I was torn between running back into the bathroom to throw up and staying to hear the rest of what he had to say. I’d known there was a damn good chance this was all a game.
I wasn’t shocked Miles knew far more than I wanted him to, but he’d been deliberately testing me, making sure I had false information to see if I passed it on. The fact that that’s exactly what I’d been sent to do ceased to matter. He’d called me baby, said sweet things to me, acted like he cared. And all along he’d been spying on me, testing me. I had refused to betray him, refused to give over anything even when I was threatened, even when I was hurt.
Through my turmoil, I heard Miles say, “I’m not going to do that. This has gone on long enough.”
I moved away from the door. I couldn’t stand to listen anymore. I needed to get out of there. I got dressed as fast as I could, trying to block out anything else he was saying.
29
MILES
“You’re wrong about all of this, and I won’t have you say anything derogatory about Ben again. I care about him. I’m dating him. That is not going to change. Your position in the company, however, very well could if this continues. We have a plan. It’s in place. If you have any further questions, talk to Carter.”
I stabbed my finger on the red button to end the call.
Frank was damn good at his job, but he was a fucking asshole. He always had been. He was stuck up and pretentious, and I was not going to put up with him challenging me like this. No matter how good he was. I’d find someone else.
I heard Ben moving around. He shouldn’t have gotten out of bed without help. Why didn’t he call for me?
When I stepped into the room, I saw him standing there, fully dressed, cradling his side with one arm as he stuffed things into a bag.
“I’ll return this the next time I come into the office,” he said gesturing toward the bag. “I needed something to gather up my things.”
“Ben, what are you doing?”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you knew? You didn’t have to play games with me. You didn’t have to seduce me. You didn’t have to do anything this elaborate. If you’d just told me you knew, I would’ve told you everything.”
Oh God. He’d overheard my conversation. I should have hung up on that son of a bitch as soon as I realized what he was after. Because now…. Everything I’d feared was coming true. “Ben, none of this was a game.”
“Testing me? Seeing if I would pass on information?”
“I needed to know. I gave you a chance to tell me. I asked you.”
“I couldn’t tell you. It would.…”
“Who hit you, Ben? Who did this to you?”
He didn’t try to deny what had happened, but he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Just leave me alone. I want to go home.”
“Baby, I didn’t—”
“Don’t call me that!”
He was going to walk away and never come back. I had to tell him everything. I’d sworn I wouldn’t hurt him. “This isn’t a game.”
“You have me here so you can watch me.”
“No. I have you here because I want you here.”
“You said you had me under surveillance so you could be sure I wasn’t passing on your secrets. I haven’t, and I’m not going to no matter what you really think of me.”
“Someone hurt you because you wouldn’t betray my company, and I am going to see that they are punished for that.”
“No, just stay out of it. Let me handle things.”
I could never do that. Even if he ended up hating me, I wouldn’t let them harm him. “Ben, I’m not going to let you get hurt again.”
“All you’ve done is hurt me. You’ve been watching me, keeping me with you, I thought…” He shook his head. “I knew better, but I let myself hope….”