Dangerous Temptations(42)

This was so not how I wanted him to find out.

The three of us stayed silent, no one making the move to speak first.  Finally, William swallowed and shrugged out of his suit coat, setting it  on the entryway table. "Alexander, I'd like to speak with my fiancée  alone." He looked over me at Alex.

"What are you doing home already?" I blurted out. I was sure it hadn't been two hours since he had called me.

His eyes blinked to mine, expressionless. "I was able to get an earlier flight."

I swallowed in response. I was guilty. So fucking guilty.

"Alexander … " he prompted, but Alex made no attempt to move.

"No … " His tone was harsh, agitated. "I'm not leaving you alone with her."

What the hell?

"Alexander … it's not up for debate. You need to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." I turned to scowl at him, but the death glare  he was shooting at William stopped me. His buff arms were crossed  against his chest and his legs spread apart. He looked ready for a  fight.

I looked back at William, who was walking toward me. He grabbed my elbow  and pulled me toward him. "We need to talk." He guided me through the  hallway, my nerves becoming almost unbearable. I could feel Alex behind  us, following. I would've expected William to yell, be upset-anything.  But he was chillingly calm as he walked us through the apartment.

"Wait … " I froze, his fingers losing their grip on me. I wasn't sure I  trusted him. I didn't want to buy into his lies anymore. "Tell me out  here."

He looked down at me and then glanced back behind me where I knew Alex  was standing. "It's not something I'd like to talk about in the open."

"Why?" I challenged.

"Because this is our business, Mackenzie, and with the media running off  with their story, I can't be too careful who I speak in front of."

I heard Alex huff in an amused laugh. "In case you're not getting it,  Mac … he's saying he doesn't trust me, which is real fresh considering the  man has built his life on lies."         

     



 

"Alexander … " William hissed, warning him with his eyes. "Get out."

"No." He stood his ground, and I could see William's patience running  thin. "I don't trust you either. I'm not going to let you brainwash her,  make me the bad guy, and run off into the sunset with my girl."

"Excuse me?" He took a step forward.

"You haven't even asked if the rumors were true … " he challenged. I  looked between the both of them and then wondered the same thing myself.

"I don't have to … it's quite clear they are." William looked back at me,  shooting a look of disappointment. I swallowed in response, but then  realized I didn't care what he thought anymore. After learning the  truth, and now seeing him this way, my decision was perfectly clear.

"I'm not your girl … " I snapped at Alex, and then turned my head to  William. "Whatever it is you want to talk about, save it. Yes, the  rumors are true. Believe me when I say I didn't want you to find out  this way, but whoever is running the story couldn't have picked a better  time." I sighed, defeated. "But you're both fucking liars. I'm grabbing  my shit and leaving."

I turned to step around William, but he caught my arm, forcing me to  look up at him. "You aren't going anywhere, Mackenzie. We're talking  about this." His eyes were intense as he stared down at me, his lips in a  firm line. "We can work this out. My PR is already working on damage  control. The story will go away by next week."

I looked down at his firm grip on me, and then blinked back up at him. "Who do you plan to pay off this time?"

"What?"

"You heard me … "

He glanced back at Alex, who was more than likely flashing a shit-eating  grin, then back down at me. "Whatever he's told you is a lie."

I heard Alex scoff a deep throaty laugh.

"It doesn't matter, William. The engagement is over … " I ripped my arm  from his grip and walked off, but once again, he followed me.

"Like hell it is!"

I spun around quickly, making him bump right into me. I tugged on my  left ring finger, freeing the rock I had been wearing for the past year.  "You're not the man I thought you were. And apparently, I can't be the  woman you want." I held it out between my fingers, waiting for him to  reach for it, but he didn't. So I bent down and set it on the table  instead.

"Why are you being so stubborn, Mackenzie?" he growled. "I'm willing to  take you back after you had an affair with my son, and now you're ending  our engagement?"

"Don't you get it?" I shook my head at him. "I don't want you to take me  back! Our entire relationship is a lie. I know nothing about you. Your  life revolves around your career, and I'm just a side dish in your  eight-course meal."

"You can't possibly think that's true. I've given you everything I know how to give … "

I shrugged, pushing back the tears. "I'll admit I didn't realize it at  first, but now that I have, I can't continue to live like this. It's not  fair to me and it's not fair to you. This just wasn't meant to happen."

I started walking away again, but William firmly squeezed my wrist and  turned me around to face him. He pulled me toward him, much more  aggressively than I had ever seen him before. This was definitely not  the William I thought I was marrying. "I won't accept that, Mackenzie."  His face tensed and his eyes turned cold. "You're my fiancée, and I'm  not letting you leave."

I saw Alex walk up from behind him just as I yanked my wrist out of his  grip. "What is it with you Lancasters? You are so used to getting your  way that you can't even fathom someone disagreeing with you? Well,  newsflash … I. AM. DONE. I don't need liars in my life … I've had enough of  that growing up."

"I never lied, Mac … not once," Alex intervened, standing closer.

"Oh, really? Why don't you tell your dad how you met me at the club one  night … why don't you tell him how you knew it was me and how you  purposely took me to your hotel suite. And while you're at it, why don't  you try and convince me that I wasn't just a revenge lay to get back at  your Dad … " But before he could get a word in, I turned to William and  yelled in his face, "And why don't you tell me what actually happened to  your late wife? And what else have you covered up or lied about to  ‘protect your image'? C'mon … enlighten me!" I yelled at both of them,  adrenaline fueling the courage to fight back. William had me fooled all  along … everything about him was a lie. "I trusted you," I hissed at him.  "I trusted you and you made a fool of me." I couldn't stop the tears  from pouring out; the thought of me almost marrying a man I hardly knew  made me sick. "Well, wish granted … "         

     



 





Chapter Twenty-Five



Once I felt content yelling at Alex and William, I grabbed my purse and  stormed out, warning both of them to not follow me. It remained silent  until I slammed the door behind me, realization surfacing that I had  nowhere to go.

I immediately grabbed my phone to call Staci, but I knew she'd be busy  working. I decided to call anyway, hoping she'd pick up and let me crash  with her.

The second I stepped outside, reporters started screaming and flashing  their cameras at me. "Mackenzie! Mackenzie! Are the rumors true? Are you  having an affair with Alexander Lancaster?"

"Oh my god … " I tried not to panic, but they were barely giving me enough  room to breathe. "No comment!" I screamed back, pushing my way through.  How did they think that was going to get me to talk? God … they were  relentless.

"Mackenzie!" More screams. "What's your relationship with Mr. Lancaster's son?"

I pushed through, needing space to find a cab. I needed out of here. Anywhere.

"Mac! Mac!" I heard a deep, hurried voice.

I spun around to Alex running toward me. Great.

The moment they noticed him, they enclosed us in a circle with their  cameras and flashing lights, making it impossible to think, impossible  to get away. I held my arms up, bracing myself. "Alexander!" they  screamed as he reached where I was.

"C'mon … let's get out of here." He grabbed my arm and pulled me with him toward a cab.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I mumbled, but right now, I knew I  didn't have much of a choice. He squeezed my arm harder, warning me not  to argue with him. I knew the more exposure in public we had, the more  the media would spread rumors. "Fine … " I agreed when he opened the door  and pushed me inside. I moved all the way over to the other side and  rambled off Staci's address before Alex could shut the door.

"No … take us to the Four Seasons on Fifty-seventh," he directed to the driver. He took off before I could speak up.