Page 84 of Heated (Burned, Inc.)
“My place is wherever I decide it to be. And you, or anyone else, don’t get a say in that. And you can come for me all you want; I deserve it because, woman to woman, I owe you an apology, and I’m sorry. But, Ms.Valerie Summers, the day you decide to come for my business, which belongs to my family, all bets are off. And I’ll come right back for you.”
Her lips curl in a sneer. “Didn’t take long for that Five Points to come out of you, did it?”
“Hold on, Zora,” Cyrus says from just behind me.
I stiffen.
“Val, you can go too. You don’t have any business here.”
She straightens, blue eyes glittering. “I was invited here.”
“You allowed yourself to be used by an insecure, manipulative, malicious bitch. That’s not my fault. And I would feel sorry for you if you didn’t have your own agenda for being here. You cheated on me with another man behind my back, and when that fell through, you thought I was stupid enough to take you back. Sorry to break it to you. I’m not. I don’t want you. That’s why I haven’t been answering your phone calls and texts. If you are too self-absorbed to get that, then traveling all the way here is your fault, not mine.”
She gasps, whipping around on me again. “You told him. That was told to you in strict confidence.”
Cyrus laughs, and Val turns back to him at the dark sound. “Oh no, Val. She didn’t tell me anything. You did. But I guarantee you this. You go after Zora’s business, I’ll make sure everyone knows. And then after you were dumped, how you chased me up here? Do you think your pristine reputation can suffer that hit? Me? I really don’t give a fuck. But you? With your committees and foundations ...”
“You wouldn’t,” Val snarls. “Overher.”
“Do you want to test me? Go home,” he repeats. Then his gaze flicks to me. “Both of you.”
Val sputters in outrage, but I don’t wait to hear her tirade.
I go as he requested while I can under my own power.
While I can with my head held high.
While I can before I collapse and give in to the pain threatening to tear me apart.
