Page 30 of Truth & Lies

“So you think you can just walk in and take over?”

He nods and I wish I could slap him all the way back to whatever hole he crawled out of. “I think it’s for the best. You can stay on, of course. Maybe you’d consider moving to the editorial department.” He crosses his arms with a smirk and I know that this fight is not over. I have to pick my battles and right now, I don’t have a leg to stand on.

I shut my laptop and go to pick it up but he interrupts. “No need for that. We’ll send any personal belongings to your new office.”

“You’re gonna pay for this,” I warn as the two security guards move toward me.

“Oh, believe me, darling stepdaughter. I’ve already paid my dues.Thisis my reward.”

“What?” I frown, not understanding what he’s going on about.

“And Alyssa, just so you know, your forty-nine percent stake in the company is safe for now. But the minute you make any moves against me, I’ll see to it that your stake is so diluted, you’ll be worth nothing.” He pauses, lifting his hand to his chin and rubbing it. “Or maybe I’ll just buy you out and leave you with nothing anyway,” he adds with a shrug.

With that parting note, he spins around and walks out the door like the king he thinks he is, and minutes later, I’m being led out of my office in front of everyone and escorted by security down to the ground floor with nothing but my purse and my dented dignity.

Finally left alone, I stand in shock outside the tall glass building bearing my name—my father’s name, wondering what the hell to do. My father’s legacy has just been swept out from under me by a man who also seems to have successfully cut me off from my mother as well.

I pull out my cellphone and dial mom’s number, tears gathering in my eyes when it goes through to voicemail. At the sound of the tone, I speak. “Mom, I need to speak with you. It’s urgent . . .” My voice cracks and I swallow down the lump in my throat before continuing. “Gavin just walked in like he owned the place and kicked me out. Apparently I’m fired as CEO and he is taking over control ofmycompany. He even said he has your blessing, Mom. I don’t believe you’d do that to me, so can you please . . .pleasecall me back.”

I hang up the phone and walk forward but stop when the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I look around and lock eyes on a furious Barrett stalking toward me.

Just seeing his familiar—albeit not necessarily friendly—face has that tell-tale lump in my throat coming back with a vengeance. All of the anger I’ve been harboring toward Gavin rushes back to the surface and I lash out, leaning forward and hitting his chest with my hands.

“This is all your fault.”

“What?” he asks, his brows knitted together.

“I asked you in Vegas to tell me what was going on with Gavin and you wouldn’t . . .”thump. “Tell.”punch.“Me.” Then I shove his shoulders one last time, extra hard. He doesn’t even flinch, he just stands there and takes it.

His hands come up to wrap around my fists, pinning them to his chest and holding me still while he lowers his head to meet my gaze head-on. “What happened, Lys?”

Then, as if right on cue, it starts raining, becausehello,Seattle, but I’m too far gone to care. “He’s taken everything.”

“What?”

“All of it.”

“Lys.” His voice is so soft now, I struggled to hold back my tears and I see that all of his anger has disappeared. “Kitten, you’re not making any sense.”

“Gavin,” I shout. “He’s taken it all, now. My company, my mom . . .” My voice cracks but somehow I don’t crumble, Barrett pulls me closer and stays strong, being everything I need.

“I was trying to protect you,” he says. He swipes a hand over his face before sweeping my hair out of mine in a fruitless effort to clear the water away. It's pointless though because the rain continues to pour down over us.

“Protect me?”.

As we stand there on the sidewalk, it’s as if the whole world around us disappears and we’re the only two people left standing. He moves in closer, hugging me tight and I relish in his heat, his comfort, and the fact that for whatever reason, he’shere.

I go still as it hits me that federal investigation or not, he still played his part in this whole thing. I still don't know what information he gathered about me, or if part of his cover and 'job' with Gavin was to report back about me. It doesn't matter that he told me everything he could the other night, or that he'd taken me to his bed. Nothing matters anymore. And as all of my thoughts and the events of the past month and a half crash together, I lose it on him. I shove him back and put some much-needed distance between us.

“Instead ofprotectingme, look what happened! My mother got married without me, and now I’ve just lost my company!” I yell, not caring about the rain, or if we have an audience. My emotions have been on a damn rollercoaster ride for weeks now. I’ve been pulled one way then another, all because of three men; the one standing in front of me, another currently hundreds of miles away, and Gavin – the one who fooled us all.

“It’s my job, Alyssa,” he says, his voice full of regret. "But I didn't do anything to put you in harm's way. I'd never do that. Not to you. Not ever."

“You were paid to lie to me. He paid you to find out everything about my life for what?” I throw my hands in the air. “He’s takeneverythingfrom me now, and I have no fucking idea why. What did I ever do to him, Barrett? Why me? What more can he fucking want, dammit.” Tears stream down my face as I fish my hands in his shirt and plead with him for answers.

“I’m going to make this right, Alyssa,” Barrett vows with a growl, his expression so intent and serious that I’d almost believe it.

“Why, Barrett? Why does it even matter to you?” I cry. Now that I’ve lost everything, I have nothing to lose from demanding answers I know he won’t give me. Not this man who holds his cards so close to his chest that no one will ever truly know him. The only glimpse I’ve seen of the man beneath the façade was when he said I was the only one who gets that deeply buried part of him.

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