FREE (The Billionaire's Rules, Book 16) Read Free Page A

that I harassed you and abused my position as your boss. I referred to myself as a pig, as scum, and I said that because of that I would have to shut down my company and walk away from public life. So I could get proper help for my sexual deviance.”
    Lanie leaned forward and grabbed his arm tighter. “You said all that on television?”
    “Live television,” he replied, as if it was nothing.
    “Brayden, that’s horrible. You never should have agreed to say those things—“
    He glanced at her, his eyes terribly pained. “If I didn’t do it, they wouldn’t have released you, and I couldn’t take that chance. My career and reputation means nothing to me,” he said, staring at her with the strongest intensity she’d ever felt.
    This is the kind of love that wins wars , she thought.
    He would kill and die for me, and I’d do the same for him.
    She sighed and turned toward the people in front of his building, milling around restlessly like they were waiting for a concert to begin. “So that crowd of people—“
    “Those are media people and maybe some angry people who read stories and saw clips of me admitting to my misdeeds.” He gave a wry smile.
    “Oh, Brayden.” She shook her head and then caressed his warm, dry cheek with her hand.
    “Come on,” he said. “The faster we get this over with, the better.”
    He took her by the hand and they started towards the entrance.
    The noise grew raucous as the two of them approached, and then flashes were going off, and people were crying out for them.
    Yelling horrible questions. Shouting at her for going back to an abuser.
    Someone threw a bag of rotten food at them, and Brayden knocked it away with his arm.
    “Come on,” he said, pulling her toward the entrance.
    “Wait a second,” Lanie said, turning to face their harassers. She looked at all of them one by one, her eyes blazing with rage.
    They were just people.
    Men and women, their eyes frenzied, their mouths screaming incomprehensible, stupid things at her while some took pictures or video with their stupid cameras and phones.
    “It’s this late at night,” she said softly, and the crowd quieted to hear her speak.
    “What?” someone shouted.
    “I said, it’s this late at night, nearly morning now—and you’ve stood outside someone’s apartment to judge them and throw rotten food and yell insults.” She looked at each person in turn.
    The moment her eyes met theirs, they looked away as if they couldn’t face her scrutiny.
    “You don’t know anything about me, or Brayden, or what happened to us,” she told them calmly.
    “Why don’t you tell us?” someone shouted.
    “I was kidnapped,” she said, and they went even more deathly silent. “I was kidnapped and Brayden Forman was forced to give a false statement about our relationship as part of a ransom agreement.”
    Nobody was speaking now.
    Brayden took her hand. “You shouldn’t do this,” he said. His voice lowered. “You’ve been through enough, and besides—I don’t care what they say about me.”
    “I care,” she told him, turning her attention back to the small crowd of mostly silent witnesses. She continued speaking, her voice growing more confident as she went on. “Someone held me captive, held me at knifepoint, tied my hands and feet and tried to force me to give a false statement about Brayden. I wouldn’t do it, but they convinced him to do it instead. And he did it to ensure my release.”
    “How do we know this isn’t all just made up?” a little woman with wire-framed glasses asked as she held her phone horizontally to film.
    Lanie pulled up her sleeves to reveal her wrists and showed the woman the deep marks on her skin from where she’d been bound. They were deep, black and blue and discolored lacerations from where the bindings had broken through her skin. “Does this look made up to you?” she asked, staring at the woman. “Tell me I’m a liar and see what happens.”
    The woman looked away, making