Casanova(97)

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Dad slid his gaze between her and me.

I expected him to look at me accusingly. I expected him to be angry, to shout, to yell at me.

But he didn’t. He was calm—almost too calm—and his tone couldn’t have been more matter-of-fact.

“I already contacted her lawyer, and he confirmed she’s currently visiting Canada with family and wouldn’t breach the contract even if she wanted to. We locked her in good. So, somebody heard you, and I’d bet it was Anton Reeves.”

I took a deep breath and sat on the back of the sofa. “I told Lani about the tape last night.”

Dad nodded once.

“We were on the balcony at the hotel. We checked and didn’t see anybody, so I figured it would be all right to talk out there. Clearly, I was wrong.” I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told her outside.”

He still wasn’t angry. “What are you going to do about it?”

I picked up the email from the floor and read it again. “I guess I have to figure it out within the next twenty-three hours.”

Dad raised his eyebrows. “A little sooner would be appreciated.”

I nodded once. “Got it.”

“What if she told someone?” Aunt Bel tapped a finger against her lips.

“What?” Mom frowned.

“Lani,” she replied simply. “What if nobody overhead and Lani told her boss? I saw them talking last night.”

I snapped my head around to her. “When?”

“Before you danced.”

“You were practically asleep in the chair. You’re losing your mind.”

“Actually,” Cam said, grimacing. “I did see them talking in the hall.”

“Ah, it was you.” Aunt Bel snapped her fingers. “I knew somebody saw them talking.”

Cam ignored her. “It was after you stormed out but before you two left.”

“No.” I said it firmly. So firmly I shocked myself. “She wouldn’t have done that.”

My sister shrugged. “I don’t think she did either, but maybe she was getting even—”

I stood and shook my head. “No, Camille. I’d deserve it, but no. She wouldn’t have done that.”

Mom looked at me.

“Has she answered her phone yet?” Aunt Bel asked me with a cocked brow.

“I’m not even thinking about it any further. I’m going to try to figure this out. I’ll be in my room.” I crumpled the email in the palm of my hand and walked out of the room.

I didn’t want to hear that. I knew Lani. I knew she wouldn’t have done that. Not after everything she said to me last night.

She wasn’t cold or full of hatred. She wasn’t a bad person.

I didn’t care if Camille saw her talking to her boss. Lani wasn’t answering her phone because she was looking after her sister.

I wouldn’t believe she would do that.

I couldn’t believe it.





“I’m sorry.” Camille stood in the doorway of my room.

“Don’t you knock?”

“Don’t need to. Technically, I’m outside.”

I looked up from the email. I’d been staring at it for longer than thirty minutes and I’d gotten nowhere. Mostly because I’d called Lani five times and Connie three, all to no avail. Mostly because I couldn’t stop fucking thinking about the idea they’d put in my stupid head.

Why was I even entertaining it? I knew in my heart she hadn’t done it. There was no reason for her not to talk to her boss. There was no reason for Lani to want to hurt me that way.

Not now, anyway.

We were past all of that. Past whatever had happened when we were kids. Their theory didn’t make any sense to me.

“Why are you still here?” I ask her. I was tired. I was so done with everything, yet it was all my own fault. All the stupid decisions I’d ever made were culminating in right now. More money to bury my stupidest mistake or let everyone know just how much of an ass I really was.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I don’t know why I accused Lani. She’s my best friend. I know she wouldn’t do that.”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. That doesn’t help me figure out what to do about it.”

“Can I come in?”

I waved the sheet of paper at her. I didn’t care either way.

Cam walked in slowly, her hands in her back pockets. She climbed onto the edge of my bed and crossed her legs. “Can I read it?”

Wordlessly, I handed it to her. I didn’t care about that either. It was such a damn tiny thing to care about given that the only thing I did care about was the reputation of my family. I didn’t want them being dragged down with me. That was the reason I’d given in to the blackmail in the first place when Sara had done it.

“I don’t get it,” Cam said thoughtfully, setting the paper down on top of my covers. “What does Anton Reeves have against us? What did we ever do to him?”

“We bought the building the paper runs out of,” I reminded her.

“Yeah, but we saved him from having it repossessed.”

“True.” I leaned back against the headboard and stretched my legs out in front of me. “And he pays less rent than others in our buildings in the center of town because Dad understands how important it is that we have a physical paper. He didn’t even implement restrictions on his reporting of our family.”