The Temptation Trap, Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Club BBW Romance) (8 page)

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back. I didn't want to think about it. Just for a little bit, I wanted to be quiet and appreciate that I was safe, at least temporarily. Whatever came next, I would deal with it later.

"When will we be there?” I asked in a whisper.

"Not too much longer," Griffen answered. “Close your eyes and take a nap, we’ll be there before you know it."

My eyelids were as heavy as cement blocks. Exhaustion overwhelmed me. I took Griffen’s suggestion and fell asleep.

I
didn't wake
up until the car stopped. My eyes opened slowly, and I looked around. We were in a driveway, in front of a house that, in the dim light, appeared both low and long. I couldn't see much more than that.

"Where are we?" I asked. Griffen turned off the engine and opened his door, the overhead light illuminating his face as he said, “Near Lake Mead. Let's go inside and get this over with, then you can get some rest.”

I didn't like the way that sounded. Get
what
over with? I thought I knew, and I wasn't sure if I wanted my suspicions to be correct just so I wouldn't have to face one more surprise.

Obediently, I got out of the car and followed Griffen up the walkway. He didn't bother to knock, just turned the handle and opened the tall rustic wood and black iron door as if he belonged there.

“Is this your house?" I asked.

A familiar voice said, “No, it’s mine."

With a sinking feeling, I looked up to see Adam standing in front of me.

"I knew it," I shouted, suddenly furious at the sight of him. “I didn’t want to believe it, but I knew you were behind this.” I whirled to face Griffen and said, “Take me somewhere else. You promised you’d take me somewhere else if I didn’t want to be here.”

He shook his head, an apology in his kind green eyes.

"I said you had to hear him out. Then, if you still wanted to leave, I’d take you somewhere else. You've only been here a minute."

I punched him in the shoulder. I thought it was a good punch. It carried enough frustration that it should have knocked him out. Griffen didn’t react at all.

I knew it wasn't fair to strike out at him, this whole mess wasn't Griffen's fault. I was just so pissed and hurt, and I didn't trust myself to get close enough to Adam to hit him.

Still focused on Griffen, trying my best to ignore the lying bastard who had been my boyfriend, I said, “Please, Griffen. I don't want to stay here with him. He lied to me. He used me. He slammed the door in my face.”

I knew my face looked like a mess. I also knew Adam hadn’t hit me with the door on purpose. I didn’t really care. My nose wasn't broken - I was sure I’d know if it had been broken - but it still hurt like hell. I could feel the bruise on my cheek, hot and tight. I didn't need a mirror to guess that I looked awful.

Griffen's eyes narrowed on my face, then flashed at Adam. "
You
did this to her?"

Adam ignored Griffen and looked at me. His eyes soft and heavy with regret, he said, "Emma. Emma, I fucked up. I fucked up huge. I don't even know where to start apologizing." Turning his attention to Griffen, he went on, "I
am
responsible for hurting her, but it was an accident. I would never, ever, hurt Emma like that on purpose."

“No, you’d just lie to me for weeks, use me, and then turn me over to someone who was going to sell me into slavery. That's so much better than accidentally slamming a door into my face."

All the stress and fear I’d been holding back exploded inside me, set loose by my close call that evening. I couldn’t keep it together anymore. I’d known something was off with Adam. My gut had told me he was too good to be true. But I’d been falling for him. Falling hard. And now I’d hit bottom.

The man I’d thought I might be in love with had lied to me and used me. The sick thing was, a part of me wanted to forgive him. A tiny, wounded voice in my heart whispered that I could trust him. That he’d apologized. Maybe he meant it. Maybe he really cared.

The memory of Harper’s greedy eyes, the hungry tone in his voice when he said he was going to fuck me, reminded me that I couldn’t trust a thing Adam said. I wouldn’t have been there for Harper to touch if it hadn’t been for Adam. I wanted him to shut up, but he kept talking.

"Emma, if I'd had any idea what Harper was into, I never would've left you with him.”

“That's not the point," I said, my voice rising. "You should have trusted me. You should have believed me when I told you I was innocent. Instead, you handcuffed me. You brought me to him, even after I begged you to help me, and then you just left me there."

"I didn't leave you there. Not exactly. I was outside in my car the whole time. I knew something was wrong, and I checked on your story. I'm sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry."

"You were there the whole time?” That just made me angrier. "While he had me tied to a chair? While he was groping me? You were just sitting outside, safe in your car, making phone calls?"

Adam’s eyes went dark and cold. He turned them on Griffen and said, "He touched her?"

"Not that I saw, and she was so shaken up when I got her out I didn't think it was the right time for an inquisition," Griffen answered, his voice tight.

"I'll fucking kill him," Adam said.

I had to stop thinking of him as Adam. At least assuming that wasn't his real name. Annoyed by everything I didn't know, I snapped out, “Is your name even Adam?"

"No,” he said, looking sheepish. “It’s Axel. Axel Sinclair."

"Adam Stewart. Axel Sinclair. Close. I guess close enough that you wouldn't get confused, right?”

Adam/Axel didn't answer, just shrugged his shoulders. Probably smart. I couldn't think of any response that wouldn't have pissed me off further. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be facing this new person, Axel instead of Adam.

I wanted my boyfriend back. Adam, who rubbed my feet and knew exactly how to boss me around in bed. Adam who texted me at work and laughed at my stories. Not this intimidating stranger with the cold eyes and new name.

He stood there, his handsome face filled with regret and determination, and he scared me almost as much as William Harper. I knew Harper was the enemy. But Axel was Adam and I was still so unsettled by everything that had happened.

I wanted someone to trust. It would be so easy to forget his lies, so easy to believe that Axel really wanted to make everything all right. Easy, and dangerous.

"Is there somewhere I can go to wash my face?" I asked, needing to get myself together before we took this confrontation any further.

"Down the hall," Axel said gesturing to his left. Without thanking him, I followed where he pointed and found a spacious powder room. An oversized wood framed mirror hung over the sink, and the room was lit by a black iron chandelier. It was not the average powder room. It looked like Adam - interesting and elegant.

Absently, I wondered how an app developer could afford a house like this. Then I reminded myself that Adam wasn’t an app developer. He wasn’t even Adam. He was Axel Sinclair, and I had no idea what he did for a living, except that it involved working for criminals and lying.

My stomach clenched when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I'd guessed I looked pretty bad, but this was way worse than I'd expected. My hair probably didn't help. It had worked its way free of the loose bun and stuck out in bright red tangles around my face.

My skin, where it wasn't covered with dried blood, was sheet white. My nose was a little swollen, but definitely not broken. Blood trailed from both nostrils and my right cheekbone was puffy, already bruising. Not a surprise that it throbbed and ached like a bitch. I could see the beginnings of a black eye above the bruise.

I was going to look so very charming for the next few days. Lovely.

I took one of the hunter green hand towels folded neatly by the sink, wet it, and went to work cleaning up my face. When I was done, I pulled out the bun, used my fingers to roughly comb my hair, and pulled it back into the best French braid I could manage. I didn't look great, but I looked less like a disaster. It would have to be enough.

I left the powder room and went back down the hall to face down Axel. I needed answers. It seemed he wanted me to stay at his house, and it was possible that was the safest location, considering I now had both my former boss - I was sure as hell quitting my job - and the Russian mob looking for me. Before I made any decisions, I wanted to hear Axel's explanation for everything that had happened since we’d met.

Walking back into the room, I took in the sight of Griffen and Axel, standing close together, murmuring in low voices, and said, "I'd like a cup of tea. Do you have any tea?”

"I do,” Axel said, looking relieved that I hadn’t renewed my demands to leave. “If you'll go sit in the living room, I'll make you some." To Griffen, he said, “You can go, we’re good here."

“No,” I said, also to Griffen. "We're not good here. You made me a promise."

Griffen gave Axel an apologetic look and said, "I did make her a promise. And whatever your explanation for why you cuffed her and delivered her to that asshole, it had a better be good."

Axel had already started toward the kitchen. At Griffen’s words, he stopped, turned, and fastened his dark eyes on Griffen. "What, exactly, did you promise her?"

"I told Emma that she had to let you have your say. If she didn’t want to stay after that, I’d take her somewhere else and keep her safe until she’s out of danger."

Axel's eyes narrowed and for a moment, he looked like he was going to explode. This gave me a perverse sense of amusement. He didn't like being thwarted? Did he feel helpless? Betrayed by someone he trusted? It was a small thing, but the frustrated anger on his face made me feel better.

“You work for me," he said. Griffen laughed and sent me a flirtatious wink. I smiled back. Axel scowled at the both of us.

"Not really. I mostly work for your brothers," Griffen said, shoving his hands in his back pockets, looking like he was enjoying baiting Axel. "But I don't do what they tell me either. I'm an operative, not a trained puppy. Emma's been through enough. She’s held up surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. And if you can't satisfy her…” - this said with an intentionally comical leer in my direction - “Then I'll take over her case."

“She’s not a case. Not anymore,” Axel ground out through clenched teeth.

"If she hires me to keep her safe, then she is. She's my case and my client."

If Axel ground his teeth together any harder, I thought they might shatter. He was riding the edge of his temper, and after the way he’d lost it in my apartment, I didn't want to see his temper set free again.

It had been ugly, and the memory hurt. I could tell he was holding himself in check. For me, or because he didn't want to lose it in front of Griffen?

I didn't know. I also didn't know why Griffen was poking at him, but I wouldn't pretend I wasn't enjoying it. Appreciating Griffen for both needling Axel and for giving me something to smile about, I said, "I'm not sure I can afford you, Griffen."

He shot me a melting grin that had a bit too much smolder in it to be genuine, and said, “Darlin', for you, I work cheap."

I couldn't quite think of what to say to that. I was pretty sure Griffen was flirting to piss Axel off, which was fine with me. But for once, I couldn't think of what to say to flirt back. Axel was practically vibrating with rage at Griffen, and I didn't want to set him off. Griffen, on the other hand, looked highly entertained and completely at ease.

Eyeballing Axel’s glare and tight shoulders he said, “Your brothers are going to love Emma. She’ll fit right in."

I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. If Axel’s brothers were anything like him, I’d be in big trouble.

A
xel must have decided
that he was done trying to reason with Griffen. Turning to me he said, "I'll go make your tea. The living room is just through there, why don't you make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a minute. We can sit down, and I'll explain everything.”

I nodded and followed his direction to the living room, an open space with huge plate glass windows that, so late at night, looked out into darkness. The room was furnished with comfortable sofas and chairs in dark leathers and fabrics.

I sank down into one of the large armchairs, ensuring that no one could sit beside me. Griffen and Axel’s sparring had been funny, but I was done with it.

I was going to face Axel, and I wanted to do it on my own. Griffen sat on the couch, facing the big glass window, leaving Axel the other armchair, opposite me.

Griffen reached for a remote on the coffee table in front of him and clicked the button. In the corner of the room, a fireplace flared to life. It wasn't cold outside, but I was chilly, despite my sweater.

In a low voice that wouldn't carry back to the kitchen, Griffen said, "From what I know about what went down with Axel, you have a right to be angry. But give him a chance. He didn't do the right thing tonight, but it's the first time since I've known him that he hasn't. Worse case scenario, even if you can't forgive him, you’re safest with Axel protecting you."

"What about you?" I asked. Griffen shook his head with a wry smile.

"If you really can't work things out with Axel, I'll take you back to Atlanta. Or wherever you want to go. But, I'm just a single operative. I'm good. I'm damn good. But Axel runs the whole Western division of Sinclair Security, and he's got his brothers, running the Eastern division, at his back. He has resources at his fingertips that I have to work for. It gets more complicated if I'm working outside the company, which I might be if Axel gets pissed enough about me taking you away. I know you're mad at him, but he’s crazy about you.”

“I doubt that,” I said. If he was crazy about me, how had he lied to me for weeks? If he cared that much, he would have believed me when I told him I was innocent. It burned that he hadn’t. I could understand him seeing what was on my computer and assuming I was guilty. But the way he’d denied me the chance to defend myself and had thrown me to the wolves wasn’t forgivable.

Griffen shook his head at the stubborn look on my face. “Even if you can't forgive him, you're a hell of a lot safer with him protecting you than you are anywhere else. Keep that in mind when he pisses you off again."

At that moment Axel came back into the room, carrying two steaming mugs. He sat down in the armchair opposite me, as I’d suspected he would, after placing my mug on a coaster on the coffee table in front of me.

He didn't try to hand it to me directly, seeming to understand that I needed some distance. Maybe he was worried I’d toss the hot liquid in his face. It was an option, but I wasn’t that mean. Griffen looked at our two cups and asked, “What about me?"

“Get your own fucking tea,” Axel growled at him. "And don't interrupt us unless you have something constructive to say."

"How long have you been working for Harper?" I asked, suddenly tired of putting this off. I was exhausted, and I needed answers.

Axel put down his mug and met my eyes. “For almost a month. He asked me for an appointment five weeks ago. He told me he had reason to believe that an employee was stealing proprietary company information and selling it to competitors. He showed me photographs and video of you going through company files, then delivering the files to an individual he claimed was a competitor. He also showed me photographs of the competitor in question that matched up with the video. I had the video tested and it was genuine. I had no reason to believe that the suspect, you, was anything but guilty."

"And you thought the best way to deal with this was to ask me out?"

That was the part that hurt the worst. Not that Harper had lied to him about me being a criminal. Not even that he’d believed it. But that, of all the ways he had to prove his case, he’d pretended to care about me. I'd worried that I was falling in love with him, and he'd just been thinking about the job.

"You want me to say I'm sorry, don't you?” he asked. “To say I'm sorry I pursued you, sorry I seduced you."

“
Yes
,” I said, incredulous. Wasn't that obvious? "Yes, I want you to apologize for being a lying bastard."

“I can't do that, Emma. I won’t apologize for that. I was doing my job. And I seduced you because I wanted to. Because you’re beautiful, and smart, and funny, and sexy. There was no way I was going to watch you for weeks and not touch you. Once we started spending time together, I only wanted you more. I’m sorry for everything that happened tonight. I should have known better. I should have known that you could never be guilty of the things Harper said you did. I should have known there was another explanation for what I found on your laptop."

“Then why? Why wouldn't you listen to me?" I asked, appalled to hear tears choking my voice. I clamped my mouth shut and cradled my tea in front of my face like a shield.

Axel looked at Griffen, then down at his tea. Griffen, possibly understanding some silent guy-speak that was over my head, murmured an excuse, stood, and left the room. Axel looked up from his mug and met my eyes, his dark gaze locked on mine.

"Emma,” he said in a soft voice. “I fucked up big time tonight. My judgment was off. So far off. I fucked up because you're not just a job. You haven't been just a job since the night we met. My gut was telling me you were innocent, and I couldn't trust it because I was completely upside down about you."

“I don’t even know what that means,” I said, my voice shaking. I didn't trust him, and I didn't trust myself. I wanted to believe he was telling the truth, but I hadn't thought he was lying before. He said his judgment was off - that was something we had in common.

He went on, "I started falling for you the first night, in that cooking class. Every night since it's only gotten worse. I think about you all the time. Something happens at work, and I want to tell you about it. I'm tired at the end of the day, and I want to be with you. I've never felt this way about a woman. I guess I just didn't know what the fuck I was doing."

He let out a huff of air and sat back, looking helpless for the first time since we’d met. I wanted to reassure him, which was stupid. He’d lied to me. If the case hadn’t ended, he would have gone on lying.

“I just don't think I can trust you," I said, my eyes blurring with tears. Axel was telling me everything I wanted to hear, and I wanted to believe he meant it. I wanted to believe it so badly. But I couldn't. Not yet. Words were too easy, and I was so very tired.

I did, however, trust Griffen. Not much, but more than I trusted Axel. If he was right, I was safer with Axel than out there on my own. Griffen hadn't said he'd be putting his job in danger by helping me, but I didn't have to be a genius to figure out that math.

He worked for Axel’s company. Maybe in a different division, but if Axel and his brothers owned Sinclair Security, then I didn't want to put Griffen in a position where he'd be endangering his job. I owed him for getting me out of Harper's house. I wasn't going to pay him back by asking him to get himself fired.

I looked at Axel, my head spinning, unable to make a decision. Instead, I said, “Did you talk to Agent Tierney?"

“While you were with Harper,” he said, his eyes narrowing at the reminder that I’d been alone with his client. “I also called him to let him know you were safe. He wanted to come pick you up and put you in protective custody."

"When will he be here?" I asked, relieved at the easy answer to my problems with Axel. My relief faded when Axel shook his head.

"No,” he said. “No protective custody. The FBI is good, don't get me wrong, but Tsepov will find you if you're with the FBI. Tierney can't keep you as safe as I can."

I didn't know if that was true, but my gut, which had never warmed to Tierney, thought it might be.

"Fine, I'll stay with you. But that doesn't mean I forgive you, or that we're going to pick up where we left off. Got it?"

"I know it's going to take some time for you to trust me again.” Axel stood and said, “Let me show you to your room, and you can get some sleep. We’ll figure out the rest of it in the morning."

Almost numb with exhaustion, I followed Axel down another hall to a guest bedroom. A man's T-shirt had already been laid out across the bed. Without another word, he left me in the room and shut the door behind him. I peeled off my clothes, pulled on the T-shirt, fell into the bed, and promptly passed out.