Page 62 of Lying Lainey

“Which is why we have elaborate software that tells us every keystroke, button clicked, and information accessed,” Kerian informed me, his expression hardening as he spoke. “I know exactly what you did, Lainey.”

Fear bloomed in my chest, and my pulse began to race. As if to seal my fate, the sound of the computer being tampered with as the hard drive and fan sped up, making it loud enough for them to hear.

“Kerian, what are you saying?” Halstead demanded.

“I’m saying that Lainey hacked her way into my computer and started to search for the code I’d been working on for Reuben. You’re too late, by the way. I already finished it yesterday and sent it to him. I’d been close for days, but I wanted to finish it, so I could spend more time with you,” he said, practically spitting that last word. “That damn thing had been looming over my head, and I wanted it over with so it didn’t distract me from spending time with a woman I thought was going to be part of my life. A woman I could see easily falling in love with, but now I’m not sure if any of it was fucking real.”

It was done.

Kerian had already given it to Reuben and unknowingly sealed my fate.

I. Was. Fucked.

My legs gave out from under me, and I crumpled to the floor, staring at their feet but not really seeing anything. I’d failed. The Syndicate would find out, and everything would be revealed. My life was over, and I’d probably end up in jail, where they could easily take my baby if I were pregnant. Can’t raise a child in prison, now can you?

“Is this true?” Halstead roared. “You better tell me right the fuck now, Elaine Collins. Are you a spy? Did you lie your way into this family to steal from us?”

Hearing how angry he was, I knew there would be no point in defending myself and denying the truth. They had all the evidence they needed to know what I’d done, and if they looked at that phone, they would find even more proof.

“Yes,” I whispered.

Licking my lips as my mouth had suddenly gone so dry, I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I was sent to destroy that code to ensure it never got finished or made it into Reuben Watts’ hands. My job was to get close enough to you so I could gain access to Kerian’s computers or any other device he might have worked on the code and obliterate it.”

The pain and anger that washed over their expressions were like a nail in the coffin. This was all over, and there was no hope for me. I’d destroyed the one thing I’ve wanted my entire life—the chance for a family.

“Why?” Quintin asked, his voice raw with emotion. “Why do this to us?”

At this moment, I decided it might be better if these men hated me. Better to think of the woman who blew into their lives for a week was nothing but a coldhearted criminal who’d been caught. Stealing myself, I closed my eyes and pulled on the armor of being Elaine Collins, the woman they believed I was. She was the person ripping their hearts out, not Lainey.

Grabbing the arm of the chair I’d crumpled next to, I hoisted myself up. “That’s because it’s what I do. Really, the three of you should be honored that you caught me. As one of the best con artists, it’s not a feat many can accomplish. Now the question is do you want to be brought in on the job and take part in the earnings?” I asked.

“Why the fuck would we do that?” Kerian snapped. “Who in their right mind would trust a word that comes out of your mouth after telling them you’re a con artist? Not to mention none of us would take down our own company, no matter the price.”

My brows shot up. “That’s just the thing, your company isn’t the one I’m after… it’s the code. Someone has made me an offer I can’t refuse to make sure it vanishes from existence. I found it was easiest to be planted in your company since you held the vital part of the code. My plan was to destroy it, then work on how to get rid of the rest. It’s clear you have no love for Reuben, so why not help a girl out?”

Kerian was about to say something, but Halstead charged forward, grabbed me by the throat, and marched me backward until I was pinned against a wall. “What game are you playing right now?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I gasped loudly. He was allowing me to breathe, but it was extremely limited. “You asked me why I did this, and I’m telling you why.”

“No, you’re still lying,” Halstead countered. “Look me dead in the eye and tell me everything between us is a lie.”

Realization hit me—Halstead was fighting for me. Even now, after all that I’d said and been caught doing red-handed, this man wanted to believe there was something worth fighting for.

“Don’t!” I bit out. “Don’t do this to yourself. I’m not worth it. Everything about me is a lie, it’s all I know how to do and what I’m really fucking good at. I’m not some innocent woman who needs to be rescued. There have been a hundred of you. The stupid men I’ve lured into falling for me so they grant me access to what I need to complete my job. Once the job is done, then poof, I’m gone, vanished off the face of the earth. There is nothing real about me, Halstead. It’s just easier if you accept that.”

He tightened his grip on my neck, and I merely closed my eyes so I didn’t have to look at him as he took out his pain on me. I deserved it and would take it because there was nothing he could do to me that would hurt more than the feeling of my heart ripping to pieces.

“Look. At. Me!” Halstead demanded, using the full power of an Alpha bark on me.

I had no choice but to do as he demanded, my eyes flicking open to meet his gaze. It was as if he was trying to look into my soul, and whatever he saw in my eyes had him shifting his hand from my throat to cupping my face. His lips slammed to mine in a punishing kiss as he forced me to open and surrender to him. This stubborn grizzly bear of a man was refusing to let me be the martyr and even now was fighting to give this vision of a family a chance. It was painful, yet at the same time, a balm to my soul that he saw me. Right now, he was cutting through the bullshit to gain access to my true emotions, which were anything but cold and callous.

“I need you to remember what I said the other day, Lainey. No matter what, we need to fight for each other. In order to do that, both sides must be willing to battle it out,” he whispered urgently. “I won’t let you leave this house until I know everything you’re not telling us, which I have a feeling is a lot. I’m going to fight for you, even if you can’t fight for us right now. Do you hear me, doll? I know deep in my soul you’re ours. Don’t give up on us, please.”

The ‘please’ is what broke me, and out came the sob I’d been holding back since he pinned me against this wall. Never in my life had anyone fought for me, and when I found people who would, I betrayed them, lied, and used the trust they gave me to manipulate the situation. I didn’t deserve them, not in this life or the next for all the bullshit I’d done.

Yet there was one thing I did know…

I wanted to fight.