Trade It All(35)

Dax stepped closer to her. “Did. He. Hurt. You?”

A tear spilled down Willa’s cheek even as she lied. “No.”

In a gentle tone Dax said, “Don’t protect him, Willa. And don’t be afraid. No one will think any less of you.”

Angrily wiping her tears away, Willa said, “Why are you doing this?” More tears spilled over. “I need to get out of here.” She handed his phone back to him and pushed past both of them.

Dax stepped in front of her. “Kenzi thought the truth would turn people away from her, but it didn’t. If something happened, even with her brother, she could help you.”

“Please let me leave.”

Dax folded his arms across his chest. “I will if you can look me in the eye and tell me that Lance didn’t hurt you.”

It was too much. Too emotional. Too confusing. Willa said more than she meant to. “He didn’t mean to. We were young. He’d been drinking when I went to see him . . .” Willa’s voice trailed away as she realized that the way she’d said it fit with what Dax thought. “It isn’t what you think.”

Dax seemed to grow taller with anger. He turned to Clay. “Where is Lance now?”

“At his office, I imagine. We had planned to meet him there,” Clay said.

Turning on his heel, Dax strode out of the office.

Willa stood in frozen horror, then bolted after him. “Don’t do this, Dax.”

Dax shook his head. “Lance needs to know he can’t—”

“If you do this, the only one you’ll hurt is me,” Willa implored, putting up her hand to stop him.

Kate discretely left her office. Clay came to stand beside Willa.

I’ve kept it secret this long. Please, help me find the words to stop this. “I know you care about me, Dax. But you need to respect me, too. I’m asking you to stay out of it.” She turned pleading eyes to Clay. “You, too. This is a game to you, but it’s my life. Please.”

Clay grimaced. “It was a game at first, but not now. Now I feel like an ass.”

With anger still burning in his eyes, Dax said, “If he hurts you again, I’ll kill him. Even if he is Kenzi’s brother.”

“It wasn’t what you think, Dax. Lance would never do that. I can’t say more than that.” Willa let out a shaky breath. “Please keep this between us.”

A curt nod was Dax’s concession.

Tears of gratitude poured down Willa’s cheeks. Dax pulled her to his chest and gave her a brotherly hug. When Willa composed herself, he handed her a tissue from Kate’s desk.

Clay held out his arms, but Willa didn’t step into them. He made a face at her. “Really? Oh, I see how it is. I’ll keep your damn secret, too, but that hurt.”

Willa shook her head ruefully then hugged him. There was no attraction, no zing with Clay, and the hug was just as non-sexual as Dax’s had been. The man had layers. Who knew?

Over her head he asked, “I’ve always wanted a little sister. Can I have her?”

Willa stepped out of his arms. His comment made her smile even though her emotions were still all over the place. “It doesn’t work that way.”

Dax looked relieved that the emotional storm had passed. He joked to Clay, “We’ll share her.”

There was a knock on the outside door of the office. Kate popped her head in. “Mr. Barrington’s secretary called and would like to know what time to expect Mr. Landon this afternoon.”

Clay waved a hand in her direction. “I’m not able to make the meeting. My schedule is booked.”

Willa swallowed and shot Clay a grateful look.

Kate looked back and forth at the people in the room. “Do you want me to call—?”

Dax shook his head curtly. “We’re all set.”

Kate ducked back out and closed the door behind her.

The room was awkwardly quiet for a long moment. Willa cleared her throat and said, “Thank you.”

Clay arched an eyebrow. “If that’s all settled, can we move along to my problem?”

Dax rolled his eyes skyward as if asking for strength. “And that is?”

“What the hell does a personal assistant do?” Clay asked with a straight face, then he smiled. “’Cause I have no fucking idea.”

Willa found herself smiling along with him. “I don’t either.”

A corner of Dax’s mouth twitched as if he were amused but not giving in to it. “Willa is not working for you, Clay. She’ll work here. Willa, ask Kate what she needs help with.”

Yes, Dax was still talking about her as if she couldn’t make decisions for herself, but now that Willa knew he genuinely did care about her, she could forgive his Neanderthal side. Somehow it made her feel safe the way she had when her parents had been alive. She’d thought she wanted to escape the situation in Boston, but no matter where she went, the past would still be there.