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Cocking my head to the side, I sit silently, waiting for her to get her little spiel over with. She’s like a tiny dog barking at me, demanding an audience.
Tessa breathes out a long breath. “It was me. I’m the one to blame. Vanessa was upset at the party because she found out about Grace and Cash. She thought they were playing her the whole time.”
“Well,shewas,” I say, tipping my chin toward Grace. “My brother would never do that, though.”
Grace lets out a “ha!” in response, which only makes the fire smoldering inside me burn hotter.
Tessa jumps in again. “You and I both know that your brother was head over heels for Grace and that Grace continued to push him away. Let’s not rewrite history.”
Has this girl been brainwashed? Grace conned Cash. He had no idea she was married until after he fell for her. I open my mouth to speak, but Tessa holds up her hand.
“Can you please just let me get through this?”
I nod in acquiescence, ready to hear what other bullshit she’s come up with.
Tessa exhales and pulls her shoulders back. “She was going on about how she was going to destroy your brother. The press would know what a player he was. Cat, she was acting crazy.” Rolling her eyes, Tessa shakes her head and brushes a few loose strands of hair from her face. “IthoughtI was helping. I thought she wasyourfriend.”
“Yeah, me too,” I mutter. I really can’t believe yet another person I let into my life has betrayed me. My track record is shit.
“I thought if I told herwhyGrace stayed away from Cash for so long, she would understand. I explained that your brothers were all screwed up over your father’s actions. I told her how Grace wanted to protect him from any bad press or any attention at all because he had enough on his plate. I never thought Vanessa would use what I told her to destroy your familyorGrace. You have to believe me; if I thought for even a second that she would have done what she did…” Tessa stops and studies her clasped hands on the tabletop. “If I had a clue this would be the outcome, I never would have opened my mouth.” Watching me with what looks like genuine remorse, she goes on. “I am so very sorry that your family has suffered because Carter trusted me. And I am so sorry that Grace has been the one to pay for my big mouth.”
Cash isn’t the only one spilling secrets, I guess. Thank God my brothers don’t know my biggest one. It seems like I’m the only member of the James family who knows how to keep her mouth shut.
When our drinks arrive, I stare at my martini, twirling the olives through the liquid as I try to figure out what to say. How to move forward. Debate with myself about whether I believe them. Whether I should trust them.
“Listen,” Grace says, breaking my train of thought, “you and I obviously got off on the wrong foot.”
I tilt my head and take her in. That’s the understatement of the century. Little does she know I’ve known about her for far longer than she’s known about me.
She shifts in her chair. “I would really like to keep my word to Jonathan and help you. Or maybe we are just both helping Jonathan—I have no idea. But either way, if you can move on from the past now that you know there is no chance of your brother and me dating, we can work together. What do you say?”
I take a deep breath. I told Jay I was going to give this a chance. And while promises rarely mean anything these days, especially his, when I give my word, I mean it. So I hold out my hand to the woman who may still be my undoing. “Hello, Grace, my name is Cat James. It’s nice to meet you.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and then she smiles and takes my hand. “It’s nice to meet you too. Now, if you were looking for a man, what exactly would you be looking for?”
44
LABYRINTH BY TAYLOR SWIFT
Cat
Days later, I’m still angry with Jay and unwilling to rely upon his assurances that he’ll take care of the threat against Chloe and me. I’m taking matters into my own hands. I know exactly who to call to get to the bottom of the threats. Jay wouldn’t approve, but since he’s the one who got us into this mess in the first place, I’m not giving him a say in the matter.
My daughter should be at home with me, and the only way I’ll allow her anywhere near me is if I know with absolute certainty that she’s safe. Jay said he took care of the threats, that the men who were after him remain clueless about my connection to him, but I don’t trust a word out of his mouth.
So I called the one man I do trust. The one person who has been by my family’s side no matter what it has cost him.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you looking into this,” I say to Frank as his large frame settles in the chair in front of me.
He runs his hand against his lip. “Been a while since I’ve been in this office, Princess,” he grates out.
“We’re not going there,” I say with a nervous laugh.
He smirks. “No shit. Your fiancé would kill me.”
“You havenoidea.”
Tipping his head to the side, he examines me for a long moment. “Actually, I do. From what I’ve heard, the pretty boy is a lot more dangerous than either of us gave him credit for.”
