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“Yeah, those were for the story. This is personal. There’s a difference.”
I give her a wave as I head out the door.
“Call me when you leave,” she says before I close her out of my head. It’ll be fine.
It takes me twenty minutes to get to the café and find a seat.
I perk up in my chair when the two women enter.
“Alright, you got us here.” Cassie drops her handbag on the café table. “What the hell do you want?”
Harper’s guarded amber eyes glare down at me.
“Thank you for coming,” I say in an even tone. Maybe Selina was right. These women are going to be hell to deal with. “Please have a seat.”
Harper yanks out the chair, and Cassie follows suit with a little more grace. I did some investigating. Cassie is a marketing director for a prestige company. Harper is a social worker. They’re both intelligent and able to handle their own. Not to mention who they’re dating. Of course, that comes with some clout as well.
I get this won’t be an easy task, but my back is against the wall. Lix put it there last night. And I’m ready to go the extra mile to get the truth.
Harper crosses her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”
“I’m looking into Mrs. Daxon’s case and have a few questions. I was hoping you could help me out.”
Cassie’s head flinches back. “Why?”
“I don’t think she got a fair trial. I think there’s more to the case than what was presented. If there’s anything—”
“No.” Harper shuts me down. “We want to know why you’re interested in the case. What is it that you want to accomplish? Are you looking for your next big story or something?” Her face hardens. “You’re talking about exposing the people we care about. So why the hell do you think we’d ever help you?”
I place my palms on the table. I need to regain control of the conversation. “I’m not looking for a story. I don’t plan on writing about or exposing anyone you love.”
Cassie’s eyes narrow. “What’s your endgame?”
“I want to help. That’s all.”
Harper shakes her head. “I don’t believe you. You have an agenda. What is it?”
I slide my hands from the table and lounge back in the chair. “It’s Lix,” I confess.
“Yes.” Cassie nods with pursed lips. “We understand your focus is on Lix, but we don’t understand why.”
“I need to gain his trust.”
Harper sets her crossed arms on the table and leans in. “Why?”
“That’s between Lix and me.”
“Does he know anything about what’s between the two of you?” Harper leans in closer. “If you hurt him… or get him in trouble.”
“No. I don’t want to do either. It has nothing to do with the escort service. Yes.” I wave my hand. “I know all about that. This has nothing to do with that. It’s about Lix’s past. And I can’t go into it with you. I won’t.” I lean in this time. “Listen, I have the resources, the connections, and the experience to dig deeper into Mrs. Daxon’s case. I’m good at my job. I’ll find out what happened and what she’s holding back. I’ve spoken to her lawyer. She didn’t give me much, but she left me with the sense that there’s more to the story than Mrs. Daxon is letting on. I need something to help me along. Something to run with.”
Cassie eyes me for a long moment. “Have you asked Lix about this?”
“I can’t. You know what kind of life they’ve had. It’s difficult for any of them to trust.”
“Yes,” Harper says. She’s a tough one. Cassie seems more reasonable. “And they trust us, but you want us to betray them. Why do you think we’d do that?”
“Because you care about them. If I can find something to help Mrs. Daxon get out early, then it’s a win. Lix has told me a bit about his childhood. Harper, you’re a social worker. You deal with this kind of stuff. Mrs. Daxon shouldn’t be in jail for protecting her children. I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble. Everything you say to me will be off the record. I swear, I won’t write the story if you could help me here.”
