What Parker didn’t say, because it went without stating, was that if she didn’t come up with something soon she was going to be out of a job.
“Wait,” Lucinda spoke before she thought better of it. She was so panicked, she would have said anything to keep Parker from firing her. God, what would she do without her job? She wouldn’t be able to pay rent and then where would she be?
“Yes?” Parker breathed heavily into the line. “Come on Lucinda, I don’t have all day. If you don’t give me something I can use for this story I’ll see that you don’t work in this city again!” His voice thundered over the phone.
Lucinda closed her eyes. For a minute she thought about saying that it was nothing. That she had nothing and she never would have anything. She wanted to say that he could fire her for all she cared. She wasn’t going to betray Tristan’s trust. She wanted to say it but she just couldn’t. Her throat closed and her heart beat wildly.
Parker’s angry words filled her head, clouding out all other thought. She imagined herself broke and homeless. She could always go back to Chicago where she was from but that would mean admitting defeat to everyone who had always told her she wouldn’t make it in New York.
“I’m waiting,” Parker growled.
Lucinda stammered into the phone. “He had sex with…”
“… With you. That’s just a given. Did you really think you were being sent there to cook…”
“…with his friends…”
The line went dead silent. Parker’s heavy breathing was the only way Lucinda could tell he was still there. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and when she blinked they spilled down her cheeks. Her throat closed off and she trembled. Her hand holding the phone shook. Her heart clenched painfully. Why had she just said that? Oh god, she should have made up something but she never should have admitted the truth.
She hadn’t thought. The truth had just slipped out in her moment of horrible panic.
The line was silent again. Finally Parker spoke. “Great Lucinda. That’s just what we need. I knew I could count on you.”
“I have no- I have no proof,” she stammered quickly, trying to make him doubt her. “I mean, it would be our word against his.”
“Sometimes,” Parker said menacingly, “You don’t need to have proof. Sometimes the damage can be done with just an ounce of insinuation.”
Lucinda toned out. Her mind went totally blank. She felt like she was going into shock. Blackness closed in on the edges of her vision and she knew she was going to faint.
Right before her phone fell from her hand she heard Parker say something about Collins being thrilled. It was the last thing she remembered before the darkness closed in altogether.
Chapter 11
The darkness was heavy, like a thick curtain closing in on her. Lucinda heard a voice calling her name. Except it wasn’t her name. They were calling Tina’s.
She struggled to open her eyes and found that she could. She was flat on her back in the grass and dust, facing the blue sky and the oppressive heat of the sun.
“Oh my goodness, you gave me a fright.”
Lucinda turned to see the elderly housekeeper, May Paterson, leaning over her. Her huge bosom heaved as she knelt and helped Lucinda to sit upright. Head spinning, Lucinda stared around her, wondering what had happened. She’d been outside. On the phone…
It all came rushing back. Lucinda had to take deep, gasping breaths to keep herself from passing out again or from being sick. What had she just done?
“It’s terribly hot out today and you probably didn’t drink enough water. You’re lucky if you don’t have heat stroke. Come on, let’s get you back to the house.”
“Yes- the house,” Lucinda said absently.
She allowed May to hook a thick arm around her waist and she leaned into the older woman as she led her across the porch and back into the kitchen. She sat down heavily in one of the old wood chairs. May brought her a glass of ice cold water. She wanted to protest. She didn’t want to drink it. She didn’t deserve for anyone to show her kindness.
Lucinda closed her eyes and sipped the water just to make May happy.
“I have some work to get done yet. I was just on my way out the back door to the clothesline when I saw you lying there. Gave me a real turn, girl. I’d best be back at it though.”
“Yes,” Lucinda blinked. “I’m sorry. Thank you for everything.”
May brushed off Lucinda’s gratitude with a wave. “Nothing doing. Just sit here and take it easy until you’re feeling better.”
Turning, the older woman was about to rush off to her laundry when Lucinda called her back.
“May?”
“Yes dear?” May spun around.
Lucinda hesitated. “Have you ever heard of anyone named Collins?”
May’s face tightened into a deep brown and Lucinda’s heart sank. “Oh I’ve more than heard of the schemer. He and Mr. Ashford were always fighting each other. They still fight now, just not in the ring and not physically although I wouldn’t doubt that some of their disagreements have come to blows a few times. Mr. Collins was a poor fighter at best and he couldn’t stand losing. Finally when he’d had enough of getting his butt kicked in the ring he retired and started his own brand. He made enough money through sponsors and what not that he had fighters who wanted him as their own sponsor. He prides himself on finding up and coming talent except that’s a joke. His fighters are always the dirtiest ones people have ever seen. More villains than heroes they are. He was real disappointed when Mr. Ashford decided to start his own brand. He almost put Collins out of business. The man hangs on though. He’s always stirring up this and that, poking thorns in everyone’s sides.”
Lucinda couldn’t help but groan. She really did feel like she was going to be sick. May must have noticed how awful she looked because she ran frantically across the kitchen and grabbed the small garbage can and set it in front of Lucinda.
“If you’re going to be sick, you do it in there. I don’t want to have to clean up a mess. The sun is real bad this time of year. Looks like it got you good. You’re white one second and red the next.”
Lucinda tried to calm her thundering heartbeat. She broke out in a cold sweat as fear and regret washed over her. Oh no. That man, Collins, was behind all of this. Parker only wanted the story, not just because it meant good money for his rag mag but so that Collins could try and ruin Tristan.
“Oh god, what have I done?” Lucinda moaned. She lost the battle to stay calm. She bent over the trash can and vomited.
Chapter 12
Tristan was all enthusiasm as he slipped on a fresh pair of Wranglers and did up his red plaid shirt. He hoped his meetings in Austin would be brief. The sooner they were over, the sooner he could go and visit his kids.
His kids.
Just the thought sent a shiver racing down his spine. He couldn’t wait to be a father. He’d imagined hundreds of times all the things he would teach Mason and Annette. They were already so enthusiastic to learn how to ride. He already had two horses picked out just for them.
The shrill ringing of his phone brought Tristan back to the present. He eyed the offending device, perched on his nightstand. He was just going to let it ring but when he glanced at it and recognized Joe’s number, he picked it up and punched the answer button.
“Hey,” Tristan said cheerfully. “It just so happens I’m coming to Austin today. Want to grab lunch?”
“Tristan,” Joe said flatly. His voice sounded like someone had just died and Tristan was instantly alert.
“What?” He tried carefully to compose himself but his gut was already tightening. He braced for bad news.
“Haven’t you seen the magazines? Not only the rags, it was all over the internet this morning too. I was lucky enough to wake up and see the article on social media. What a start to the day.”
Tristan’s stomach curdled and icy shivers raked over him. “What are you talkin
g about? I haven’t seen anything.”
Joe exhaled loudly. “It’s bad man.”
“Just tell me already!”
“You’re on the front page of all the gossip rags. Tristan Ashford hosts orgies. Tristan Ashford the sex maniac. Tristan Ashford fucks his friends.”
Tristan saw red. His vision literally turned from normal to blood red, bathing the whole spinning room a violent shade of scarlet.
When Tristan finally forced words past his choked throat his tone was acrid with bitterness. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”
“I wish I was. I swear we never said anything. Our names aren’t in there. Franny might be an airhead but I know she would never, ever mention anything about that.”
“I know. I trust you both. Listen Joe, this isn’t your fault. Thanks for telling me. I need to make some calls and see if I can get this under control.”
Tristan hung up the phone and slammed it down on his nightstand so hard it was a miracle the screen didn’t crack. He ground his teeth together until his jaw ached.
Finally he grabbed his phone and his wallet and slammed downstairs. He roared into the kitchen, taking Tina by surprise.
“You!” He hissed. She spun, emerald eyes wide with shock or guilt. Probably both. “You were the only who knew!”
“Knew what?” She stammered.
“You know what I’m talking about!” Tristan thundered. He slammed his fist down onto the stainless steel table. It reverberated with his action. Tina shrank back, obviously afraid of his physical size and the force of his anger. Seeing the fear on her face calmed Tristan. What the hell was he doing? He wasn’t some beast and he certainly had never threatened a woman before.
“I don’t know- I have no idea-” Tina protested. She held out her hands in front of her. She looked the picture of innocence in her tight little jeans, white shirt and white apron. Her hair was done up in a messy bun with tendrils hanging down on either side.
“We’ll see about that.” Tristan turned, storming angrily from the kitchen. He spun around in the doorway. “You had better be here when I get back or I’m pressing charges against you.”
He disappeared to his office where he searched in the drawer where he kept his employee files until he found what he was looking for. There was not a soul in sight when Tristan slammed into his boots and took his Stetson down from the rack by the door. They were all probably in hiding.
He stormed out of the house and into his truck. Gravel spurted under his tires as he raced down the driveway.
Things weren’t any better in Austin. His first stop of course, was the adoption agency. He’d politely been informed that his file was on hold. They couldn’t just send kids into unstable situations after all.
Pounding the steering wheel in frustration, Tristan actually felt close to tears. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried. He’d probably been under five years old. Since retiring he hadn’t missed fighting. He got his boost of adrenaline from hitting his home gym and the hard work on the ranch. This was the first time that he actually was hoping for a good beating. And by a good beating he meant standing there and letting his opponent pummel him.
It would be less stupid than he had been. He had trusted Tina and he was sure it was she who had betrayed him. She’d sold him out. He only wondered how much money she’d been paid.
It had to have been her. No one else knew. The guess was too accurate, too on point to have just been made up by his rivals like he would have expected. No, if they wanted dirt they would have hit him financially. This was so much worse because it was deeply personal.
Slamming the door on his truck, Tristan stalked down the sidewalk. He must have looked pretty damn menacing because people actually crossed to the other side to avoid him.
He stopped in front of the brick building and doubled checked the address. He was at the right place. He’d found the number and address on his phone. John Regal was reported to be one of the best PI’s anyone could hire.
Time to find out who Tina really was.
Chapter 13
This is what it must feel like when your heart breaks. Lucinda was pretty sure hers was shattered. She’d done it to herself. She’d betrayed Tristan and crushed her soul along with his.
He’d trusted her with his secrets. Worse, he had trusted her enough to open up about everything. He told her things he’d never told anyone and she’d fed him to the wolves.
When Lucinda heard the front door open around nine that evening, her heart nearly pounded out of her chest. She had imagined what she could say to Tristan a thousand times and none of it was right because none of it was the truth. She knew she had to tell him that it was her. She knew it and yet it was devastating. She was going to lose him because she’d been so stupid.
She knew he would expect her to meet him in the kitchen and not in her room so she got out of bed, wiped her swollen, red eyes and forced herself to walk down the hall.
As she thought, Tristan was waiting for her there. He had his hand on a white folder which he’d placed on the stainless steel counter top. His face was carefully composed, giving nothing away. She felt he was even more dangerous for the lack of emotion.
“Tristan…” Lucinda tried to say but he silenced her with a hard look.
“No,” he said forcefully. “You do not get to say my name. You don’t get to call me anything. Even Mr. Ashford would be too good for you. You do not get to call me Tristan. All this time, I didn’t even know your name.”
Lucinda’s heart stopped. She buried her hands in the folds of the apron she was still wearing. She was trembling. She finally made herself look up and meet Tristan’s hard stare.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“You’re sorry? Lucinda Riley is sorry everyone. Fucking stop the world.”
“Please…” Lucinda tried to reach out but Tristan backed away.
“Forget it,” he hissed. “All this time you’ve been lying to me. You took that job to dig up dirt. That’s the only way I can reconcile the fact that you used a fake name and a fake degree. What other purpose would you have? Those questions about the IRS? You got close to me and you made me think I could trust you! You’re just a little spoiled bitch who works for the very rag in New York who leaked the story about me this morning.”
“I… I’m so sorry! If I could do it all over again I would never, ever have told them. They tricked me…”
Tristan laughed and it was a hard, bitter sound. “They tricked you? Poor Lucinda. The innocent victim in all of this.” In a burst of rage, Tristan moved his hand, sending the file folder with all her fake papers whirling off the counter. The contents littered the floor.
Lucinda closed her eyes. She made no effort to stop the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.
“Do you know that because of what you’ve done, the adoption process has been put on hold? I doubt I’ll ever see those kids again,” Tristan growled. “All because you wanted a story to further your pathetic career. Or maybe someone offered to pay you big bucks. I don’t know which and I don’t care. The damage is done. I was right all along. My father was always right. Never trust a woman.”
“Tristan I-”
“Get out!” Tristan thundered. “Get out my house right now! Go back to whatever god forsaken hole you crawled out of before you came here and ruined my life!”
“Please!” Lucinda begged. She had to say something before it was too late. She already had so many regrets. She couldn’t live with any more. “Please, I don’t want to lose you!”
“That’s impossible!” Tristan spat out harshly. “You never had me in the first place. Get out of my house.”
Lucinda tried to force her feet to move but they felt like lead weights holding her in place.
“Now!” Tristan’s roar echoed through the kitchen and seemed to shake the very house.
Her feet finally obeyed her brain and Lucinda ran. She fled the kitchen, back to her room. She grabbed
her things and stuffed them into her suitcase. It took her a total of five minutes. She left out the back door.
She had no vehicle. A ranch hand had picked her up from the airport. She glanced around dumbly, wondering what she was going to do.
“Miss Tina? The boss asked me to take you to the airport.” One of the ranch hands came stumbling across the yard towards her.
Lucinda exhaled in relief. She was thankful she wasn’t going to have to try and walk in the dark. She didn’t even know what direction Austin was and hitching a ride with someone on the off chance she spotted a car passing, was dangerous.
How had she ever let herself get into this mess? She’d only been at Tristan’s ranch for twelve days but she felt like it was a lifetime ago that she agreed to take the horrible job. Somehow, in the process of trying to get a story, she’d lost herself. She had no idea who Lucinda Riley even was anymore.
Chapter 14
After making a pit stop to collect the paperwork she needed, Lucinda headed to work. It was strange to think of returning back here. At first she’d seen no other choice but a day of honest reflection gave her the inspiration she needed to finally stand up for herself.
She didn’t bother talking to any of her colleagues. There was no one she really considered a friend at the magazine anyway. She had to admit they were a bunch of cutthroat wolves, circling for their chance to get their big break. Why had she ever thought this job was a good one? When she’d been singled out as a rising star, she should have run.
What had she expected? She knew what the magazine was about. It was a rag. The kind of thing that made money by pedaling lies and selling people out. There was no integrity to be found.
Roger Parker’s door was closed. She could see him sitting at his desk, his hulking, brutish form dwarfing his chair. He was alone so she didn’t bother knocking.
Parker pushed back his chair and stood. His beady eyes raked over her body before he grinned lecherously. “Lucinda! Just the girl I wanted to see! You got my message then? Come to talk about your bonus?”
Pathological Therapy Billionaire Bad Boy Box Set Page 25