Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2) (9 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Trinity

I twirled my glass in my hand, smiled politely and responded to questions, but I couldn’t take it any longer. Between the speculative glances Derrick’s wife aimed in my direction, and the daggers Miles shot me from across the room, I needed a break.

I tugged on the sleeve of Knox’s jacket. “I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

He eyed me suspiciously for a second, then nodded.

I was halfway down the hall when someone grabbed my wrist and whirled me around.

“What are you doing here?” Derrick hissed next to my ear. “I thought we agreed to stay away from each other until this thing cools down.”

“Not here,” I said, yanking my wrist out of his grasp.

I pushed open a nearby door, pulled him inside and locked it behind us. I glanced around the room. A large mahogany desk took center stage in the middle of the floor. Sunflower yellow curtains framed the window. A cornflower blue and ivory rug blanketed the floor. We were in his office.

He paced the length of the room, pausing near the window with his hands on his hips. “Why are you here?”

“I didn’t have a choice. I left you a message this afternoon warning you. Didn’t you get it?”

“No.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Jesus, Trinity, my mother was here.”

“I didn’t realize,” I said, my voice trailing off. “I didn’t think—”

His hand slashed through the air. “No, you didn’t. My wife is coming out of her skin. She doesn’t want you here. She has this crazy idea that someone will notice a family resemblance between us.”

I rolled my eyes. “Other than the color of our hair and eyes, we look nothing alike.”

His gaze swept over my body. “I don’t think so either, but Ellen doesn’t agree.”

“Great.” I folded my arms across my chest. “Well, tell her I’m sorry, and I’ll avoid darkening her door from now on. I didn’t even think she knew about me.”

He glanced at the floor. “She didn’t know anything about it until I got that letter,” he said, his voice lowering an octave. “The one that started this whole mess.”

“Why’d you tell her?”

He raked his hands through his hair. “Because I didn’t want her to find out about it through the media if things got ugly.”

I leaned against the side of his desk, feeling lightheaded. “We’re going to figure a way out of this mess, Derrick.”

“Yeah, I don’t know. I can’t do this much longer. I won’t drag my family through the mud. If it doesn’t stop soon, I’m going to withdraw from the race. Then they won’t be able to hold anything over my head.”

“Give me a couple of weeks before you decide. I have a lead. That’s why I’m here.”

He jammed his hands into his pockets. “What is it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it tonight, but I think you’re right about Miles.” I didn’t want anyone to find us in Derrick’s study. It’d raise red flags, and people might dig into our connection. If Miles knew Derrick was my half-brother, other people might be able make the connection.

He angled his head to the side. “What do you know?”

“Not much.” I pushed away from the desk and moved to the door. “But I think he has something to do with the blackmail scheme. I don’t think you’re the only victim either.”

“Fuck.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Who else?”

“I don’t have any concrete information, but I think Representative Lang is involved, either as a co-conspirator or a victim.”

His shoulders tensed, then he gave a jerky nod. “Okay. I’ll call you Monday and we’ll get together again. I want to know everything.”

I tugged on the lapel of his jacket. “Don’t spend the weekend worrying about this. We’ll figure something out.”

“I won’t.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “How does Knox Black fit into this whole thing?”

Several answers flickered through my mind, but I decided to keep the details to myself. “He doesn’t.” I shrugged. “He’s just a tool to get Miles to stay away from me. Why is Miles here, anyway?”

“He donated to my campaign in the past. My staff sent him an invite without consulting me.” He rocked back on his heels. “Do us both a favor and don’t get involved with Knox.”

I froze with my hand in the middle of turning the delicate glass doorknob. “Is there something I should know about him?”

“Nothing in particular.” He picked at the lint on his charcoal jacket. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to get close to anyone right now given what’s going on.”

I studied him for a moment, trying to determine his motives, but his face was perfectly blank. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” I opened the door. “Stay here for a few minutes before you join the party again.”

He nodded, and I closed the door softly behind me. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose, struggling to calm my frayed nerves.

“Did you find the bathroom?” Knox said, leaning against the wall just outside Derrick’s study, his arms folded across his chest.

The fabric of his navy suit jacket pulled across his arms. His blond hair kissed the collar of his crisp white shirt. A lopsided smile inched across his face. His attempt to disarm me didn’t work. Beneath his façade of relaxed charm, anger seeped from his pores, and his icy eyes contradicted his phony smile.

My gaze fell away, and I twisted the bracelets on my wrist around and around. I contemplated how to sidestep his question, but in the end, I decided to tell him the truth. I needed his help, and I wouldn’t get it if he didn’t trust me.

“I never made it to the bathroom. I ran into Derrick Benton, and he wanted to talk to me.”

He shot me a damning look. “I thought you didn’t know him,” he said, enunciating every word with meticulous detail.

“That isn’t entirely true, but we don’t talk often.” He held up his hand to interrupt me, but I ignored him. “Can we save this conversation for the car ride to my place?”

I held my breath, my eyes wide and pleading as I begged him without words to accept my explanation. For now, anyway. I didn’t know what I planned to tell him, but it couldn’t be the entire truth. My relationship with Miles taught me not to trust easily, and I needed to keep that in the forefront of my mind with Knox unless and until I understood exactly what he wanted from Derrick and me.

Knox shoved his hands through his hair repeatedly. His previously tamed locks stuck out in every direction, and I buried my hands in the folds of my dress to stop myself from smoothing them back in place.

“Fine, but no more lies.” Knox’s eyes held mine for a beat, and when I couldn’t take it any longer, I turned and moved toward the party. Still behind me, Knox cleared his throat pointedly and I glared at him over my shoulder. He held out his hand, wiggling his fingers, a smirk on this face. “Don’t you want to hold my hand, sweetheart?”

Right. I’d forgotten about our arrangement. He shoved away from the wall, and I laced my fingers through his. The self-satisfied look on his face didn’t escape my attention. “You’re enjoying this whole charade quite a bit, aren’t you?”

“I am, actually. Miles is playing right into our hands. Have you seen the way he’s been looking at you?”

“No.” I shivered. “I’ve been ignoring him.”

“Good.” He squeezed my hand tighter. “Whatever you’re doing is driving him crazy, but I think we can go. I’m done bullshitting for the night.”

I smiled at him. “I know what you mean. If I hadn’t bumped into Derrick, I would’ve barricaded myself in the bathroom for twenty minutes to recuperate for round two.”

With his hand burning a hole in mine, Knox guided us out of the house and to the front sidewalk. He handed our ticket to the valet.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The sky was a gloomy blue-gray. I stared into evening light, taking in the decadent expanse of Derrick’s brick-paved driveway. It stretched the length of at least three football fields, looping underneath the white-columned portico of the house and returning to the serene tree-lined street. Flickering gas lit lamps cast a warm glow over the double door entrance. The opulent two-story foyer and the oversized ballroom resembled a hotel more than a private residence. For all its grandeur, something about it unsettled me. Maybe it was the ivy that curled up the side or the twin rows of pines that cast shadows on the driveway like guards ready to pounce on unwilling victims.

A tremor rippled down my spine. Not for the first time since Derrick walked into my life, I noted the disparity between his life and mine. We had the same father, but he had everything handed to him whereas I had to claw my way through life. I didn’t resent him for his inherited wealth, his success, or the relative ease of his life, but I couldn’t lie. My life would’ve been so much easier if my father had sprinkled a little fairy dust in my direction. I could’ve gone to college. My mom might’ve stuck around to raise Faith and me. I wouldn’t have worried when my uncle lost his job. I could’ve taken all the ballet lessons I wanted.

Sometimes, I wondered why my mom never pressed him for money. But more often, I wondered why he never offered. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I’d ever get the answers to those questions. Richard Benton died almost six months ago, and my mom had been gone so long she might as well have been dead too.

I shivered as a puff of cold air curled around my bare arms, goose bumps peppering every inch of exposed skin.

“Are you cold?” Knox said.

“I’ll be okay once I get in the car,” I answered, rubbing my hands up and down my arms.

“You might freeze to death before then.” He hooked his hands around my waist and pulled me against his warm muscled chest. Stunned, I stood motionless. “At a party this size, they need more than one person manning the valet,” he said, his warm breath whisked across my hair. My body softened, already traitorously drunk on the feel of his body against mine. What was it about this man?

I nodded absently, each sweeping brush of his thumb against my dress making me breathless in anticipation of his next move. I should’ve pushed him away, but I was incapable of doing the sensible thing. Voices trickled from the party. The front door opened and closed a few times, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything except the tightening of my breasts, the staccato beat of my heart and the rich scent of masculine cologne.

Before I could make sense of his actions or my reactions, he buried his cheek in the curve of my neck. “Did I tell you how much I like this dress? You’re beautiful,” he whispered, the stubble on his face brushing against my ear. The air hummed with electricity, sharpening the magnetic pull between us.

Temptation surged hard and fast through my veins, and I tipped my head to the side, inviting his touch even though my mind begged me to stop whatever this was before it went too far. God knew, I didn’t need to complicate my life any further. In fact, there were thousands of reasons why I shouldn’t get involved with Knox, even for a night or a moment. Then he caught my ear between in his teeth and nipped.

“Knox,” I muttered. “We shouldn’t—” My voice trailed off as his warm lips pressed against the curve of my shoulder, skating up my neck and across my jaw to the corner of my mouth. Thoughts of resisting evaporated like tendrils of smoke in the night.

He transfixed me.

He captivated me.

He held me hostage in a web of desire.

His lips paused near my mouth for a second, waiting for something. A sign? My capitulation? His dilated eyes stared into mine, and my insides knotted uncomfortably. Tension stretched between us, lengthening and thickening with each passing second. At that instant, I would’ve done anything for him to kiss me. It was all I could think about. My body felt like a time bomb ready to explode.

I opened my mouth to ask for what I needed, and the air tripped in my lungs, a small moan escaping my parted lips. That was all the encouragement he needed. His body shifted closer to mine, our legs tangling and erasing every suggestion of space between us. I didn’t know who made the next move, but suddenly our lips fused together like two halves of a whole.

My hands edged up his chest and around his neck, eventually landing in the silken strands of his hair. His lips slanted against mine, and I unlocked my mouth, giving him what he demanded and taking what I wanted. I clung to him, tasting him, exploring him and meeting him stroke for stroke. I melted into him.

“Trinity,” he breathed against my mouth, and my heart swelled with warmth. I loved the rumbling sound of my name on his lips.

“Yes?” I answered, sliding one of my hands inside his jacket, twining his striped tie around my wrist.

His hands slipped from my waist, and he stepped back. He cleared his throat. “The car is here.”

I blinked away the fog of lust and zeroed in on Knox’s blue BMW sedan, idling next to the curb. The valet stood next to the open passenger door, his eyes carefully averted. “Right.” I nodded. “I see that.”

Ten minutes later, Knox pulled over to the curb on a quiet side street and lowered the volume on his radio to a faint hum. The sudden stop set my already frayed nerves on edge. Neither of us had made a single comment when we got in his car. At some point, he planned to bring up my connection to Derrick, but my mind was stuck on repeat, replaying our kiss so many times I thought my head would explode.

“Look, Trinity, I’m sorry about that kiss. It got out of hand.” My stomach rolled, and I clutched my purse to my chest, digging the pads of my fingers into the gold buckle. I didn’t like where this was headed. “But when Miles followed us out, I realized he intended to approach you, and I took advantage of the opportunity to make him believe him we’re together.”

Red-hot shame crept up my face. I’d forgotten about his suggestion to pretend we were together. He’d been playing a game to goad Miles, and I got caught up in the moment, romanticizing the kiss. Romanticizing the moment.

“Right, Miles,” I finally muttered when the silence threatened to become uncomfortable.

“Good news, though, I think it worked. Did you catch his expression after we got in the car?”

“Um.” I licked my lips, then cleared my throat. “Actually, I missed it.”

He chuckled. “Too bad. I think you would’ve enjoyed it.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right,” I mumbled, focusing on the details of the darkened windows in front of me so I wouldn’t give in to the insane urge to cry. I felt like a total idiot. Sadly, I didn’t want or need another man in my life right now, but the second Knox kissed me I’d been ready to toss my convictions out the window.

He squeezed my upper arm. “Are you okay?”

“Of course,” I blurted out. “I was just thinking.”

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Tell me about Benton.”

I jerked my head to the side so I could see his face. “What do you want to know?” I asked, stalling for time.

“Everything. I need to understand your motives, and while I believe you’re done with Miles, I’m not sure what’s going on with Benton.”

I chewed my bottom lip. “Why does my relationship with him matter? You told me Lang and Miles were involved in a blackmail scheme. How does Benton fit in the picture?”

“I’m not revealing anything else until I understand the exact extent of your relationship with Benton.”

Defeat settled in my bones, and my shoulders sagged. “There’s not much to tell. I met him before I moved to D.C. He’s helped me out financially on occasion. That’s it.”

“Did you have an affair with him?”

I snorted. “No. Not even close.”

He turned to face me, his back pressing into the driver’s side door. “Then start explaining because I’m not interested in playing twenty questions tonight.”

“His dad knew my mom. Derrick found me in Texas and helped me relocate to D.C. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and he’s helped me out from time to time. That’s it.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “That doesn’t make sense. There has to be more than that.” I saw the moment the pieces of the puzzled clicked. His head jerked up, and his blue eyes were glacial. “Please tell me you’re not some long lost relation. Are you cousins?”

“He’s my half-brother,” I whispered, my voice nearly inaudible. My stomach churned with acid. I hated breaking my promise to Derrick, but I didn’t see any way around it. I needed Knox’s help.

He slammed his hand against the center console. Then he pressed the ignition button and shifted the gearshift into drive.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” I asked, tucking my hands under my thighs to stop myself from fidgeting.

Silence engulfed the car as he pulled away from the curb. “Does Miles know?” he asked without looking at me, cold anger wrapping around his words.

“I’ve never told him, but it’s possible.” I rubbed my face. “Derrick thinks he knows,” I added.

“He’s probably right,” he said gruffly.

“Are you mad?”

His hooded gaze slanted to me, then returned to the road. “No, but I’m revoking my offer. You can’t work with me. This arrangement is over.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and my mouth felt dry. I needed Knox’s help. I was running out of options. I didn’t want to disappoint Derrick after everything he had done for me. “Why not?”

“I can’t trust you.”

“You can,” I insisted, moving my head up and down, my heart pounding inside my chest erratically. “Give me a week to prove it.”

“Why the fuck would I do that?” he snarled.

“You need my help with Miles,” I answered, my stomach clenching painfully.

His car came to a stop in front of my townhome. His head dipped, shrouding his face in the shadows. He looked…dangerous. Ruthless. I didn’t know this man.

Uncertainty ghosted down my spine, and I cleared my throat. His icy glare landed on me, and his features appeared more rugged than usual. His cheekbones looked like they were carved in marble, his eyes hooded, his lips sensuous and cruel at the same time.

“No, I really don’t. Benton is tangled up in this whole mess, and something tells me you already know that. You’re a liability. The best thing you can do is get the hell out of my car and forget you ever met me.” He didn’t hesitate. He leaned across me and cracked open the door. “Goodnight, Trinity,” he gritted out with a steely edge that said he wouldn’t change his mind.

I stared at him for a second, looking for a crack in his frosty veneer. His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head slightly, almost warning me not to argue with him.

I sighed in resignation. “Fine. If that’s what you want, I won’t fight you.” I grabbed my keys from my purse. With my head high, I vaulted out of the car and jogged up my front steps, never looking back once.

Screw Miles.

Screw Knox.

I didn’t need either of them.