Page 123 of Save Me

He narrows his eyes. “If Blackmon told you something about me, I should know, shouldn’t I?”

“Why? So you can figure out the perfect lie?”

“Is that what you fucking think of me?”

No, my heart screams.

“Just answer the question. Are you working with him? And if so, why did you lie and tell me your business with him ended years ago?”

“That wasn’t a lie,” he declares.

I want to believe him, but I refuse to let my heart run this show.

“Then why did he say you’re both part of some joint venture with the Global Group?”

His jaw hardens. “He said that when he came to see you at your office.” He’s put two and two together.

“Are you working with him?” I ask again.

“No,” he says firmly.

I start to release the breath I was holding when he adds, “Not intentionally.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I glare at him.

He turns his head away from me, and I see the muscles in his jaw working.

“Dae, you told me I could trust you. Are you lying to me? What do you mean not intentionally? Either you’re working with him, which means you lied to me, or you aren’t working with him, which means he lied to me. Which is it?” I demand.

“Neither one of us lied,” he claims. “He’s a part of the Global Group, and so is my company.”

“Making you two partners,” I finish for him. “Which means you did lie.” I take another step back.

Dae advances on me until my back hits the wall of the stairwell.

“It’s not like that,” he says.

I laugh derisively. “That’s what every motherfucker says when they’ve been caught in a lie.” I push him away from me, but he doesn’t budge an inch.

“Working with that piece of shit again was never my intention.”

“Then why are you?”

“It wasn’t by choice.”

I let out another laugh that doesn’t hold any humor. “Right. You were forced to work with him. How convenient.”

“No, I wasn’t forced to work with Blackmon. I could’ve backed out of the partnership with the Global Group. But I chose not to.”

“What are you talking about? Start from the beginning.”

He explains how his company worked with Global Group and how an opportunity to become permanent partners within the group came up. He’s been vying for the opportunity for over a year.

“When it came down to it, they chose both our company and Blackmon’s. The son of a bitch is good for PR.”

I mull over his words.

“This was never the deal I wanted. I know Blackmon’s a cheap bastard who doesn’t have the business skills to last at any high level. Which is why I investigated him and dug up that information about his restaurant.”

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