I hate that she’s spent several stressful hours sitting with the unknown. I hate that she’s completely oblivious to the wreckage waiting on my laptop.
Her gaze on me softens from panic to concern. “You look like you’ve been through hell,” she murmurs, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist. She holds onto me as if I’m the one in this room who needs consoling.
I cradle her face between my palms, the words catching in my throat. For one selfish moment, I consider letting her keep this—the worry for me instead of herself.
Just one more minute.
Another sixty seconds before what I’m about to tell her rips it all away.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Rayne
DK takes my hands in his. The shift is loud. Five seconds ago, I thought I was here to anchor him through whatever had put that tight, exhausted strain on his face. Now I know he’s anchoring me. My pulse starts to tick higher.
If it were something posted on Bayside Truth Watch, Anika would already be blowing up my phone. So, this is worse. Something that called DK away for hours.
“Just say it.”
His hands tighten around my fingers. “Let’s sit down, Luna.”
“I don’t want to sit.” Fear bats against my ribs, but I push him anyway. “I want to know. Please don’t protect me. I can handle whatever it is.”
He nods, though his hands shake around mine. “Diablo got an anonymous email today with… photos of you.”
“Photos?” The question comes out as a choked gasp.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” His voice is low and gruff. “Four of them. Claiming they were taken from an adult subscription page.”
A chill runs through me, turning my skin ice cold. “They’re fake. I’ve never had an account. I’ve never posted or shared pictures of myself that would be compromising in any way.”
“I know that.” He rubs my arms, but his touch feels a million miles away. “I dug deep to prove it to Gabriel. He’s not going to use them. The story is a slanderous fabrication. But, Luna…” He pauses, swallowing hard. “The photos aren’t fake.”
The room tilts. DK knows every inch of my body. If he believes they’re real?—
Oh my God. “Show me.”
He hesitates, but knowing there’s no choice, he leads me over to the kitchen island. I’d only ever seen his rental through FaceTime. Now I’m finally here, standing in the space where I’d often imagined us cooking dinners together, brewing morning coffee, sleeping in his bed. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine standing here for this.
DK guides me onto the stool and enters a long password before he pulls up the email with a few clicks of the mouse.
I inhale a strangled breath and read:Urgent! Rayne Webber has an adult account.The subject line was engineered to ensure Diablo wouldn’t ignore it.
Dear Mayor Diablo,
I’m not from Bayside. I have no vested interest in your campaign or Ms. Webber’s. My only concern is transparency in politics. Voters, myself included, want honest stewards. I’m certain your opponent is the same woman who had an adult page several months ago. I was a subscriber who saved screenshots of her performances before the account was deleted. My wish is not to harm Ms. Webber. It’s simply to shed light.Voters have a right to know who she is before Election Day.
Please find a link to the photos here.
I trust you will handle this matter appropriately.
Regards,
A Concerned Citizen
The disguise is the only thing that’s transparent in this message. I can feel Hollis in every calculated word. His signature tell has always been feigning concern while simultaneously chopping you off at the knees.
I hover the mouse over the link, afraid of what I’m going to find. But I have to know. I count myself down in my head.Three, two, one…click.
