She frowned. “Who did you just call and why do I need an escort?”
“Look, Victoria, there’s a lot going on here,” he said with a quick sigh. “A lot that you don’t know.”
She stood now and folded her arms across her chest. “Then tell me so I will know.”
He didn’t immediately respond. Didn’t know where to possibly begin.
“Oh. I see.” She was nodding again and Ben knew it wasn’t because she agreed. Regret slammed into him. “You get to know everything. You get to tell me what you want, when you want and I’m supposed to follow your lead. I’m supposed to take all your information and try this case. I’mnotsupposed to ask questions or do anything to help in this situation at all. Am I correct?”
“You’re not correct,” he told her. “Not entirely.”
“Okay, well, let me just clarify this situation for you Mr. All Mighty Donovan. I do not now nor have I ever needed your help to win a case. I can get a conviction on Vega without any of your top secret help. And as far as this “thing” between us. Consider it an itch that has been thoroughly scratched. Should it resurface for you I suggest you look elsewhere for relief.”
Victoria
She heard him entering the room behind her. Had known he wouldn’t just let her leave in peace. Nothing that involved this man was simple and she should’ve reminded herself of that last night before things had gone too far.
Snatching up her purse, she continued moving around the room in search of the note that had been left on her door.
Coming here had been a mistake. A colossal one! And Ben Donovan was an even bigger asshole than she’d originallythought. But as pissed at him as she was, she knew the bulk of this present mess was her fault. The storm of emotions soaring through her at the moment were a direct result of her letting her guard down and him proving the point she’d been making to herself all these years.
“Victoria, listen, it’s not what you’re thinking,” he said from behind her.
“It is exactly what I’m thinking!” she yelled as she spun around to face him. “Exactly what I’ve thought since the beginning. You like to control everything as if it’s your job to run everybody else’s life. Well, I’m not a part of the Ben Donovan harem or fan club and I certainly don’t walk to the beat of your drummer. Where the hell is my letter?”
Frustration and something else she couldn’t decipher were etched on his face, but she didn’t give a damn.
“I took it and I’m going to give it to my friend the homicide detective today. He’ll test it for fingerprints then return it to me,” he said.
“To you? For what? You’re not investigating this case or any case involving Vega for that matter since you backed out of his trial.” She would give herself a moment later to fully digest all that he’d told her in that regard. For now, she needed to get what belonged to her and get the hell out of here.
“I’m still working on the case,” he said solemnly folding his arms across his chest.
He still wore only his boxers and still looked way too attractive to disregard. But she was determined to ignore him. Her sanity depended on it.
“Why?” she asked because honestly, she didn’t know what else to do. “Tell me why you still have your hands in this or I swear I’ll go to the police with everything I know.”
He took a step toward her, then stopped. A muscle in his jaw twitched and his eyes went dark and lethal.
“You go to the police and you’ll be dead by the end of the day. I think Vega has someone on the inside at the police station. I also believe he killed the Congressman, his wife and Ebony Reece, my assistant. Now,” he continued slowly. “I need for you to prepare for this case like you normally would. When I find Alayna Jonas, I’ll bring her to you. Her testimony will convict Vega and he’ll go to jail.”
She shook her head because it still didn’t make sense. There was more he wasn’t telling her. Ben wouldn’t do all of this just so she could get a win under her belt.
“You know why he killed the Congressman don’t you?” she asked and narrowed her eyes as she continued to stare at him. “You know there’s more to this case than what’s been reported, but if you expose the truth others will be hurt. Others, either you care about or need to protect to save your ass.”
He didn’t respond and the quiet of the room seemed to engulf them. She didn’t know what to believe about him now. Last night, when she’d been in his arms, he’d been so loving and so generous with her pleasure. He’d been just what she needed, physically.
But now, in the light of day, he was proving to be just who she’d always thought he was—a privileged guy determined to get his way no matter the cost. She couldn’t be attracted to that guy because no man like that could love her the way she wanted to be loved. And yet, even knowing that, she couldn’t just walk away.
“Are you involved in this somehow, Ben? Before I say or do another thing where you’re concerned, I need to know,” she said quietly.
“What I know could get a lot of people in a lot of trouble, myself included. Is that what you want to hear?”
“Dammit!” She swore and despised herself just a little more at this point. Not only had she ignored her brain and followedher body into his bed, now she was putting herself in the direct position to become an accessory, to what she had no idea.
“I haven’t broken any laws, if that’s what you’re thinking. But I do have information that could be detrimental to a lot of people. I’m just trying to do the right thing, in the right way. I’m asking for your help.”
He’d come to stand right in front of her now. She didn’t know exactly when he’d moved or why she hadn’t backed up or did something to get away from him. But now it was too late. He was standing there, his arms were extending, his palms cupping her face.
