Page 93 of Scarred Heir
“It’s nothing, but the night I was your alibi, Chance got to me first and he begged me to leave you. He said he could find a way out for us.”
“You’re just now telling me this?” When Milo moved toward me, I retreated, because the determination in his demeanor scared me. “What did he fucking say to you?”
“He was rambling about us leaving. I told him I didn’t want to go and that he had to stop trying to make me.” I didn’t think Chance would actually betray Milo. I should have pressed him. “I thought he was being unreasonable because he didn’t like you.”
“Why didn’t you mention any of this?”
“You came in with your hand bleeding, and then you needed my help.” I shifted my feet, trying to steady my trembling legs. “I had to focus on what you needed from me, and I thought I could worry about Chance later.”
“When I found you in the kitchen, he was plotting your escape?”
“I would never have left you.”
“How am I supposed to trust that?” he shouted. “How can I trust you?”
“What?” His question knocked the air from my lungs. “You can trust me.”
“Not when you keep choosing him over me.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.” I paced again, because I didn’t know how to put into words what I wanted to get him to understand. Shielding my brother wasn’t betraying Milo. “You have a brother, you know why I need to protect mine.”
“My brother would never put me in jeopardy the way yours does.” He advanced on me, snatching my elbow. “For all I know, you were his decoy the night we met, and the two of you haven’t stopped playing me ever since.”
“No!” His accusation made my stomach ache, like I had taken a sucker punch to my gut. Maybe it wasn’t such a cheap shot on Milo’s part. After everything he had done for us, my brother still found a way to screw this up. “I didn’t know why Chance was at the club. I went there to keep him out of trouble.”
“It didn’t work.”
“I came to you for help.”
“How do I know you didn’t come to me for help to set me up?” He shoved me toward the door. “Fuck! Why didn’t I put this together before? How did I let you play me?”
“I didn’t do that.” I pushed my hair from my face, stifling my desperation. It seemed that the more I tried to make him understand, the worse it got. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Maybe that’s true, but I have to trust my instincts right now, and they are screaming that something isn’t right.”
“Let me talk to Chance. I can get him to understand.”
“Stop being delusional!”
I backed away from him, hitting the door as he came toward me.
“Your brother knows how my world works, and if he doesn’t, that’s on him.” He slammed his hand against thedoor, trapping me between it and his enraged form. “You can’t protect him.”
“What are you saying?”
“I have to do my job.” He gazed down at me with a pained expression. “I can’t let you distract me any more than you already have.”
“I can’t let you hurt Chance.” I straightened my posture. “If anything happens to him because of you, I’ll never forgive you.”
“I guess we’re at an impasse.” He gripped my chin between his fingers. “You have a choice to make.”
“Why does there have to be a choice?” I whispered in defeat. “I want to be with you.”
“Do you?” He released me and then turned the handle on the door, pushing it open. “You know where to find me.”
I blinked back the tears but some had managed to spill down my cheeks. A strained sob caught in my throat as I turned and hurried out of the office. I jumped when Milo slammed the door, realizing he wouldn’t be coming after me.
I did have a choice to make. Give up the only man I would ever love to save my brother, or stand by Milo’s side and abandon Chance.
