Page 27 of Secret Revenge

I felt a hot flush on my neck and cheeks, and looked away to hide it. While I knew he was joking, I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed by his statement. The expression of amusement on Jonathan’s face was instantly replaced with one of deep concern.

“Emily,” Jonathan said, his voice deep and grandfatherly, “I hope you’re keeping a clear head with Travis around. It’s easy to get lost in the charm of men like him I know he may be rich and powerful, but that’s exactly why we can’t trust him.”

He frowned sternly at me. “Need I remind you that you’re getting revenge for your family? Or have you forgotten what happened to them? Men like Travis only see women as playthings, and you should be very careful with your heart. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I know!” I snapped, trying and failing to contain my anger over Jonathan so blatantly pointing out my own fears.

“You think I don’t know that?” I pushed out of my seat. “I’ll keep you updated on my progress with Travis.” I turned and leftimmediately, shutting Jonathan’s door a little more loudly than intended.

I burned furiously as I waited for a ride home. I hated how easily Jonathan had seen through me. He might see his daughter in me, but he wasn’t my dad. He didn’t get to hover.

I felt like a naive fool for getting sexually involved with Travis. There was only one thing for me to do at this point.

I needed to muster the courage to harden my heart and carry out what was necessary

13

EMILY

My attempts to steel myself only left me sleepless. Every time I closed my eyes, I had vivid dreams of Travis Ross.

I had too much going on in my head, and so I called Michael to distract me.

“Yeah… I’m home right now,” Michael said. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” I replied. “I am having a rough day, and I really need to clear my head.”

“You wanna come over?” Michael asked. I could hear the worry in his voice.

“Err, sure,” I replied. “If you don’t mind?”

“Never. See you soon.” The call ended and I hailed a passing taxi. Michael’s house was less than half an hour away from Jonathan’s office and the traffic was somewhat nonexistent at this time of the evening.

Jonathan’s words kept ringing in my head.Men like Travis only see women as playthings, and you should be very careful with your heart. I don’t want to see you getting hurt…

While part of me agreed with him, I had no proof to justify his words or fears. Despite my best efforts to see Travisnegatively, he had pleasantly surprised me at every turn. I hated that I could not convince myself of his terrible personality lurking beneath the surface. It felt like I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In our admittedly brief conversations and time spent together, I had never seen Travis disrespect anyone, or act like a jerk. He didn’t throw his money around, and he spoke kindly to others. His words and actions were always measured and polite. It tore my mind to shreds that everything he did made me more attracted to him.

As marvelous as the sex was, I could not deny enjoying the time we spent together. I felt tremors between my legs as I sat in the cab, imagining some residual piece of Travis was still stuck deep inside me.

I hated how conflicted I was about him. Though there was a world of truth to Jonathan’s reasoning, and I felt inclined to agree with him, I could not deny that Travis was a kind man.If his kindness is nothing but an act, then he is one brilliant actor.

The cab pulled up to the curb outside Michael’s apartment building and I rode the elevator to his floor. He opened the door on the first ring and stood in the doorway looking me over.

“You look like shit,” he said after a few moments, and went back into the apartment.

I followed him, shutting the door behind me. He plopped onto the couch and picked up the remote, lowering the volume on the TV. “So, what’s up? How did it go at Ross Industries?”

I sat down on the couch beside him. “I wasn’t able to get into the server room today, but I saw it during the tour. It’ll take some time for me to become familiar enough to go in there without raising eyebrows.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Michael turned to me. “Hey, no rash actions, okay? We have a few weeks for you to insert yourself properly. You don’t need to make a move so early. If you seean opportunity, you should take it, but nothing reckless or ill-advised.”

“Yes sir,” I replied, giving a mock salute. “Say, can I stay here for a little while? I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Sure,” Michael replied. “You can have the guest room.” He glanced at me again. “What’s really going on, Emily?”

I groaned. “I don’t know, really. I’m just wondering if we’re doing the right thing going after the Ross brothers. What if they’re really trying to do some good in the world like they claim? I mean, I have a big reason to hate them, and I do. But I’ve just been thinking. Everything I really know about them is based on their dad, and he’s a different person from his sons.”