“But I saw your side, as well. You know I did. Carlos knows I did. I am certain that is one of the reasons he so stupidly showed up here today. He knew I was not interested in protecting him and Tiffany if it meant more of the same intimidation tactics and lies.”
Didn’t that sound nice? But it didn’t in any way mitigate the truth. “You had sex with me as a ploy!”
“I—”
“Don’t you dare try to deceive me again. At least be honest about it now,” she practically begged him.
His head dropped, his pride draining away if she believed it. “I did. But—”
“No, no buts, no excuses.” Hearing the confirmation didn’t make her feel any better. “At least you’re being honest. Finally.”
“I will not lie to you.”
She laughed, the sound harsh and unnatural, coming from her. “Like I believe you.”
“You have my word.”
“Which is worth nothing. According to you, you never actually told me anything untrue in the first place. Only that doesn’t make one second of your underhanded behavior any better. Why can’t you see that?”
“My deception was not meant to harm you.”
“You’re so used to getting your way, you don’t care what means you use to do it. Just like your brother.” She glared at Carl Madison, who watched her and his brother like a spectator at a tennis match. “The final joke is on you. Your male Mata Hari had convinced me to cancel the interview on the way over.”
“That’s great!” Suddenly Mr. Madison was all smiles, despite his rumpled clothes and bloody face. “You’ll be glad you did.”
The threat was there in his tone and it firmed her resolve. “I said the joke was on you because you being here, showing me what Baz... Basilio’s real game was, it changed my mind. I’m doing that interview, but I won’t just be talking about what happened five years ago. I’m telling the world how you convinced your brother to prostitute himself for you. I’m showing pictures of my face after you hit me. I’m telling the network about the assault charges I leveled against you and how you’ve broken the restraining order. You think you’ve got all the cards? You think you can ruin my life again? Think again! I may not have a white knight in my corner, but I have a family, and they are as loyal to me as he is to you. Only they aren’t underhanded and sneaky about it. You’ll see the attack coming, but you still won’t be able to defend yourselves!”
With that she spun and jabbed the elevator button. She was leaving. She couldn’t stand another second in those two men’s company.
She saw the elevator doors open through the blur of angry tears. Grateful it had still been on their floor, she stepped into it.
Baz slipped in with her. “Miranda, please look at me.”
“Go to hell.” She couldn’t look at him. It hurt too much.
“I did not mean to hurt you.”
She looked at him then, too shocked at his stupidity. “What did you think was going to happen?”
“I thought I would tell you the truth on my own terms.”
“So you admit there was a truth to tell?” Saying he hadn’t actually lied to her!
“A revelation to be made, definitely.”
“You hid your connection to the Madisons from me.”
“I did.”
“So?”
‘“So I think we have something special.”
“Are you kidding me? We don’t have anything real.”
“You don’t mean that.” His confidence was misplaced.
She lifted her gaze to his, not caring if he saw the devastation in hers. “How could I mean anything else? Don’t you realize how deeply you’ve betrayed me?”
His dark eyes widened, like the idea shocked him. “That was not my intention.”
“Really? You knew exactly what you were doing when you seduced me in hopes of using our sexual relationship to influence me into doing what you want.”
“Surely the seduction was mutual.”
“Don’t be any more of an ass than you have to!”
“I know you are angry—”
“You think?”
He made an aborted movement with his hands, dropping them to his sides, like he remembered she didn’t want him touching her. “But once you’ve had time to think, you will realize my intentions grew to include protecting you, as well.”
“Don’t count on it. I’ve had all the revelations about you I’m going to.” She glared into his espresso gaze, so there could be no question she meant what she said. “I never want to see anyone from your blighted family again in my lifetime and that’s the only reason I’m not filing a civil suit against all of you!”
“You don’t mean that.”
Could he really be that dense? “Oh, yes, I really do.”
“What about the baby?”
She wanted to scream at him for even asking that question, but she instead gritted out, “There is no baby.”
“We could work on that.” His tone and expression didn’t suggest he was kidding.
All the air whooshed from her lungs. “You... That’s...”
“We’re good together, better than good. We connect in a way I have never experienced with another woman.”
The elevator reached the ground floor and she stepped out. “Connect with this!” For the first time in her life, Randi flipped someone off.
She stormed toward the doors to the street.
Ignoring her clear desire to be rid of him, Baz followed. “I’ll drive you home.”
“Not a chance.”
“Let me call a taxi for you at least.”
“I can call my own darn Uber if I want one.” A ride on the MAX, lost in the crowd of Portlanders, sounded good right now, though.
She shoved open the lobby doors and stepped onto the street. Rain poured down, but she didn’t care. Like Kayla said often enough, she might be sweet, but she wasn’t made of sugar; she wasn’t going to melt in a little Oregon liquid sunshine.
Baz followed her as she hiked it to the nearest MAX station. If she remembered correctly, it was about ten blocks down and over.
“Please, Miranda. You do not need to go off like this.”
She spun to face him, rain running in rivulets down her face. “Can’t you leave me alone? Your plan failed. Deal with it.”
“You are going to catch your death in this rain.” He stripped off his leather jacket and held it over her head, while he grew increasingly soaked.
“I’ll be fine! It’s not your problem.”
“You should stand under an awning while you call and wait for your driver.” He indicated an awning-covered doorway to their left with his head.
She shook hers. “I’m taking the train.”
“Alone?” Shock at the idea infused that single word until it was a full statement.
“I don’t need an escort.” To prove it, she walked away from the shelter of his coat and off down the street. “I’ve been riding public transportation on my own for a very long time.”
“That cannot be safe!” His words proved he followed her as she’d suspected he would.
Basilio Perez wasn’t just pitiless about achieving his own objectives, but the man gave new definition to the word stubborn.
“Oh, get out of your gold-plated tower,” she threw over her shoulder. “Those of us not in your tax bracket use public transportation all the time.”
“You have your own car.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t know how to take a bus or a train.”
“I think you would argue with me about anything right now.”
Tears mixed with the rain on her cheeks. “Okay, maybe you’re not completely stupid.”
“I will walk you to the MAX station.” He had managed to maneuver his coat over her head again, like a moving awning as he stayed in ste
p with her.
“Can’t you take a hint? I don’t want to see you.”
“Then do not look behind you.” He allowed his body to move to her rear while still keeping the protection over her from the rain.
“Why are you so stubborn?”
“Being anything less would never serve me.”
She shook her head. “Do you know how close to hating you I am?”
He said nothing, but there was an air about him, like her words surprised him. Did he really expect her to keep admiring him after what she’d learned?