Page 61 of Legal Desire
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
TREVFELTLIKEHELL. He’d lied to her. And he hated himself for it. No. He hadn’t lied. He just hadn’t told the truth. He should have been honest with her when he’d had the chance. Told her that he had never had any intention of playing politics.
She would know that he’d lied to her. Wouldn’t she understand, though, that he’d been after the mole? But she was already hurting over his suspecting her of being the mole.
And that news report had devastated her, so much so that he couldn’t stay away from her. He wasn’t worried about his image or whatever she’d been concerned about when she’d thrown him out the night before.
He was concerned about her.
So, even knowing that she would be upset, he headed to her office. Reporters had the lobby staked out, and the minute he appeared, microphones got shoved in his face.
“Are you the one who scorned her?” a male reporter asked, his eyes bright with interest. He clearly wanted details. “Are you the one who thawed the ice princess?”
Trev glared at the man.
“If not, why are you here?” another reporter asked.
“It’s business,” Trev replied. Then he singled out the female reporter who’d given the special report. “That report was bullshit. The reporter who gave it has no business being a journalist or a friend.”
The woman flinched.
“And as all you reporters should know,” he said, and now he looked at them all, “reporting false, unsubstantiated claims leads to defamation and slander lawsuits.”
“Is that why you’re here?” another female reporter asked. “You’re representing Ms. McCann in a lawsuit?”
He just smiled, letting them all believe what they would, then he headed toward the elevators. Why hadn’t Allison done that? Why hadn’t she given a statement to defend herself and clear up her reputation?
She was a publicist. She knew better than anyone how to spin bad press into good. Why hadn’t she done that yet?
He stormed off the elevator onto her floor with such purpose that Edward jumped and spilled the coffee he was pouring.
“Where is she?” he demanded to know. But he didn’t wait for an answer. He headed toward her office. When he pushed open the door, he found it empty.
“Where is she?” he asked again as Edward had followed him down the hall.
“I don’t think she’s coming in,” her assistant replied. But it was clear he didn’t know, especially as the elevator dinged and Allison stepped off it.
Her face was flushed. She must have had a run-in with the reporters in the lobby, as well. Perhaps after his threats, they had been a little more respectful, though.
“Did you straighten them out?” he asked her.
She walked past him and headed toward her desk, dropping into her chair as if her legs weren’t quite steady enough to hold her.
“Looks like you’re the one I need to straighten out,” she said. “I told you to stay away.”
“Do you want me to call security?” Edward eagerly asked. “The police?”
She shook her head. “I will handle this. You can close the door on your way out, Edward.”
He hesitated a long moment, though, before he followed her order. So long that Trev considered shoving him out and slamming the door in his face. “Why do you keep that guy around?” He asked the question he’d been wondering for a while.
“He’s a computer genius,” she said. “Can find anything online...”
“A hacker?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know how he does it.”
“So he doesn’t get all his information from listening at doors?” The door in question rattled as if Edward had fallen against it.
