Owned by the Billionaire(20)

A hard voice suddenly cut through the horror and fear. "I'll give you my votes, Clarice. Call off your animals."

I whimpered as the fingers violating my ass and pussy were suddenly yanked out. Protesting male voices rose around me, but I blocked them out, pulling up my legs to huddle on the floor, my face in buried in my arms. I felt dizzy, faint and nauseous from shock, and the noise and lights around me faded into buzzing chaos. After what seemed like an eternity, gentle hands pulled me my feet, and my blue dress dropped down over my head. I yanked it the rest of the way on, desperate for its meager protection, and then wrapped my arms tightly around my waist. As my vision gradually cleared, I recognized Miles standing beside me and gratefully leaned into his strength. He dropped a comforting arm around my shoulders.

Clarice walked into view and I lurched backwards in terror. Miles' arm tightened around my shoulders reassuringly, holding me in place. She peered into my pale face, and then tsked condescendingly. "I do believe you're right, Miles. The poor thing seems to have bitten off more than she could chew. It's so good of you to rescue her from her folly."

"Do we have a deal or not, Clarice? I think you've made your point here." His voice was tight with anger and his arm fell away from me. I closed my eyes, cringing with shame from my abject failure. His bitch of an ex-wife was going to use me against him after all, despite my efforts to free him from her vengeful manipulations. It had all been for nothing.

Clarice's bright laughter grated on my frayed nerves. "I'm going to raise the price, actually. Now that you've had such a graphic preview of what will occur if you refuse my offer." I felt Miles' tremble with rage as she went on. "There will be another vote in a month, the final approval for the merger. You'll vote with me then, too." Her sweet voice had absolutely no give. "Or Harry and Marco will finish the job. They won't be nearly as nice to her next time, either. They're a bit angry, and really, who can blame them? She's such a tease."

My knees gave out and I slipped to the floor, dark spots dancing before my eyes. Miles looked down at me, scowling blackly, and then turned back to Clarice. "Fine." He spat the word out. "Sign over her contract and I'll vote your way twice, at your discretion." A pit of despair opened inside me, as I realized that I'd actually made things even worse for Miles.

She grinned triumphantly. "I'll have the agreements drawn up. It won't take long, so why don't we just wait here, if you don't mind."

"Send your thugs away first." She shrugged, and sent the men out of the room with a wave of her hand. I was glad to see them go, even as I trembled on the floor, my throat aching with unshed tears. The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. I stayed on the floor, huddling in miserable silence. Clarice was all smiles, cheerfully making small talk, while Miles snarled monosyllabic answers. Thankfully, they both ignored me. At last, the legal agreements arrived, and were duly signed and notarized. I recognized the tacky red and white contract Miles received, my own scrawled signature splashed across the bottom. God, how stupid I'd been.

"Well, I do believe we're finished here! Thank you for your cooperation, Miles." She turned to me, smiling widely and I shuddered, reluctantly pulling myself to my feet. "And especially you, Rachel. Thank you so very, very much. I could never have gotten his agreement without your... assistance." I flinched at the pointed barb, and glanced timidly at Miles. He refused to meet my eyes, his jaw clenched with rage.

We left the building in total silence. On the long drive back to his mansion, I started to speak a few times, but the words died in my throat. I really didn't know what to say. Miles slammed open the car-door as soon as we arrived at his home, and stalked up the front door. Hesitantly, I followed him, but he never looked back. He strode down the hallway and flung open the door to what was clearly his home office, crossing the room to his desk. I drifted in behind him, and quietly shut the door.

Keeping his back to me, he opened a drawer and retrieved a dusty bottle. He poured a few fingers of some dark liquor into a glass tumbler, and then downed it in a single motion. A bit more calmly, he poured another, and then turned to face the lit fireplace, cradling the glass in his hands and still deliberately ignoring my presence. Gingerly, I stepped up beside him, and stared into the flames. After a long moment, he sighed, and his shoulders slumped.

I gathered my courage. "Miles... I am so, so sorry. I never meant..." I flinched, gasping, as he burst into motion, hurling his glass into the fire, where it shattered it loudly. He turned to me and snarled viciously.

"You're sorry?!? You're sorry?!? You stupid girl, you have no fucking idea what you've cost me!" I backed up a step, eyes wide with shock, but he crowded me up against his desk. His voice lowered to a venomous hiss. "I wish to God I had never met you!"