Page 21 of Reveal

“Aha! I knew there was a reason you stopped by.”

“I need a date for it.”

“Then take Mr. Thirty-Six Hours with you.”

“Ha. That’s funny. His time is already up. Besides,” he says and nudges me, “my dad will be there. You know I need to tame the flame when he’s around.”

I roll my eyes and snort, my first smile finally turning up one corner of my mouth. “No way am I going to be used as a pacifier between you and your father. Been there and done that before.”

“It’s not like that.” He waves his hand in indifference. “It’s a fund-raiser.”

My sigh is exaggerated. The last thing I want to do is get dressed up for something that is fancy and formal, and if Archer is going, then that’s exactly what this is. “Arch—”

“Come on.” He reaches for my hand and swings it. “It’ll be fun. We’ll get you out of the house. We’ll get those roots done. And we’ll raise a shit ton of money for Lucy.”

“What?” My head snaps in his direction.

His smile is wide and his expression smug. “Oh, did I forget to tell you? It’s for DSAF,” he says, so casually referring to the Down Syndrome Advocacy Foundation.

“Dammit, Archer.”

“I knew that would get you,” Archer says and smacks a loud kiss to the side of my cheek. “So . . . it’s a date, then?”

CHAPTER SIX

Ryker

“Bianca . . . I get your frustration, but I can’t force your husband’s hand.”

“Your reputation is at stake here, Mr. Lockhart.”

My chuckle is anything but amused at the senator’s wife threatening me. “I told you I’d get whatever you needed, but it’s going to take time.”

And this is why I don’t take on women as clients. Because they are irrational and demanding and expect results in a day’s time.

“Time?”

“Yes, time.” I shift the phone from one ear to the other.

“You said you had audio of your conversation. I’d love to hear it.”

I think of the recording on my phone. The conversation I can’t even listen to myself.

“It’ll never hold up in court,” I lie, knowing it could damn well be used as a bargaining chip but not wanting to share it. It implicates Vaughn, even identifies her by name. What the fuck was I thinking? “Besides, he never offers to pay the escort for sex. That’s what we need.”

“Mmm.” It’s all she says, and for any guy that’s the worst sound in the world. “I’d still like to hear it.”

“No.”

“No?” She laughs the word out in disbelief. The same disbelief I have over this entire bullshit situation right now.

I think of Carter’s threat. Of how badly I want to say fuck it and his threats of outing Roxanne and me. It would make all of this so much easier. Give Bianca what she wants, file the papers for the goddamn divorce, and wash my hands of this dysfunctional couple. I couldn’t give a shit less about me, but I know he wouldn’t stop at just Rox. Hell no. He’s bound and determined to fuck with Vaughn, too, and I can’t bring any more on her than I already have.

Regardless of the fact that I’ve written her off. That I know we were a bad idea from the beginning.

See? That’s called growth, Lockhart. The selfish man is still looking out for her, nonetheless.

“No?” she repeats. “I don’t think that’s the word you were wanting to say. I believe the words should have been Yes, Bianca. Here’s the recording for you to listen to.”