Page 85 of Miles Apart
Nothing makes sense.
“Did he have the courtesy to tell you he was leaving?” Carter steps closer, his head tilted, his ego ready to press another button. “Imagine my surprise when I stopped by Carrillo’s office and heard Miles ended his contract early. Gone without a trace.” His brows narrow, hardening his eyes into stone. “Did you get bored of him, or was it the other way around?”
Miles never attempted to reach out. My calls went straight to voicemail, an automated reminder of my place in his life.
Proof he was okay came as a slap to the face when I called Lorenzo’s office and he informed me Miles left the state. Lorenzo and I don’t speak, but he’s close with Miles and knows we’retogether. The twist of the dagger was sharp and steady when I heard the question he didn’t ask: why didn’t I know?
Miles plays games, but I never thought my heart would be one.
Carter isn’t fooling anybody with his pop-in. He never came to see me alone and waited until Miles left California to play in my face. My father gets updates on Lorenzo’s data security bill in Washington. The only time he wasn’t too busy to make the trip to California was when it involved donors. He’s yet to ask for updates about my relationship, let alone my well-being. My father didn’t send Carter here, which doesn’t answer why he’s in my office. On a day when Congress is in session, no less.
He’s here with his condescending tone. For what? To get the upper hand, see me worn down in despair?
I sit back in my chair, wrinkle-free and without a hair out of place.
My blouse and slacks: designer.
My stilettos: imported.
My smirk at Carter’s inability to read me: priceless.
“What’s your play, Carter?” I’m confused about why Miles left, but I’m not broken. I will pick myself up. I always do.
“You’re a smart girl, Emma, or so I thought?” His tongue drags over his lips. “You’ve wasted enough time impersonating a relationship. He cleans up well, but he isn’t your type—nor does he belong in the same vicinity as this family, as he’s proved.”
My gaze roams over the lean muscles spread out in my office chair. Carter has aged well over the years. He’s still handsome and keeps himself tailored to perfection. But he’s a coward at his core.
“You wait until Miles leaves California to express your affection while gloating at my expense? I’m surprised my father took you off the leash and let you fly over. Do us both a favor and get out.”
Carter stands and buttons his suit jacket with a glower. “You’ll regret this, Em. I’ll give you time to lick your wounds and come to your senses. We’re tied together, whether you like it or not.”
I’m not my mother nor my cousin. Power and the pursuit of fortune don’t move me, least of all into a relationship. If I ever choose to tie myself to one person for the rest of my life, it will be for love. I’ve felt its absence for so long, but I know a crumb is not a meal.
“Remember your responsibilities, Emma. John expects his only daughter by his side before the primaries. You’ve blown off this family long enough.” He steps closer and brushes his thumb over my jaw. His voice lowers. “Don’t shut me out. I have everything you need.”
My skin prickles at Carter’s hand on my neck. The grip isn’t tight but forces a sharp inhale at his lips hovering over my mouth. “Stop fighting us,” he whispers.
“I’ve had enough of people telling me what to do.” I peel his hand off, step back, and nod to the door. “Goodbye, Carter. Go find the real reason you flew here.”
Something is at play. I’m not sure what, but Carter’s charm can’t mask it. I trust my gut.
The same gut that told you to trust Miles?
Carter is right about one thing: Miles is a disappointment I never saw coming. I don’t want to believe it, but I won’t make the same mistake twice.
Chapter 39
Miles
“The surveillance network is compromised,” I confirm with a final keystroke. “You have twenty minutes.”
“Copy,” Shane says through his earpiece, ready to lead his team of three through the compound layout we studied down to the bolts.
“You’ve got eyes in the air, and I’m monitoring all CCTV.” I scan the three computers in front of me for potential threats. “Stay on this frequency.”
Days of gathering intelligence and a mock search gave us the window we needed to attempt this rescue mission. The compound has many safeguards in place that pulled me into the field to gain access from a closer distance. It was a risk that took days, but I spoofed the network undetected.
I’m pissed that I had to drop everything without notice, but I owed a favor, and I always pay up. I didn’t know how bad the situation was until we were in the air, halfway out of the country.
