Isaac is devastated. Unlike me, he didn’t just discover the person he’s falling in love with is an FBI agent—he had his home trashed, his reputation sullied with unfounded lies, and his businesses placed on the line.
And if the woman I’ve just seen entering is who I think she is, matters are about to get ten times worse for him.
Eighteen
Alex
“It’s a little fancier than the basement office they shoved me in. Anyone would swear you were sleeping with the boss for the upgrades you’ve secured the past few months.”
Theresa walks into my office, her steps as life-sucking as always. Her blonde hair has grown a few inches longer since the last time I saw her, and she’s added a few pounds to her tiny frame, but her eyes are as evil as they’ve ever been.
“Oh, that’s right, you can’t sleep with your daddy, can you? You just use his position to your advantage at any chance you get.”
Usually, I’d bite back at any insinuation my father’s high profile in the Bureau is the reason behind my advancements, but since this is Theresa, a woman more corrupt than she is moral, I’ll stockpile my reserves for someone worthier of my fight. Perhaps the blonde who just left my office in near tears before screaming obscenities into the street—the one I was five seconds from chasing down before Theresa reappeared.
“What do you want, Theresa?” Nothing but hostility rings in my tone.
She sets down a photo of my family on a side table before spinning around to face me. “Hmm. Where should I start? At my position you wrongly had me removed from? The rogue agent you’ve let run free on your team the past six months? Or your connection with Col Petretti?”
I laugh off her first two comments, but her last one has me choking on spit. “I’m connected to Col Petretti? Where did you dig that allegation from, Theresa? The vault load of lies you amassed between sleeping with Isaac Holt and failing to pin your son on him.”
She scoffs as anger lines her face. “You can’t pin a child on his father.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Isaac is his daddy. I forgot.” Even a stranger couldn’t miss the sarcasm in my tone. “So why isn’t he paying child support or arranged for visitation?”
“I don’t know.” Theresa’s tone is as mocking as mine. “Perhaps he’s upset I didn’t take the route Regan did when she discovered one of your swimmers had pierced the raincoat.”
Knuckles popping bellow through my office when I clench my fists. “How do you know about that?” My words are so hot, they hiss and sizzle in the air.
“The same way you discovered my secret.” She props her ass onto my desk. “A little birdie told me.” A brazen wink seals her arrogant statement.
I stand from my chair and walk around my desk. I’m not using my size to intimidate her. I’m just hoping it will. . .intimidate her. “You have five seconds to tell me why you’re here before I have the utmost pleasure of throwing you out ofmyoffice.”
I’ll give it to her. Theresa has balls of steel. She doesn’t flinch, balk, or swallow excessively when subjected to my furious wrath. She just stands her ground, proving she’s more stupid than she is attractive.
I stop trying to grab her arm when she murmurs, “Clive Christian X.”
When my eyes bounce between hers, confused, she adds on, “Your aftershave. It’s Clive Christian X. Am I right?”
Although confused about where she’s going with this, I nod.
Theresa smirks a smug grin. “It’s the exact same brand of aftershave Col Petretti wears.”
Her grin morphs onto my face. “That’s your connection? An aftershave? You’re gonna need more than that to convince a jury.”
I assist her off my desk and walk her to the door. I’ll never put my hands on a woman to hurt them, so you can imagine how hard it is for me not to dig my fingers into Theresa’s bony arm. But I do it. I act like a gentleman—barely!
“I don’t need a jury to take you down, Alex,” Theresa sneers. “I just need to convince a pretty little blonde that her beliefs are true.”
Her arm jerks from my grip when I suddenly stop in my tracks. “What are you talking about?”
She spins to face me, her smile picking up. She thinks she has me right where she wants me. It’s a pity our last tussle didn’t teach her anything. I’m smarter now, more vengeful. . .and heartbroken.That’s a lethal combination.
“Regan believes you used her to forge an investigation into Isaac. By convincing her you’ve sided with Isaac’s enemy, it gives her theory more credit.”
Theresa’s comment fills me with dread, but I act coy. “So? Why would that bother me?”
I step back when she lifts her hand to my face. “You should have kept the beard. It hides the tick your jaw gets any time Regan is mentioned.”
