Page 58 of Beautiful Betrayal

“He liked them. We brought some back with us.”

“Us. Interesting choice of words. Do you still love my son?”

I nod. “Yes, Mr. Bennett. Very much.” And I don’t know why but I tear up.

He reaches up and wipes away the dampness. “First. Call me Raymond. Second, why did that make you cry? Does he not love you?”

“I just—I don’t know how to deal with your money. I feel like when I tell you that I love him, you’ll think I love the money. I feel like when I tell him I love him, he will on some level always wonder. I mean tonight he had twelve dresses delivered because I wouldn’t shop. He wants me to spend his money, but I can’t.” I down my champagne and set the glass on a table. “I’m telling you this for a reason because you are the only person I know who can help me.”

“How is it that I can help?”

“You said your wife hated the money, so she didn’t want money when she met you.”

“No, she did not.”

“Did you doubt her? Did you ever think she wanted the money and not you?”

“Never. Not once, but she had to get over the fear of my money, as do you, of Grayson’s. If you love him you have to share his life, and who he is, and money is a part of who he is, like it or not.”

“If I spend his money, how does he know it’s not about the money, because it’s not. God, it’s so not. I do love your son.”

“Because I know,” Grayson steps to my side and turns me to face him. “I know,” he repeats. “If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t be so damn in love with you.” He pulls me to him and kisses me. “I’m not letting you go. Don’t you let me go.”

“Never,” I promise.

“Well then,” his father says. “Sounds like we need to plan a family day in the Hamptons.”

A family day, I think. Are these two men now my family? We start strolling the corridor, and as we laugh and talk, the clear moral compass of father and son, echo within each other, stirring admiration in me. I decide, that yes, I’d like very much to call them family and I have this sudden realization that I’m not so alone anymore. I tighten my grip on Grayson’s arm and when he automatically covers my hand with his, I decide he’s a part of me now. I not only won’t let go of him, I can’t.

Chapter thirty-seven

Mia

The present

The room is silent for several beats after Grayson’s guttural declaration from the other side of the dining room table that he can’t live without me. Everyone stares at us. He stares at me. I stare at him. I just want to run into his arms and tell everyone to leave and that’s what he wants, too, but that’s not possible. That’s not what can happen. We have to end this. He’s only letting me do this to ensure Ri can’t come between us again through this crazy plot to take him down.

“What now?” I force myself to ask, looking around the room.

“I for one,” Kara states, “have to go.” She starts walking backward. “See you soon, Mia!” she calls out and then rotates and hurries away.

Blake reaches into a bag and pulls out a blonde wig as well as a scarf. “These are for you, Mia.” He closes the space between us and hands it to me. “I’ll follow you out of the building and onto the subway. I’ll be with you the entire time. Once you’re in the tunnel, find a bathroom and dump the wig.” He glances at his watch. “Do it now.”

I nod and hurry to the bathroom off the foyer, pull on the wig and scarf, and barely look at the stranger in the mirror. I just want out of here. I want to get this meeting with Ri behind me and know if I’ve kept him oblivious to us being onto him. The minute I step back into the foyer, Blake hands me a lightweight unlined trench coat. “Put it on to hide your clothes and then dump it with the wig. Now, back to you exiting this building. Walk out like you belong here, not like you don’t want to be seen.”

“Got it,” I say, mentally comparing it to the first day of court. You’re nervous but you fake confidence until you feel it.

Grayson joins us in the foyer and steps to Blake’s side, but it’s me that’s on his mind, me he’s focused on, though he doesn’t comment on the wig and like me, I think he barely notices. We both have too much else on our minds to care about my fake hair. Instead, he pulls me to him. “Remember what I told you. Just contain Ri and then do your job. Focus on your client and let us focus on Ri.”

“I will,” I say, my hand resting on his chest, his heart thundering beneath my palm, telling me how worried he is right now, which is why I add, “I promise.”

He kisses me, a deep, drugging kiss, and then with obvious reluctance, he releases me “Let me just do this,” I say, to both of them. “I go to this job every day. This is not going to be a big deal.”

Eric steps into the foyer and gives me a nod, admiration and friendship in his eyes. We both love Grayson and in that there isa bond several years strong, a bond of understanding. He knows I have to protect Grayson and while I plan to keep my promise to Grayson, Eric knows me well enough to know that I’d sacrifice myself for the man I love. I turn away from Eric and I can’t seem to look at Grayson again and actually walk out of the door. Right now he and I are making each other crazy and I just have to push forward and leave.

I exit the apartment into the hallway and Blake is quick to step to my side. “I’m riding down with you,” he says, “but don’t acknowledge me once we’re in the car. There are cameras. I’ll exit after you when we reach the lobby. I’ll be with you all the way to the building even if you think I’m not there.”

“What don’t I know?” I ask, focused on my man, not myself. “Somehow Grayson is more on edge than he was before you arrived, and yet, he’s letting me go to work.”

---