Family Secrets - Present

Miles' POV

"Ow" I yelped in pain.

I looked down to my tingling flesh and realized someone had poked me in the thigh. I pivoted my head to glare at the broad shouldered jerk that just poked me with a pen.

The sharp pain in my thigh did the job of rudely returning my focus back to where it should be. Debriefing my handler about James.

The occurrence at James' office had happened four years ago. I'd come a long way from that clueless boy.

"What do you have for me?"He asked in a gravelled voice.

I handed over the flash drive silently.

"I will pass this on to him. Standby for further instructions." Blade was out of my car in the next second.

I tracked him with my eyes until the night swallowed him up. With a heavy heart, I reversed my car and drove home.

I wished more than anything that I didn't have to resort to such underhanded tactics against my own family.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a choice.

This was all his fault.

**                    **                      **

CHLOE'S POV

"Babe" A voice rumbled.

I glanced up and locked eyes with my fiancé. "You with me?" He smiled briefly, his crow's feet deepening with worry.

"Um.....nothing. I'm fine." I rallied my wits and smiled at him winningly.

Ever since I walked in on Miles in the secret room slash office or whatever it was supposed to be, I'd had a hard time looking James in the eye. The itch to query him about that room was so bad that I kept biting my tongue just to keep quiet.

Damn Miles. I should have been able to ask James about that room.

James had been my boyfriend for three years before we got engaged. As his wife to be, I had a right to know everything about his life.

Given that James and I have been friends since I was a child meant that I knew everything there was to know about him. At least I thought I did. Which was why this room was throwing me for a loop.

Typically with James, what you saw was what you got.

Seventeen years their first son's junior, James came along at a time when his parents had already given up on having more children.

When I was born, James was in the seventh grade. I knew him better than anyone else.

I stared at my silver fox and smiled to myself. We were on a journey of a lifetime. Things were going to get rough at some points. This was just one of those times.

It should pass over soon enough. Especially now that I was working with Miles on that infernal investigation.

I had a trickle of doubt about my own actions though.

I wasn't certain that putting the small microchip in James phone when he went to the loo was the right thing. I shoved the doubt deep into my subconscious and made myself pay more attention.

The sun was shining and I was on a date with the love of my life.

"So mum and I decided on a venue. We settled on Black House." His phone vibrated before he could answer.

"Hello" He conversated with his caller for some minutes.

I tuned him out when I figured the call was work related. He had my attention seconds later though.

"Now?...ok. I'm going to be there in the next thirty minutes." He ended the call and stared at me apologetically.

"Sorry babe. I have to go."

"But....but. We are on a date." I spluttered.

"I will make it up to you. I promise."

"You're not leaving me here are you?" He wouldn't dare.

"I will call you an Uber?" He offered.

I didn't want a freaking Uber. I wanted my date!

I glowered at him in silence.

He sighed loudly, like I was the one being unreasonable. Who walks out on their fianceé on a date?

"This is an important meeting. If I could I would have given you my car and found another ride." He leaned over and pecked me hastily before hurrying out.

I was too shocked and embarrassed to call him back.

We were dining alfresco at one of the most popular restaurant in town. There were other people at their tables just feet away from us. And they all just saw him leave me to eat lunch by myself. Like a loser.

I whipped my phone out and typed a furious message to Alicia.

A pink Mercedes pulled up, loud music blaring from it's speakers.

I sighed heavily.

Alicia was here. And she brought Shyna. A bad day was about to get worse.

Alicia sauntered up in a yellow sundress and matching stilettos. The sun bounced off her sunglasses, drawing attention to her.

There was one other thing besides her beauty that cased people to gawp. The tall brunette in a mock suit and skirt, white undershirt, complete with a bow tie. The dress wasn't a problem.

The bright colour of the violet suit clashing with the bubblegum pink and gold highlights in her hair was.

Shyna was....Shyna.

"Hi." Alica greeted distractedly, already flagging down a waiter.

"What took you so long?" I'd been sitting by myself in full glare of everyone who chose to dine here today for the past twelve minutes looking like a jilted woman.

"Sorry love. We got stuck in traffic."

"So I heard James left you on your date." Shyna smirked at me.

I scowled at her, wondering what she found funny about the whole situation.

"Hey. How about we just order some food?" Alicia interjected hurriedly before I could lay into Shyna.

I truly didn't understand why she would associate herself with someone of Shyna's nature.

"I just wanna go home." I moaned dejectedly. I still couldn't believe James could walk out on me like that.

"No. It wouldn't do to leave here looking like you do right now. Let's just stay awhile till you get yourself together."

"Okay." I nodded reluctantly. This way it would seem I'd been waiting for the girls the entire time.

The waiter brought Alicia and Shyna's orders.

"So how far have you gone on the wedding plans?" Alicia asked gayly, cutting into her steak.

* * *

"Aargh." I screamed in frustration and kicked the pothos in anger.

"Hey. Why are you trying to murder that plant?" Miles dragged me away from the plant before I could give it another kick.

"He stood me up. He fucking stood me up." I bellowed.

How could he? I couldn't even begin to understand why he would do this to me.

Ever since we got engaged two months ago,James had been AWOL. If I didn't know better I would have said that he was avoiding me.

We have had three dates since the proposal. He canceled on me at the last minute for two of our dates. Last week, he literally walked out in the middle of a date. And today? Today he had a freaking impromptu meeting he couldn't miss.

"Who? James?"

"No. Santa Claus!" Miles visibly shrank back from my anger.

He raised his hand in a placating gesture.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you..."

"Why aren't you at the important meeting?" I sneered.

"What meeting?"

I paused for a few seconds. A horrible thought was beginning to nag at my subconscious.

"There's no meeting with government agents at the office?"

"No. I didn't say that. Look, James is the vice president and we handle vastly different areas of the business. It's entirely possible the meeting he has now doesn't require my presence."

"It's also possible that he was lying to me." I looked Miles in the eye and gave voice to the terrible notion wreaking havoc on my sanity. "Maybe James doesn't want to marry me."

"What? How did you even arrive at that conclusion?"

"It's been two months since he proposed to me. I have had several meetings with the wedding planner. We have chosen a venue. We even have a tentative date. I have had two wedding gown fittings. Do you know how many of these things James has been to with me?" Miles shrugged in answer.

"None Miles. He has been to none."

"You know how James is. He's always about work...." Miles trailed off lamely.

Even he was aware how pathetic his excuse was. James had never been completely absent no matter how busy he was. He always made time for me.

"Do you know where we supposed to go today? We were supposed to see my new tailor. I fired my previous designer and chose a new dress. James never went to my first fittings let alone know that I have a new tailor." It was common knowledge that the only reason there hadn't been a union between the Crane and Black before now was because neither side had a female child until Ally and I.

Maybe it was that pressure that made James propose against his will?

"No. Whatever you are thinking right now,stop it. You are being dramatic as usual and blowing things out of proportion." I glowered at Miles in answer. I was not a drama queen.

My fears were well founded and he knew it.

"How about this? I'll take you to the fitting then lunch. We can spend the rest of the day at my house. Even have dinner with your future in-laws. Then you can grill James and make him grovel in front of the entire family."

"I'm not getting married to you. It doesn't count if you go with me."

"Yes it does. I'm a Crane. You're getting married into my family and becoming my aunt." Yeesh.

I never gave a thought to what my new relationship with Miles would be after my marriage.

I smiled at him deviously. "That means I can order you around." I grinned at him.

"You already do that." He snorted before grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the Black House's foyer.