Releasing a yell of frustration, he grabs his hair, and I about come off of my couch from the shock of it. “What’s happening? You’re not yourself, and it’s scaring me. Maybe you should go.”
Looking to the window again, he exhales a long breath.
“I see there’s no way around this conversation. If you wanted me like I’ve wanted you, we could move away from here, and I wouldn’t have to confess this.” Bringing his gaze back to me, he stares hard with his green eyes. “Tell me how you came in contact with Ellis Burke.”
“What? How did you find out about that?”
“I know him.”
“How?”
“I work for him.”
“Once again, I don’t understand. Explain.”
Looking to the ceiling, his mouth moves, and is he for real saying a prayer right now? I’m about to kick his ass. “Tell me, Christopher, before I find a peanut and shove that allergen in your damn mouth.”
“Damn, that’s harsh. You’d kill me over this?”
“Seriously, if you’re any kind of friend to me, you will tell me what the fuck’s going on.”
“I was Tony Burke’s personal assistant for years, and once he discovered you were pregnant, he had me befriend you to find out what you were going to do about the baby.”
Stunned, I stare at him. “After you had Liam and I gave Tony all the information he wanted, I never told him we stayed in contact.”
“You were the friend I thought would never let me down,” I whisper. Wondering if I could ever look at Chris in the eyes again, I stare at the tan carpet instead.
“I’ve had strong feelings for you for a while now, but out of respect for Liam’s father, I’ve always shoved them down and dated other women, hoping like hell I’d fall in love with someone else.
“After Tony died, I thought maybe you and I could have a life together. Ellis offered me a job as his assistant last week, and I couldn’t resist the money, thinking I could use it to care for you and Liam, but then this morning he dropped this bomb on me.”
“So, Tony’s the friend you said died.”
“Yes, and now I’m supposed to be here handling affairs for Ellis, but I’ve been a fucking mess, going out of my mind over how to handle this.”
“Why would Tony have you spy on me?”
“He wanted to ensure you weren’t planning to cause him trouble. He said you held information you could use against him, and he also worried you might come after his money for Liam.”
“Wow, and I thought he was a worthless bastard before I knew this.”
“How did Ellis find out about you?”
“Against your wishes, I went to the funeral home. He did some digging after and figured it out. Now, he’s blackmailing me. If I want to keep Liam, I have to move into his house so he can see to it Tony’s child is raised as a Burke.”
Once again, Christopher is right at my feet and on his knees. His hands grab mine, but I pull them away.
“Camilla, I’m sorry for what I did. If you’ll give me a chance, I’ll prove to you that you can trust me again. You don’t have to live with Ellis. He can’t prove you’re unfit, so his threats mean nothing.”
“He does have leverage against me. He knows things about my past that could cause me to lose Liam, and do you honestly think I want anything to do with you after this?”
Hanging his head, he stands.
“I understand why you’re pissed at me, and I deserve it, but the friendship I gave you all these years was genuine. You need me right now, Cammy. If you agree to Ellis’s terms, then you’re going to want a friend while you’re living under the same roof as him.
“He can be difficult and demanding, and he’s seldom around children. I’m also suspicious that he has another motive since bringing you and Liam there is out of character for him.”
“I’ve taken care of myself for years now. I can handle Ellis Burke.”
“This is different, and you know it. You don’t get to be the one in control, and that’s going to kill you inside. Let me help you through this. If he pulls anything, like if he changes his mind about taking Liam from you, maybe I can diffuse the situation. I’ll also work on getting you out of this deal.”
Looking up at him from the couch, I glare.
“Now you’re manipulating me just like Tony and Ellis did.”
“I’m trying to make this right, OK? And he’s going to get suspicious if I don’t return with the answers he wants from you.”
“Fine, I’ll tell him what he wants to know, but it doesn’t mean I won’t rat you out. I haven’t decided.”