“Why did you even sign the contract if you were going to ruin him so much?” she asks, eyes narrowed.
My lips press for a brief moment, and when the answer comes to mind, I straighten my back and say, “Because, back then, I didn’t think Griffin could ever let me down. I didn’t think he ever would because was the one who always picked me up—always the one who took care of me even when he had the least money. But then he let me down… and it changed everything. Including me.”
“It can’t possibly be just Griffin that’s made you this way.” She looks me over with mild disgust. “He’s not that bad of a guy.”
“No,” I breathe, “he’s not. But maybe I’m not just blaming him. Maybe I’m blaming my neglectful family too. You know, the family that has never believed in anything I do?”
Beth is quiet now. She knows not to say much—that saying anything hurtful may result in me changing my mind about the baby. Yeah, that’s how badly she wants it.
With a smirk and a quick see you later, I am out of her office and walking down the hallway, feeling like a ton of bricks have been lifted off my shoulders.
Beth will do this and she won’t tell a soul, no matter how difficult that may be for her.
Yes, she’ll be going against our father, the man she admires so much, but when it comes to Beth, she can be just as selfish.
Who do you think she gets that trait from? If she wants something, she goes for it no matter what—despite the consequences. In her case, no consequence will matter as long as she has a baby in her arms.
The thought of it sickens me, but only because she’s getting her hopes up. She’ll betray whomever just to get to the grand prize.
Ha. I’m no fool.
My sister has used me over and over again for years. At one point I looked up to her, until I came into my own and realized that she only saw me as the sister that made her look like the good and honest one.
She is far from it. Just like me, she is a smart, lying, conniving bitch, but even through all of that, she can’t even see what I’m really doing here because she has been blinded by an image of the future and what it holds for her.
A baby.
A family.
Pshh.
She’s an idiot.
Time to play these new cards against her and my dipshit husband.
Chapter Seven
Angelina
I march down the hallway, spotting Lexi Marsh in front of her office door.
I have my files tucked beneath my arm, a ball of positivity swarming throughout my body.
I have repeated a mantra in my head all morning, and on the drive here, listening to New Americana and Gasoline by Halsey.
I will not fail today. We are getting this done, and we have two hours to do just that.
“Good morning, Angelina. It’s nice to see your face again.” She smiles at me as I trot in her direction, looking me over with her grey, cat-like eyes.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that Lexi is also lesbian… and quite attracted to me.
She’s a tall woman, about three inches taller than my five-foot-six inch self. Her sandy-blond hair is always pinned up or pulled into a tight bun, no matter the occasion or circumstance.
She’s slender and fit. A very pretty lady with great skin and nice boobs, which she had no problem paying for or bragging about.
Oh, and I cant forget that every single day she wears the color yellow. Yellow blouse, yellow jewelry, or even yellow shoes. She wears it, and she wears it quite well.
Today it’s a yellow skirt with a grey blouse. It’s safe to say that yellow is most definitely her favorite color.
My eyebrows shoot up. “Lexi. It’s great to see your lovely face too.” I walk past her and into the office. “Let’s get this party started, huh?”
“Sounds great.” She walks in behind me, shutting the door behind her as I place my folders and laptop on top of the table. “So, what brings you in this morning?” she asks. “Is the contract signed?”
“No, and speaking off, I actually want you to shred the old contract.”
She frowns, stopping in place as she leans on the edge of her desk by the hand. “What? Shred it? Why? Was it not good enough?”
“No. It was fine, really. We couldn’t have done a better job with it.” I hold my hands up, knowing how easily offended she gets about her work.
“So why shred it? What’s changed?”
She’s still frowning.
I sigh, and pick up my folder, pulling out the printed papers I typed up last night. I walk in her direction, handing them to her.
She takes them, flipping through as she skims the print words with her eyes, and then she peers up at me, mildly confused.
“So, you want to rewrite the contract to suit his needs? I thought you wanted to get his networks and companies for yourself eventually?”
“That was the plan, but things have changed. Do you think we can do this before 12?” I flip my wrist to check my watch. “I’m having brunch with my sister and I’d like to be on time.”
I know Lexi can do this. I’m just tired of answering questions and tired of her looking at me like a madwoman.
“I don’t want to sound rude, Ang,” she says, huffing a laugh as she comes to the table and sits, “but do you think this is smart? I mean, don’t you think Scott will ask questions? Get upset that you are getting more than they are? After all, this was his idea first.”
I shrug. “Scott will have to deal with it. Besides, he’ll be getting more than what he was making on his own. He will be fine. Look, Lex, this is what Griffin Boyd wants. I promised him I would rewrite the contract to his liking and we are going to do just that. If you can’t then I will go to someone else. It’s no big deal. I just need this done ASAP.”
She stares at me for a brief moment before dropping her gaze to the papers again, flipping through them and frowning more and more.
“We can do it,” she sighs, “but I still don’t get it. What changed?” she inquires.
Her hazel eyes shift up as she steps back. She walks behind her desk to sit in the cushioned leather chair, logging into her computer.
“I got to know him,” I murmur when she finally looks at me again for an answer. “And he’s not what I thought he would be or how Scott portrayed him. Truth is, I think he’s just as stuck as we are. Right now, I am being given a second chance and I’m getting more than I thought I would, so let’s hurry. I don’t want to keep him waiting or give him too much time to change his mind.”
“Right—but I’m sure there is something else to this,” she muses with a smirk. Her eyes are on her computer screen, lips twitching. “He wouldn’t give you all of this and not expect something in return. When you say you got to know him, how well did you get to ‘know him’ exactly?”
I shake my head, laughing as I sit in the chair opposite of her. “Well enough. And that’s all you need to know.”
She blows a sigh. “Such a shame.”
“What is?”
“That a lovely girl like you gets snagged by a man like him. If it were me, you wouldn’t have to give anything in return. I would appreciate whatever you gave.”
“I press my lips to form a smile. “Lex, stop flirting with me, your client, and get your ass on board.”
She busts out in a laugh. “Can’t help that my client is stunning.”
“And I can’t help that the best lawyer I have ever come across is a full-blown lesbo that is way too into me, but you don’t see me complaining.” I snigger.
She winks. “Good one.” She spins in her chair and turns for her filing cabinet. She pulls out a thick packet of paper, spins again, and drops it in the shredder. It’s loud, whirring in my ears, and satisfaction settles within me when I realize it’s gone. “I’ll delete it from my computer and that will be that. Who has the printed copy I gave you for him to sign?”
“I think he does.”
She narrows her brows, sitting up straight. “You think he does? Well, what
if he doesn’t?”
“I will ask him, don’t worry.”
“Make sure you do, Ang. If we do this, and that turns up, there might be big trouble in the future. He or someone else could use it against you in the court of law if they just so happen to want to end your career.”
I shake my head, my curls bouncing. “That won’t happen. Okay? I’ll talk to him about it once this is settled. I’ll get it back.”
She inhales before exhaling, and when she turns to her computer and clicks away while glancing at one of the sheets I typed up, stress hits me at every level.
Griffin showed his lawyer—who he now hates—the contract.
What if his lawyer uses that to his advantage somehow? What if he made his own copy? Fuck, I have to find out if he has it—what he did with it.
“I’m going to grab some coffee from down the block. Want anything while I’m out?” I ask as I push out of my chair.
“Columbian. All black will do.”
“You got it.” I hurry out of her office, but not too swiftly for her to notice my rush. When I’m out of the door and past her assistant’s desk, I whip out my cellphone and dial Griffin.
The elevator doors open right away to my luck and as I ride down, I get his voicemail. “Shit,” I curse under my breath. I call again.
Nothing.
So I leave a message.
“Griff, if you still have the contract can you please make sure you put it somewhere no one can find it. Shred it, if you will. I know you said your lawyer looked into it for you, but now that you know those things that went down between him and your wife, I just don’t want that contract to backfire on us. He could tell Jenkins before we serve him… ya know? We don’t need any obstacles right now.”
I hang up and drop the phone, walking out of the elevator and down the street, hoping to the gods that Griffin has that damn contract in his possession.
* * *
“Sorry I’m late, sis!” I drop my purse in the empty chair beside mine, running around the edge of the table immediately to hug Jackie. She sighs and groans as she returns a tight hug, releasing me and holding my shoulders.
“When are you ever on time?” she teases. “Something would be really wrong if you were.”
I laugh, stepping back and pulling out my chair. We sit in unison, sliding up and then picking up our menus. We’re at a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Albuquerque.
Jackie rode from Taos to here with David. I would have met her, but David insisted on it, in need of getting Jackie out of the house.
“I’m telling you, Ang, I’ve felt so cooped up in the condo with him He can be really, really overbearing sometimes.” Jackie sighs, dropping her menu and looking at me. “I’m glad to finally be out, getting some fresh air. I already watched every season of Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds so, yeah, I’m pretty bored these days.”
I laugh as she does. “I know, Jack. I know it’s tough, but I’m glad you’re hanging in there.” I reach across the table for her hands. “Thank you for waiting for me to get back. Things have been crazy with work. Scott won’t get out of my ear. There’s just so much going on.” I sigh.
“Did you finally meet the guy of that Boyd business you were telling me about before you left?”
I nod assertively, but make sure not to say anything. If I speak on Griffin—if I even hint at the fact that I have any sort of interest in him—she will notice. She notices everything.
“Well… how is he? Was he as bad as Scott made him seem?”
“Honestly… no. Not at all. If I had to choose who was worse, between him and Scott, I’d definitely say Scott.”
I laugh nervously and scan the menu with my eyes. The waiter appears and we both order waters to start. When the waiter takes off, I realize Jackie is still quiet.
I look up, and realize her eyes are on mine. She looks a lot worse. Sporting a grey toboggan to cover her choppy pixie cut, a light blue T-shirt, and jeans.
Her face is much paler, the circles beneath her eyes appearing much darker than the last time I saw her. Then again, the last time I saw her she wore makeup.
She’s not wearing much today. Nothing but lip balm and mascara.
“Jackie?” I muse, lifting my brows at her.
“Angelina?” she returns with the same expression.
“No, no. Don’t you give me that look.”
“What look?” She presses her lips, playing innocent, shrugging.
“You know what look. That one. That thing you’re doing with your face.” I point at her, dangling my finger.
“I’m just admiring my sister, that’s all.”
“Please,” I laugh. “Spare me.”
She blows a breath. “There’s something you aren’t telling me, Ang. I can sense these things about you, you know?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, for one I haven’t seen you in weeks! The busy girl you are can hardly even call to save me from boredom. I tried calling but figured you were really busy. Kinda just gave up on it after like the first few days.”
“I’m sorry! I wanted to so much but—”
She cocks a brow. “But… what?”
I swallow hard, and relief hits me when the waiter returns with our waters. He tells us he will return with fresh lemons and cucumbers and when he disappears, my relief slips right out of the open windows.
“Angelina… you wanna tell me what happened while you were in Miami?”
“Not really,” I mumble, avoiding her eyes.
“Okay.” She shrugs and picks up her menu again, and I frown. I realize what she’s doing and laugh to myself.
“Oohhkay. Fine. You really want to know?”
“Neh. Doesn’t matter to me.” She shrugs again. “I think we should start off with the grilled artichoke and dill dipping sauce. What do you think?”
She always plays this game. It’s her way of getting me to open up. When we first met, this charade really used to tick me off.
She’d pretend she didn’t care, and then I would get annoyed that she could blow off my problems so easily to talk about something meaningless. Like now, it’s the appetizer.
Now, I realize it’s a tactic of hers. It still gets under my skin—clearly because I’m about to tell her everything—but it’s easier to tolerate now.
I know I can talk to Jackie, I just hate making our meet-ups about myself instead of her, the one who will soon be… leaving me. The thought of her no longer being on this earth shatters my heart to pieces.
“The guy I met up with for Scott… Griffin Boyd… he’s not what I thought he would be at all.”
She glares at me over her menu. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… there’s a lot more to him than I thought.” I drop my gaze. I don’t want to tell her about the plan Scott and I had to take him down.
Truth is, things are better now. Griffin has forgiven me… somewhat. I’d rather pretend it never happened… but that isn’t who I am.
Not with Jackie. I’ve told her things much worse than this.
“The truth is Griffin Boyd is a man that I admire.” I huff a laugh. “He’s hotter than I thought. He has charisma. He can be a total jackass, but he can also be very, very sweet.”
Jackie’s eyes widen and she leans forward. “Wait a minute! You’re making this sound way too intimate. Did you—did you sleep with this guy?”
“The whole point of me going there was to sleep with him. It was the plan, Jack.”
“But why?”
I sigh, dropping my hands in the center of my lap. “There are things about Dad and the people he worked with that you don’t know about.”
She blinks at me, still confused.
I continue. “The reason he died—the reason he stressed out so much to the point that he had that heart attack—is because of the man that Griffin works for. Steven Jenkins.”
She narrows her eyes, confused. “How can he be responsible for a natural cause? Dad stressed himself out a
lot about work—about me. It was no one’s fault. It was just his time to go, Ang.”
“No—see, you don’t get it and you won’t get it because you aren’t like Scott and I. Your mom was getting child support and support from the government. She had money to take care of you long after Dad died. Our mom? She did nothing. Nothing at all. She had to work at our local grocery store and pay the bills with minimum wage. We didn’t get much after he died.
“Steven Jenkins took everything Dad had. Remember when I was around nineteen and stopped coming to see you when Dad was still alive? It’s because we were trying to figure out where we were going to move. Dad had to sell the house. We had to pack our shit. He didn’t have much time to visit or stray away from home or my mom. He was trying to make things right for us again.”
She shakes her head, still confused.
“I’ll make it simple, Jack. Dad worked with Steven Jenkins for some time. Steven most likely realized how smart Dad is but also how vulnerable he can be sometimes. He got into Dad’s head, had him signing these crazy contracts during partnered trips.
“I’m more than certain some heavy drinking was involved, and I do remember Steven coming around often to our home, picking Dad up for games of golf, or calling him while he was at home.” I shake my head. “Dad had to hand over everything after their partnership was over. Everything meaning all of the businesses Dad worked with, all of the numbers, the revenue—all of it. Dad… he worked dirty, and I can admit that I am not a fan of that part of him—but he got shit done.
“He was a smart man. He never let anyone talk him into anything because this business is tough and he was the talker. He was the one that got people on his side. The only problem this time around was that Dad let Jenkins in too deep. He thought Jenkins was around all those years to help—and he was… for a while anyway.
Sudden Flames (Sweet Promise #2) Page 5