‘You both lead busy lives, Lana,’ said Rita reasonably.
‘What’s going on here?’ Lana couldn’t stop herself from snapping. ‘Don’t you believe me?’ A wave of horror crashed over her when she realised Rita was the only person who knew the precise nature of the deal and who could do anything about it.
‘Of course I believe you,’ she said with feeling. ‘I’m just trying to put forward both sides here. If we raise this as breach of contract, we’re embarking on a serious accusation.’
Abruptly Lana heard the main door slam shut. Rita picked up on the distraction. ‘Are you all right? What is it?’
‘He’s home. I’ve got to go.’
‘Call me later,’ Rita urged. ‘If you don’t get in touch before six I’m coming to the house.’ When Lana didn’t respond, she pressed, ‘OK?’
‘OK.’
Lana folded her cell shut and stormed into the hall. Cole was removing a pair of leather driving gloves with the precision of a surgeon. His expression was calm.
‘Hello.’ He removed his jacket and laid it on the side for his housekeeper to pick up. ‘You look upset.’
‘Oh, no,’ said Lana evenly, ‘I’m not upset. I’m furious. I want you to tell me what the hell you think you’re doing keeping me prisoner here. What am I, just another of your meaningless fucking possessions? I certainly cost as much, didn’t I? In fact,’ she laughed bitterly, ‘why give me the house, Cole? Why not lock me up in the garage along with your precious cars? And while you’re at it, why not go ahead and install me with a fucking security system?’
Cole just stared at her. Eventually he said, ‘Don’t swear, Lana, it doesn’t suit you.’
‘I’ll do whatever the fuck I like, Cole,’ she managed, hot rage simmering. ‘And there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.’
He frowned, confused, then walked past her to the bar where he sank wearily into a studded leather armchair. His footsteps echoed round the space and she saw he was wearing a pair of stacked, patent black heels. Offset by the trousers he wore, which were a fraction too short, the overall picture was bizarre.
He shook his head. ‘Frankly, I’m surprised.’
‘You’re surprised!’ she exclaimed in disbelief. ‘Imagine how I felt this morning when I tried to leave the house and one of your guys held me back?’ Her voice quietened. ‘He restrained me, Cole. Does a man like you have any idea how that feels?’
Cole’s face was blank. As ever he looked immaculate, pristine, cold. ‘They were only following my orders,’ he said smoothly. ‘They were doing their job.’
‘It’s not their job,’ Lana said shakily, scarcely able to contain herself, ‘it’s yours. But you’re not man enough to do it, are you? Oh, no, you couldn’t even—’
In an instant Cole was on his feet, his arm in the air.
Lana released a mirthless laugh. ‘Are you going to hit me? Go on, Cole, take your best shot. Go on–I’m good at this, you know, better than you think. I’ll—’
‘I’m not going to hit you,’ he said quietly, his arm falling to his side. ‘I would never hit you. I’m sorry, I lost my temper. I shouldn’t have done that.’
Momentarily silenced by his words, Lana attempted to slow her racing heart. When she spoke her voice was soaked with resentment. ‘You wouldn’t understand, Cole, but I’ve been through things much worse than anything you can throw at me. I won’t let you scare me. And I sure as hell won’t let you keep me here against my will. You put me in a cage and it’s the worst punishment I can imagine.’
Cole met her gaze. ‘I had to.’
‘Why?’ Her pulse surged as she remembered her affair. But her husband couldn’t know–such an affront would surely warrant a more deadly penalty.
‘Where were you yesterday afternoon?’ he asked stonily.
She breathed an inward sigh of relief. That was easy. ‘I was with a colleague. We had a scene together and then I invited her back here.’
Cole eyed her. ‘I couldn’t get hold of you,’ he said after a moment. ‘What’s the good of my wife if I can’t get hold of her?’ He seemed genuinely puzzled.
Vaguely Lana recalled putting her cell on quiet for the scene–she must have forgotten to switch it back on. ‘My cell was off,’ she explained. Then she shrugged. ‘And, yeah, I guess the house phone might have rung a couple of times …’
She could see the effect that had on Cole. One thing he could not abide was a ringing phone with no one to answer it–it was too much like chaos.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, he lost it.
‘What the fuck good is that?’ he fumed. ‘And how dare you bring some fucking stranger into our home?’
Lana was alarmed. ‘Our home?’ she retorted. ‘You’ve made it quite clear this house belongs to you alone. As for “home”–don’t make me laugh.’
‘You need to apply some thinking to this, Lana,’ he said coolly. ‘The last thing we need is some silly starlet poking her nose around our affairs and drawing conclusions—’
‘Ah, so that’s what this is all about.’ A beat. ‘The bottom line, Cole, is that you don’t want me to have any friends. You don’t want me to know anyone. And it’s not just about protecting our little arrangement–’ she said the word with disgust ‘–it’s about keeping me in my place. You’ve gotten rid of everyone, haven’t you? My friends, my foster mom, everyone. You won’t have me thinking for myself, or making my own choices, and above all you won’t have me living my own life.’
‘I never stopped you being in touch with your foster mother, don’t you pin that on me.’
Lana’s voice shook. ‘You make it so I don’t know who I am, Cole. Can’t you let me breathe?’
‘We have our reputation to think about!’ The shrill of it rang out around the walls. ‘Does that mean nothing to you?’
Lana shook her head. ‘There are more important things than reputation, Cole.’
‘Not when you’re me.’ He was trembling. ‘Not when you’re me. This is a delicate understanding.’ He jabbed a finger at her and then at himself. ‘I know it, I’ve done it before. You cannot afford to be cavorting around with whoever happens to want a piece of—’
‘Cavorting?!’ she spluttered. ‘I think I’ve forgotten what that feels like!’
Cole’s eyes flashed. ‘Why must you be so goddamn secretive?’
He watched her, waiting for an answer. This was one point on which Lana knew she couldn’t tell the truth. Here she was telling Cole not to treat her like a prisoner, when the fact was she fully deserved to be one.
Her thoughts flipped to Robbie. Stay quiet. It’s his past as well as yours.
She folded her arms and looked away, convinced he could smell her guilt.
‘Pack your bags,’ he said calmly.
Lana’s head snapped up. He couldn’t be serious. ‘What?’
The passion that accompanied his wrath had evaporated–Cole was back to his usual, closed self and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Had she heard right?
‘We’re going to Vegas,’ he said. ‘Tonight.’
‘Why?’ It came out like a laugh. There was no way she was going to Vegas. She’d come up with an excuse, something,