“Why don’t we sit in the living room and talk?” Jameson suggested, handing her a glass of water.
Nodding, Caroline followed him inside and took a seat in the armchair. Jameson sat on the corner of the couch.
“I have a few things to discuss,” he announced. “You’re right. I haven’t told you things, and it’s not fair to you. I had your best interests in mind,” he explained. “As you know, I rented this home for your dad. I must confess the car you’re driving doesn’t belong to the company. I purchased it for you. As soon as I saw it, it matched your personality, and it’s the same color as your eyes. You deserved something good.”
Caroline sat stiffly, listening to him, but made no effort to acknowledge his efforts.
“I’ve waited to see how long you’d hold on to the secret about the car,” she replied. “Rachel let it slip.”
Jameson took her hand and played with her fingers. “There’s more. Cain gave the Feds the slip the day you planned the funeral. It’s why we increased security. There’s no reason to believe he found you. We don’t even know if he’s aware your parents lived. It’s a precaution.”
Caroline’s breath hitched. Cain would never stop searching for her, even if it meant postponing an auction. He considered her his property, and Cain vowed she’d stay his until her last dying breath.
“You’ve known all this time?” she accused. “The man repeatedly beat and raped me, and you felt it necessary to ‘take precautions’ without telling me?” she exclaimed. The fury she felt low in her stomach churned and rose, bubbling over the surface. It caught in her throat, making it hard for her to breathe.
Caroline rose and headed for the door. “I want you to leave,” she demanded. “I’m tired of all the damn secrets and lies. I can’t trust anyone.” Stalking across the patio to the pool house, she ignored Jameson’s plea for her to stop. She locked the door behind her.
Hearing Jameson curse as he punched in the security code, sent her running for the bedroom. Before she managed to close the door and lock it, he pushed it open easily.
“Go away,” she spat.
“No. I’m not leaving you. We’ll sit down and talk this out.”
Blind rage filled her as she beat her fists on his chest.
“I’m done. Once Dad’s legal matters get handled, I’m leaving. How do I go about releasing the team from their responsibility? Do I need to sign something?”
Jameson stepped forward. Hurt mirrored in his eyes, but she felt pain, too.
“Take some time to consider your next move,” he advised. “You’ve made solid friendships here. I’m working to gain your trust. Will you give it all up for a life of uncertainty and fear?”
“I may be free of the cage, but it doesn’t mean I don’t wake up, wondering if this will be the day my life falls apart,” she yelled at him. The tension released from her body as she let go of the jumbled emotions. “Your father stole my life. Then, he took my dignity, self-confidence, and he sold me like a piece of furniture.”
“Yes, he did,” Jameson said, stepping forward. “But you’re free. You can decide your next course in life.”
“How can I when you’ll always be there to remind me? You have his jaw and eyes. I wait every day to see if you will narrow them like he did when he calculated my next punishment,” she purged. “I want to leave and start over where no one knows what happened to me. Where seniors stop asking me why I didn’t visit my dad sooner and start telling me about his life I didn’t know existed. I want to rage at them and tell them about how James Stanton did this to me. I want to grieve in silence, where you’re not lurking around every corner, reminding me of what I lost at his hands.”
Jameson sucked in his breath as if she knocked the wind out of him.
“You’re grieving,” he said softly.
“Hell yeah,” she screeched. “Do you know the worst part? I sit and worry if you’re secretly mocking me. Your dad sold me, and I’m now your property because you stole me from Cain.”
“You know that’s not true,” he said firmly. “I fell in love with you the first time I set eyes on you. It killed me to watch Cain touch you and drag you to his bed.”
“It must really burn your ass to know I’m used goods,” she threw at him. “You coveted something you knew you could never have.”
“Caroline, I know you’re hurting,” he said softly, yet his voice carried a warning. “I’ve loved you from the beginning.”
Caroline kissed him hard. He placed his hands on her waist, pulling her away to find she bit his lip.
“No. No, she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to love me.”
She batted her angry eyes at him in a mocking gesture.
“Do you want me to bend over the bed or suck you off?”
“Caroline,” he gritted out.
