Going Down Easy (Billionaire Bad Boys 1)

“What?” Lexie shouted at the screen, grateful it was early and she was alone in the waiting room. He’d made that awful accusation public? Why?

Kade ran his hand down his freshly shaven face. “Because the company is on the verge of a huge IPO, and this is the kind of information and potential scandal that can ruin the business and hurt my partners and friends.”

Kade squared his shoulders and met her gaze, but the way the camera focused, Lexie felt like he was looking directly at her when he answered. “I wanted to take the power away from anyone threatening to use it against me or the people I love.”

She let out a small cry, memories of him buried inside her body and saying those words to her surfacing now. Suddenly it became clear. One of the reasons he’d walked away from Blink, the company he loved and had created, was because of her. Julian had used Kade’s weaknesses against him, and she had been one of those weaknesses. Because he loved her.

And that’s why he’d walked away after they’d made love. So she didn’t have to choose between her twin, who needed her, and the man she loved. Not that she’d told him as much.

God, what was wrong with her? He needed her too. And it was about damned time she stood up for herself and what she needed. She needed Kade, and she wanted to be by his side while he was going through this hard time. She wanted to support him and to take care of him.

She opened her purse and searched for her cell phone because she had changes that needed to be made.

“On that note, I have a surprise guest who has something she’d like to say to you,” the woman interviewing Kade said.

Lexie stiffened and, holding the phone in her hand, lowered herself into a seat, her gaze glued to the screen.

A woman about Kade’s age walked across the stage.

“What the hell is this?” Kade sprung to his feet, fury evident in his expression. “I didn’t sign up for an ambush.”

“Mr. Barnes, I assure you, this is no such thing. Lila Mills has something she wants to say to you.”

Lila. The woman who’d accused him of date rape? Lexie’s stomach churned at the drama unfolding.

“Ms. Mills, you called us shortly after this interview with Mr. Barnes was announced

. Can you tell Mr. Barnes and our audience why?”

The attractive brunette smoothed her skirt and met Kade’s gaze head on. “I wanted to apologize for accusing you all those years ago and to state publicly that you didn’t rape me. What happened was consensual.”

Lexie blinked, glued to the screen, as, she was certain, was the rest of the audience.

Kade’s eyes opened wide. “In other words, you lied.”

“Yes.” She ducked her head, clearly ashamed.

“Why are you coming forward now?” the host asked.

Lila swallowed hard, her cheeks a deep red. “Back when it happened, I was petrified of my father’s anger. I came home late, past curfew, and he could tell immediately what I’d been doing. It was easier to agree when he asked if I’d been forced.”

And then you took money to keep quiet, Lexie thought, disgusted.

“What about a few weeks ago when Julian Dane looked you up and asked you if you’d come forward if he needed you?” Kade leaned forward in his seat, pressing the woman. “You were only too happy to go against me again.”

Lila glanced down at her hands. “I know. He offered me a lot of money, and God knows, I’m broke. But … when I heard you’d given up your company and walked away from everything to do right by your friends … I couldn’t live with myself any longer. I couldn’t continue to lie.” She shook her head, tears in her eyes.

Real or forced, Lexie didn’t know. Lila had vindicated Kade. That’s all Lexie knew, heard, or cared about.

With shaking hands, Lexie returned her focus to her phone and dialed, getting her father on the line. “Dad?”

“Lexie, is your sister settled?” he asked.

“Almost, but…” She drew a deep breath. “You need to be here. Kendall is your daughter and I … I have somewhere else I have to be,” she said, painful guilt lodging in her chest.

“Lexie, you know I can’t leave your mother,” her father said, his tone adding to her shame in asking for her own life.

She blinked back tears, forcing out the words that should have been said a long time ago. “No, it’s not that you can’t leave Mom, it’s that you won’t. There’s a difference.”