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“What?”
“I know, Rex. Believe me. I wanted to scold Lucy the second she told me, but you have no idea how hurt she is. She’s devastated. He’s been threatening to put the pictures on the internet for a long time.”
“And she’s what? Been paying him for his silence?”
“In so many ways,” Luke said, looking away.
“What are you trying to say? Is he making her sleep with him? Is that what he’s doing?”
Luke slowly nodded. “Sometimes he shows up for cash. Other times he shows up for sex. Still other days, he just takes her out to the clubs, some of the hot spots in Dallas, certain to pick major events those in the lifestyle frequent.”
Rex slammed his fist against the desk. “That bastard has a lot of nerve showing up here.”
“Lucy says he wouldn’t know about us. She said she never confided in him, even when they were seeing one another on a regular basis, and they never talked about past lovers.”
“How in the hell did she end up with someone like this creep?”
“He helped her out of a financial pinch when her grandfather was sick. Evidently, she made some accounting errors and discovered her bank account was overdrawn and didn’t want to go to her grandfather.”
“She could’ve come to us.”
“You know Lucy better than that. She had too much pride to call us up and ask for money. Besides, she’s always been sitting on a small fortune. You and I both know how that would’ve played out. You would’ve questioned her. She would’ve felt like you were butting in her business, and she—”
“Wouldn’t have gone to bed with a fucking loser!” A beat later, he added, “What the hell was she thinking?”
Lucy stormed in the room. “How dare you judge me, Rex McDavid.” Her voice was low, steady. “I’ve watched you parade one cheap tramp after another through these farm gates. I’ve heard the cries of pleasure from not just one or two women, but a multitude of women. I’ve stood by while common whores came through these doors while you’ve patted me on the head and promised me that one day my place would be in your bed. Well, that day came and went. You and Luke showed me something I couldn’t have and dangled your bad habits in front of me like a carrot.”
“And because we didn’t give it to you when and how you wanted, you what? Went out and found someone who would?” A second later, he added, “Real fucking smart, Lucy. Real bright indeed.”
“I didn’t have anywhere to turn!”
“Like hell you didn’t!” Rex shouted. “Maybe we weren’t together, but you know me. I would’ve walked through hell for you, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have asked me.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Why?” Rex asked.
“I just couldn’t.”
Tears streamed down her face. She pinched her nose and gasped. “I had too much pride. Okay? I had too much false pride!” A sniffle later and she choked out, “You of all people should understand something about that.”
Rex set his jaw. “Well, let me ask you something. If these pictures surface, how much pride will you have when the whole world gets a glimpse of that hot little body and pretty, precious pussy, huh? What then? Will you hold your head high? Hmm?”
She raised her hand to smack him but dropped her arm just as quickly. “I won’t stand here and listen to this.”
“You don’t need to hear what I have to say. That’s for sure.”
Luke rubbed his forehead. “Lucy, where were the pictures made?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, trying to regain some composure. “Some were at the Tidewaters in Padre Island. Others were from one of the lifestyle clubs in San Francisco. There are a lot of private pictures and videos, too.”
Rex was furious. What the hell had he done? Why couldn’t he turn back time and start over with Lucy? If he’d stood by her in the first place, none of this would’ve happened. Why had he been such a whore dog in his youth? He turned his back to them and glared outside again, noting the arrival of a vehicle he hadn’t seen before. “Come here, Lucy.”
She walked to the window.
Rex pointed at a black sedan. “Is that Graves?”
The door opened, and a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair stepped out. He turned toward the car, slammed the door, and stood in front of the glass adjusting his tie and slicking back his hair. When he turned around again, he fiddled with his dark sunglasses, pushing them up on the bridge of his nose.
