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I’m instantly furious. “What are you doing, Owen?” I twist out of his grip and shoot him a look that convinces him not to try pulling that again. “You followed me inside?”
“Relax, Elena. We still need to talk. Why do you think I came here in the first place, then trailed you to that restaurant?”
“Because you’re crazy?”
“No. Because we need to talk,” he says.
“Why are you trying to ruin my life?”
Owen’s startled. I don’t usually show it when I get angry with him. He didn’t pick up on it in the restaurant but I sure don’t want to hold back now. “You had no right to do any of the things you did to me.”
“Elena, none of that matters. You belong with me. We should be back together. I can protect you.”
“Protect me? From what?”
He shakes his head sadly as if I’m too dim to understand his great words of wisdom. “This lifestyle you’ve gotten yourself into. Those men you got tangled up with.”
Owen’s condescension makes me clench my fist. “Even if I did need protection, which I don’t.” I bite my words out. “That sure as hell wouldn’t involve you. You’re the one who’s made a whole mess out of my life. I know I did some things that were wrong but so did you. You had no right, especially because you didn’t just hurt me. You’re causing some serious problems for other people who don’t deserve it. I made mistakes of my own and I’m trying to do what I can to fix them. At least I’m owning up to what I did. You don’t even think that you did anything wrong, do you.”
“Elena, I don’t think you know what you’re doing, or what you’re really involved in. It’s too big for you to understand. These guys play on a level that you can’t even imagine. Do you even have the slightest idea of how much they’re worth? They don’t need their company to be successful. They’re set for life even if none of them works a day in their lives ever again.”
“That doesn’t matter, Owen. Not everything’s about money, or image.”
Owen snorts. “That’s hilarious coming from you. How’s life on the 70th floor?”
“Seriously? You claimed that you’re the one who got me into the building. Now you’re trying to make me feel bad aboutit?” I do, but that’s not the point. “This isn’t about me anyway. Those men are working to make things better for a lot of people who really need help. Their work’s so important that it’s going to change the world and save a lot of lives.” I bite at my bottom lip miserably. “Or it would have, if you and I hadn’t fucked everything up.”
Owen’s lips curl up derisively. “Yeah, that’s what they like everyone too think. Don’t you think it’s strange that they want to keep it all so secret? Don’t you think that if you had something that was going to save so many lives that you’d be shouting it from the rooftops?”
“They have their reasons, Owen. They’re none of your business. Why do you care about them anyway? It’s not like you know them. What’s your deal?”
“They’re bad for you, Elena. They shouldn’t be in your life like you’ve let them be. You belong with me,” he says, pulling a flask out of his pocket. The strong scent of whiskey fills the tiny space. Thankfully the doors slide open before I start to choke on it.
“You keep saying that, but it’s never going to happen.” I step out and reach back in to press the button for the lobby. “Goodbye, Owen. Stay the hell out of my life.”
I stride off but it was too much to hope for that he’d leave just like that. He catches up to me easily. “You know we’re right for each other, Elena. Stop resisting it.”
“What about Zan? I thought she’s your girlfriend now, whatever you call her.” I still can’t believe that someone as driven and successful as my boss would go for someone as basic as Owen, but I can’t blame her too much. I made the same mistake myself.
“That’s over,” he says, taking another long swig from his flask.
“What, since when? Tonight?” I slow my pace down. I don’t want him to come to my door with me.
He shrugs. “I’ll tell her sometime. It doesn’t matter.”
“That’s not cool,” I say. “You’re with someone else. Even if you weren’t, we can’t be together. We. Are. Over.”
Owen stops short and grabs my arm, holding on tightly to make me stop too. The maliciousness in his sneer stops me cold. His eyes are narrow and there’s a nastiness in them that I’ve never seen before.
“You need to go. You can’t be here,” I tell him as calmly as I can manage. I don’t want him to start acting any crazier than he already is. He’s holding me so I can’t walk away and at the same time, he’s using me to stay upright. He must be drunker than I thought. I used to trust him but he shattered that to bits now that I know what he’s done. He’s capable of anything.
“I’m not leaving, Elena,” Owen says, his grip tightening around my arm. “Neither are you.”
Chapter 24
Elena
“Come on.” Owen pulls my arm roughly. “Let’s go.”
