been rejected or did he consider himself fortunate not to have grown up with Jed?
Except if he was so well-adjusted, why was he out to hurt them?
“You never contacted us,” she said.
“I could say the same about you and yours.”
“We didn’t know about you. Jed never said anything.” She wondered what he was thinking and decided to press on the most obvious points. “You’re angry.”
“No.”
“You’re looking for some kind of revenge.”
He leaned back in his chair, as if perfectly relaxed. “You have an imagination. Cruz must enjoy that.”
“If you’re not interested in hurting us, why all the sabotage?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The words sounded good, but he was practically smiling as he spoke.
“Oh, please. The loan you called? Jed’s horses? Skye’s foundation being investigated? The insider trading? It’s an impressive list.”
“Yes, it is.”
And there’s more.
He didn’t say the words-he didn’t have to. They hung in the air like smoke, making her throat tighten.
“How much more?” she whispered.
He shrugged.
“I know about the lawsuit.”
“Are you being sued?” he asked. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s not news. You set it up. She works for you.”
“Who?”
“The woman suing me. Ann. You’re using her. What do you care if she’s breaking the law, right? It’s just the cost of doing business. Except it’s her life you’re playing with.” And her own, Lexi thought, only Garth wouldn’t care about that.
“You’ve taken on a cause for someone you don’t know? Interesting.”
She couldn’t walk away, not yet. “It’s one thing to come after us. We’re Titans. We can take care of ourselves. But Ann isn’t one of us. She’s an innocent party. She could be charged with extortion and fraud.”
He shrugged. “She could, but would you do that to someone like her? I don’t think so.”
“You’re assuming I’ll protect her?”
“Do you have it in you to go after her?”
Lexi didn’t want to answer that. The truth was she wouldn’t hurt Ann. She would take the hit herself before destroying another person’s life.
“When did you get to be a bastard?” she asked bitterly.
Garth smiled. “I was born one.”
“I walked into that one,” she muttered. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can. Because I’m good at it.”
Fear nestled in her stomach. “To what end?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
Not exactly a comforting response. “Why now?”
He didn’t answer.
She was sure he had a plan and reasons why he thought this timing was better than it had been, say a year ago. There was something. Either he had more money or something had happened.
“I understand why you’re angry with Jed,” she said slowly. “But why us?”
“You’re part of the family.”
“Exactly. We’re connected. We have a bond. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“No.”
There was no emotion in his eyes. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t seen it before, but it was clear now. The lack of anything. He’d been amused before, but little else. She didn’t scare him or threaten him. She was nothing to him.
“Does your attack on us have anything to do with your mother?” she asked.
A muscle tightened in his cheek. “Not at all. Why do you ask?”
Was Kathy the way in? Was she a vulnerability? Not that Lexi was the type to exploit her, either. “We’ve met a couple of times. She’s very nice. What happened to her?”
His expression didn’t change, but she felt the anger radiating from him. He wanted to warn her away. To tell her she couldn’t go there. But to do so meant showing a vulnerability. At least that was Lexi’s interpretation of things. It was hard to be sure when all she had to work with was a cheek twitch and a blank stare.
He rose. “While I’ve enjoyed our conversation, I have a meeting.”
“Right.” She stood.
They walked to his door.
“We’ll have to do this again,” he said, his tone mocking. “Maybe the four of us could get together.”
“You won’t win. We’re Titans.”
“So am I,” he said softly. “And I never lose.”
“You will this time, Garth. No matter how hard you try.”
He gave her a cold smile. “I plan to do a whole lot more than try.”
CRUZ WALKED INTO the bathroom and waited while Lexi finished in the shower. He supposed the polite thing to do was to announce himself or wait outside, but polite wasn’t his style. Besides, he never got tired of the show.
The water turned off, then the door opened. Lexi appeared in a cloud of steam, like an otherworld princess. She reached for the towel, saw him and jumped.
“You scared me,” she said, with a smile. “I’m going to have to put a bell around your neck.”
“I enjoy surprising you.”
He was talking about the previous night when he’d arrived home late from a meeting. She’d already been in bed, asleep. He’d slowly peeled back the covers, then drawn down her nightgown. He’d awakened her with his kisses on her breasts.
She’d responded fully, pleasing him with her words and her body. Touching her was like touching sunlight- unbelievably exciting and not for mortal man. She could make him hard with a single glance, bring him to his knees with an invitation. Not that he would ever confess the latter.
Now at the mention of their lovemaking, she turned her head, but not before he saw her blush.
She’d said that her other lovers had found her wanting, but he didn’t believe it. She was erotic and beautiful, with a mind and wit that was just as arousing. He could talk to her for hours. He enjoyed making her laugh and how she teased him. She saw beyond what he’d become to the poor boy who still lurked inside. And still she wanted him.
She wrapped the towel around herself. “Are you just here to gawk?” she asked.
“Mostly, but I also have news.”
“Which is?”
“Ann Paul is gone.”
Lexi frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She’s moved. She turned in the keys to her apartment, packed up her things and left.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Did he kill her?”
Cruz held in a laugh. “No. She’s alive and living in Phoenix. She’s also dropped the lawsuit. Apparently you had some effect on her.”
“You mean my threats worked.” She didn’t sound happy.
“You didn’t threaten her. You told her the truth.”
“I frightened an already scared woman. That doesn’t make me proud of myself.”
“She was helping Garth hurt your business.”
“He used her. He didn’t care about her at all. She was a means to an end. And I played along with him. I hate that. I should have handled it another way.”
