Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(16)

I bounced my leg up and down, watching the clock on my nightstand as I waited.

One minute.

The toe of my flat echoed loudly on the hardwood floors. I should’ve invested in a rug, but I never bothered. For almost six months, I believed Miles and I would get engaged and I’d move into his house. Once our relationship fell apart, I couldn’t bring myself to commit to anything. Emotionally, I was stuck in the mud, not wanting to move forward, but knowing things would never be the same between Miles and me.

Two minutes.

“Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath. Derrick had been a complete jerk since I started working for Miles. Our bi-weekly phone calls turned into monthly calls and then stopped almost altogether in the past year.

Three minutes. I pulled the phone away from my ear, intending to disconnect the call when his voice echoed through my bedroom.

“What’s going on?” he barked.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Because I’m in the middle of an important meeting.”

“I’ve called you at least ten times in the last twenty-four hours. I’ve left you at least three messages. You haven’t returned any of my calls,” I said, doing little to hide my growing frustration with him.

“What do you need? Money? Help finding a job?”

I squeezed the phone so hard I was surprised it didn’t crumble. “No. I have a job, and I sure as hell don’t need your money. I mailed you a check two months ago repaying you for everything plus interest. You still haven’t cashed it.”

“I don’t want you to pay me back. The money was a gift. It was the least I could offer, considering…” He fell silent like he couldn’t bring himself to utter the words teetering on his lips. He hated talking about the circumstances of my childhood. It was almost as if he couldn’t stand to taint his beautiful life with the ugliness of mine.

Sucking in a deep breath through my nose, I bit the inside of my cheek to stifle the urge to blurt out a sarcastic response. “Cash the check, Derrick.” Despite what he said, I knew the money wasn’t intended as a string-free gift. I considered it hush money even though he’d never admit it. “I’m not going to tell anyone that your dad couldn’t keep his pants zipped. I have no interest in being associated with him.”

Richard Benton, my biological father, made a fortune talking and writing about the importance of being an honorable person. He preached and preached until he was blue in the face, but he didn’t think it was necessary for him to heed his own advice. I was proof of it—a walking, talking, breathing stain on his shiny legacy, my half-brother’s career, and the illustrious Benton family.

“Then what’s going on? I don’t have time to chat right now.”

Anger fired inside my chest, but I pushed it back. “You haven’t called me in months, and you still don’t have a few minutes to spare for me?”

Heavy breaths puffed through the phone, and I could imagine the frustration lining his normally serene face. “Just spit it out, Trinity,” he hissed. “I’m not in the mood for games. I’m having a bad week.”

“Fine.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I ran into someone a couple of days ago, and your name came up in conjunction with Representative Lang. I got the impression something problematic was going on. Is there anything I should know?”

“Are you asking me this or does this question come from your boyfriend?” he snarled.

I dug my free hand into my duvet cover. “We broke up.”

“Are you still working for him?”

“Yes, but I didn’t hear anything from him.”

For a moment, he didn’t respond, and I thought he hung up. “Tell me, Trinity. Did you tell Miles that we are related?”

“No,” I yelled, irritation mixed with sleep deprivation making my voice sharper and angrier than I had intended. “Absolutely not. I told him I never met my biological father. He didn’t ask anything else.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Derrick could be such a pompous ass. I didn’t know why I bothered with him.

“Yes, Derrick. I have never told anyone about our connection, and I have no intention of sharing that little detail anytime soon.” I shook my head. “I don’t want anyone’s pity.”

A weary sigh whistled through the phone. “Okay. I believe you.”

I cleared my throat. “Does someone know about me? Is that why you’re asking?”

“Yeah.”

My heart stuttered. “Oh shit,” I whispered. “What are you going to do?”

“My people are working on it, but I can’t promise anything. I might need you to publicly deny our connection at some point.”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “What does this have to do with Miles? Do you think he knows about us?”

“I’m not sure, but I don’t trust him. That’s why I’ve limited our contact over the last year.”

“You’re the second person to tell me that in the last week,” I mumbled, mostly to myself.

“What’d you say?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I answered.

“Just be careful what you say to people.”

I stood, pacing back and forth along the side of my bed. “And why’s that?”