Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 151430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
I lift the bottle from the table and top off my glass. “Yeah, well, no happy endings here.” I grab the remote from the arm of the couch and turn on Netflix. “What’s a good break up movie?”
“Something funny. You’ll feel better if you laugh.”
My phone rings.
It’s on the couch between us.
Brina picks it up and glances at the screen. “Liv?”
“My cousin.” I sit up and break from drinking my weight in wine, holding my hand out.
She nods and hands me the phone.
“Hello?” I say.
“Paige, are you okay? You sound funky.”
“I’m fine, my throat’s a little dry,” I lie, hoping her author spidey-sense doesn’t lead her to interrogate me.
“You sure? You’re not sick?”
“Nah,” I say. “What’s up?”
“Riker got your dirt and the okay from the big boss to keep things nice and neat legally. He’s going to email you pictures and documents. But I thought I’d just give you the rundown, so you know what you’re looking at.”
“Awesome,” I say, wishing I were brave enough to slam the door shut on helping the man who took a chisel to my heart.
“You’ll find bank statements and stock options for Victor. If you know what you’re looking at, it shows enough insider trading to buy some major jail time. And if it’s not, that’s okay. Because his investment in a shady biker bar in Florida that went down a few years ago in Federal RICO drug dealing charges will definitely mean prison.”
Ouch.
It’s almost anticlimactic hearing this now, but excitement flares through me before I remember my stake in this is gone.
“Wow. That’s crazy interesting. What else?” I ask, fighting to keep my voice level.
“Check out the pics of Giselle Simms in the car. She’s driving a vehicle registered to her boyfriend. She goes everywhere she wants in that ride and parks it at her house at the end of the day. Here’s the fun part: she lost her license years ago after hitting a pedestrian.”
“What the crap?” I gasp.
“I hope you know this guy well. Because if he’s anything like his parents...whoa, mama. I’m not sure you’ll enjoy what you’re getting yourself into.”
I hold in a sigh, ignoring Brina’s look of concern over her glass.
“Don’t worry about that. We’re no longer a...thing.”
Long pause.
“Oh, Paige. So that’s what’s wrong, huh?” She pauses, waiting for an answer I don’t give. “If he’s being an asswipe, do you still want the info?”
I hesitate. Brina slides a finger across her throat, encouraging the little devil on my shoulder who’s dancing around with his pitchfork, telling me to bury Wardhole alive. Let him suffer. Check out of this human circus for a warm beach and a chance to get drunk from a coconut.
Too bad it means a lot to Beatrice, Nick, and everyone at Brandt Ideas. Plus, his parents are actual raving monsters, and a legit menace to society.
“It’s not just about him. His parents hurt people, Liv. There’s no point in letting that continue, so yeah, please send it over.”
“You care about him,” she says quietly.
My throat tightens.
“I care about my coworkers, his brother, and their elderly grandmother. Why should they suffer just because he’s a selfish prick?”
“Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. Do you want to tell me about the prick?”
“Another time. I promise. It’s been a long day. Right now, I kinda want to overconsume alcohol and pass the hell out until morning, but if you send that email, lovely.”
“It will give you an excuse to talk to the selfish jerk, you know?”
“Ha. Nice try. I’m blocking him as soon as I hit forward.”
“Okay, lady. Riker just sent it! Look for a summer flower special. Gotta keep it low-key so it can’t be traced.”
My phone pings with a notification from an anonymous florist address that definitely has nothing to do with a dozen red roses. “I see it. Thank Riker a hundred times for me and tell him I love roses. Oh, and say hello to Milah!”
“Will do. I’ll have her call you at some point if you’re up for her yakking your ear off about her latest tour and the lavish gifts she’ll probably want to dump on you. Talk to you soon. Watch out for hangovers,” Liv says.
“Later.” I cut the call and shove the wine to my lips in a long, satisfying sip of triumph.
At least my agony with one very huge bosshole wasn’t all in vain.
“What was that all about?” Brina asks as soon as I sit back.
“Loose ends. You remember how my cousin married that hot bruiser guy from the big security firm? Well...” I continue with a quick summary, and fill her in on why I brought Liv in to help secure the dirt that could finally end a lot of people’s misery.
“Dang. Total cloak and dagger territory.” Brina sits up straighter. “What are you going to do with it?”