Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 75891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
I’d give anything to see the look on Dale’s face right now. I knew Charlotte had called him seeking help, but like the snake he is, he’d left her hanging in the wind and had gone so far as to ask her to deny his involvement with her, asking her not to bring him down with her since he had nothing to do with her actions.
It was fun reading the transcript of their call and seeing the way he tried to weasel out of it. Like a fool, he’d asked her not to mention their relationship and claimed that at least one of them needed to keep their job until things settled down, but when that didn’t work, that’s when he showed his true colors.
I guess no one ever told him about the drowning man syndrome. Anyone with sense knows that the victim is hardly ever the one to perish; they always pull their savior down with them, while they most often than not escape.
She was panicked and rightfully so, no doubt thinking of ways to escape. But there was no escaping this. Not unless she changed her name and left the country, and even then, I’ve got a bead on her.
It was going to be a long day for the auditors and lawyers who had just walked in, and I planned to make it even longer. A few taps on my keyboard did the trick, and I could almost imagine the looks on their faces when they saw this new information.
The first email was more of a hint with just enough heat to make them take notice. What I just sent them was the meat in the pie. She’d no doubt spent the night worrying about how much they knew since she’d done a pretty good job of covering her tracks, but there was no getting around this.
I wasn’t going to let the cat out of the bag about their relationship just yet. That would come later, once Dale was sure he was out of the danger zone, then I’ll drop the hammer and burn them both down to the ground.
I was busy tapping away at my keyboard, minding my business, when a shadow fell across the window counter I was seated at. I didn’t look up and wasn’t going to until a hand came across and took my coffee cup from the saucer. “The hell…” I almost swung on whoever it was until he took the seat next to me as if he were invited, and I saw his face.
My mouth fell open, but no words came. Then I squinted at the culprit with death in my eyes.
JULIUS
Shit, I overplayed my hand. It was only now that I was here that I realized there was no way to explain my presence. After she’d hung up on me, I tracked her location and almost had a coronary once I realized where she was headed.
She wouldn’t know that I knew where that ass worked, and my mind went to the worst-case scenario. I left a meeting and broke the sound barrier getting here, expecting to see I don’t know what, but it was nothing good.
I only breathed easy once I saw her sitting here alone, but that still didn’t answer why she was here, of all places. “Why are you here?” I took a sip of her coffee and grimaced at the bitter taste before replacing the cup.
“I should be asking you that. How did you find me?”
“Someone saw you.”
“Who?” Wouldn’t you like to know.
“I’m the one asking the questions. Why are you here?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Why’d you hang up on me?”
“I was busy.” I gave her a look, which she ignored, and she gave me one of her own. “Are you following me?” She gave me a suspicious look, which I ignored. Good, she doesn’t know that I was in her house last night.
I thought for sure that’s why she’d called Mom with whatever convoluted story she’d told the other woman that had set her on my ass. My mother is the most delicate woman I know, but the way she lit into me earlier was anything but.
“Why did you tell my mother that I mistreated you and ran you out of the house?”
“Did I say that?”
“Not in so many words, but that’s what she heard. So, how are you going to fix it?”
“Fix what?”
“Don’t play games with me. First, you ran away, then you hung up on me. You think I’m gonna let you get away with that?”
“Let me? Let me?” I knew that would get under her skin, and I wasn’t even halfway done with her yet.
I waited until she raised the obscene brew to her lips and then leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “About those kids that you’re ready to have and I’m not. I’m ready whenever you are.” I got a face full of coffee for my efforts.