Power of a Secret

LAUREN

I quickly wiped my eyes and cheeks, but it was too late. He’d already seen me, heard me, touched me.

His gray eyes, so intense, bore into mine.

My heart pounded as I broke free from his gaze, pushing him away to create some distance. Being near him was messing with my head.

Even under his intense stare, my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. For a moment, I was speechless, my mind a blank slate.

But I stood my ground, refusing to let him see how embarrassed I was. He’d caught me at my most vulnerable. And yet, he held me, wrapping me in his arms.

The nerve!

“You went to see her,” he said, his voice filled with contempt, his eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched.

But I wouldn’t let him intimidate me.

I wouldn’t let him think he could just stroll in here and accuse me. He seemed to forget that he wasn’t the one who had the right to be angry.

I was the one who’d been betrayed.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound calm despite my nerves.

Mason looked like he was struggling to keep his anger in check.

“You went to see her.”

“I can do whatever I want, in case you’ve forgotten,” I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest.

His gaze held me captive. My heart pounded, my breath hitched, and my mind screamed at me to put more distance between us.

To run.

So, I did. I turned to leave, hoping he’d get the hint and go.

His voice was soft, but his grip on my elbow was firm as he stopped me.

He turned me to face him, his eyes burning as he looked down at me. “Couldn’t you just leave it alone?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve told me how much you hate her. So why did you go see her?” He sounded exasperated. “You should have resisted the urge.”

The silence that followed was more intimidating than if he’d yelled or pushed me against a wall.

“Are you kidding me? Why are you acting so paranoid?” I scoffed, throwing my hands up in disbelief. “No, I don’t care. Just get out.”

His icy gray eyes felt like a knife cutting into me.

“No. You’re going to tell me what she told you, Lauren. Right now.”

“You have no right to ask me that, Mr. Campbell.”

“Yes, I do. You’re my wife.” His voice was barely controlled.

The room fell silent again as I searched for a response. His possessive tone surprised me, as did the strange sensation in my stomach.

I tried to hide it.

I tried to hide how his presence affected me, how he consumed me. Whether it was his touch, his presence, or his gaze, it was all him. Dark and intense.

But I wouldn’t back down.

Maybe I had at first, but now his anger was like a drug. The power struggle between us was addictive.

Unhealthy, but still intense.

Mason sounded impatient. “What the fuck did she tell you to make you break down like that?”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to explain.

I was the victim here, but he was the one with the power. If I pushed him, he’d push back harder.

And I didn’t have time for that.

I wanted him gone.

“If you must know, she told me the truth. She never loved me or my dad. She left us because Dad didn’t have money. Are you happy now? It’s not about you.”

He didn’t seem relieved or satisfied with my answer. He didn’t even seem surprised. Not that I thought he cared about me. But he did care about something.

Why else would he want to know what Ginny and I had talked about?

“Did she say anything else?” he asked, his gaze intense as he leaned in closer.

“She’s here to collect a debt. Care to explain that?” My voice was barely a whisper as I searched his eyes for any sign of what was going on.

I just needed a glimpse into his mind.

His blank expression forced a smile from me. “Seeing as she’s your partner, you must know why she’s here. Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to mention that you’re the one who brought her back. There must be a good reason, right?”

Mason moved closer, his body heat making me gasp.

He leaned in until our noses were almost touching. “Stay away from her. That’s all I need from you. It’s not that hard to understand simple English.”

“I don’t have to listen to you anymore. I don’t even like you, Mr.—”

“But you do have to listen to what I’m saying.”

His words held an underlying threat that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Keep the hell away from Ginny. Let me handle her. If you need someone to despise, despise me. If you need someone to battle, battle me. Unleash all your fury on me, but leave her out of it.”

His hands were gripping my shoulders, and I squirmed a bit under the intensity. His voice held a warning, but there was something else there too.

A plea.

“Why? Give me one good reason why I should?”

“Because everything I do, I’m not doing it to hurt you,” he shot back, his gaze locked on me as if he couldn’t bear to look away.

The room suddenly felt airless, as if an unseen fire had sucked up all the oxygen.

My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.

“Don’t…don’t say that to me.”

“I told you, I don’t lie.”

His words, his tone, they made my heart pound even harder, my limbs shake even more.

“You say that and then you do something to hurt me. I can’t trust your words, Mason, I just can’t. And right now, I need you to please leave. I can’t even stand to look at you, let alone talk to you.”

We locked eyes for another long minute. But I was the one who finally broke the standoff, striding over to the door and yanking it open.

He was at my side in an instant, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he pulled my hand off the doorknob and pulled me into his chest.

“You’re coming with me,” he said, his voice holding a power that was uniquely his.

Anger surged in my stomach, joining the whirlwind of emotions already there.

“No, I’m not. Get out.”

He did something I never thought he would do; he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, there was a softness there that took my breath away.

He was worried.

I could see it in his eyes.

“Just…I’ll tell you everything you want to know if you come with me.”

“Just like how you tell me everything about you, huh? I’m sick of you promising to tell me everything and then not following through. I’m sick of all these secrets you’re keeping from me.

“I’m really, really tired.” I was emotionally and physically drained.

He looked at me, his teeth bared in a snarl. “Your mother—”

“She’s not my mom.”

“She’s a dangerous person. That’s why I need you to stay away from her.”

I had already decided to stay away from her, but I wasn’t about to let him know that.

“I know what she’s capable of. She told me what she did. She killed her husband.”

Mason sighed, running his fingers through his hair and tugging on it before dropping his hand.

“A lot of people want me dead or out of the way, Lauren. I’ve achieved what no one else has. I have money and status that people can only dream of.

“I’ve stared my enemies in the face and never shown fear. I’m not afraid of death.”

I caught my breath, realizing what he was trying to say.

“Ginny.”

The way he said her name made me flinch.

“Ginny has me by the balls, Lauren. The debt she spoke of? I owe it to her.”

“I don’t believe you. Are you trying to tell me you’re scared of her? You?”

“I’m not afraid of her,” he said, his eyes meeting mine as he stepped closer. “I’m afraid of what she might do.”

I frowned, tilting my head. “Do? To you?”

I stared at him, sure he was messing with me, but I couldn’t find any trace of a lie in his gray eyes, or his angry, hardened face.

“That’s the best I can give you right now, so come with me, love.”

I hesitated, thinking I must be losing my mind because I could actually sense his worry for me.

Unsure if I was just imagining his feelings, I said, “You still haven’t given me a reason to. And unless you do, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here.”

He actually growled at me.

I barely noticed that he had stepped closer until our chests brushed. He was hard and hot; the touch sent a shiver through me. His voice, low and enticing, did the same.

His gaze lingered on my face, then settled on my lips. “Is that it?”

My heart fluttered. “Yes.”

I took a step back. He followed.

“You should leave,” I whispered, stepping back again. And again. He matched me, step for step. He was too close. Far too close. I swallowed hard. “Mason.” A warning.

He tilted his head to the side.

“Fine.” Annoyance flashed across his face, but he didn’t try to hide it. “If you want to be stubborn, I can be stubborn.”

Before I could blink, he was out the door.