Page 114 of Exposed

I whisper and gamble on the fact that despite her being sharp, maybe Trippy’s hearing isn’t what it used to be. “You haven’t been on your phone all day. What’s wrong?”

His eyes angle to mine and narrow. “Why would something be wrong?”

I lean in closer. “Because of the look on your face. You’ve been happy-go-lucky all day, but you’re not now.”

“I’m never happy-go-lucky.”

“You were when you were dancing with Wanda.”

He gives me the palm of his hand. “I’m taking one for the team today. No one needs to know about that.”

I grab his forearm and look into his whiskey eyes. I’m sure he has women of all ages dropping their panties with a mere wink. “I took a picture of you today.”

Rocco narrows his eyes. “That’s not cool.”

I hike a brow. “That’s right, Mr. Burly SWAT man. I have photographic evidence of you driving the Barbie Mobile.”

“You wouldn’t…”

“You were eating an ice cream cone.With sprinkles.” I lean in closer to drop the bomb that will get him kicked out of the bro club for life. “And you weresmiling.”

“What the fuck, Goldie?” he hisses. “I’m here as your bodyguard. You’d do that shit to me?”

“If you don’t tell me what’s going on—" I wiggle my cell and am about to threaten him with a group text to every DEA agent I know of the video I took of him twisting, but I don’t have the chance.

He gets another text.

“Fuck,” he mutters loud enough for the geriatric ears in the room.

“None of that, Rocco. Watch your language,” Trippy says, proving she can hear just fine as she makes it back to the table. If her hands and arms weren’t full of drinks, I bet she’d pop him on the side of the head for cursing. She plops three cans of Diet Coke down with a glass of ice for Rocco and looks at me. “You look tired, Goldie. I decided you need one too.”

I lean back in my chair, because she’s right. I am tired.

I’m exhausted and worried and I got nothing from Rocco.

Rocco cracks open his can and doesn’t use the ice he asked for. “Drink up. I just got a text from King. I can take you home anytime.”

I ignore the drink I didn’t ask for. “Really? He’s done?”

Trippy wraps a wrinkled hand around my wrist. “See, there? You didn’t need to worry. My King can do anything.”

I glance at Rocco, and he hikes a brow.

“There’s no need to whisper and keep secrets from me. I’m fine. I might not know exactly what he’s up to today, but I have a feeling. King thinks he can keep this stuff from me, but I know what he does. I watch nighttime television—and none of that network stuff. I watch the good stuff oncable.” She cracks her afternoon shot of caffeine open and settles her wrinkled eyes on me. “And I have a feeling whatever King is up to today has to do with you. Women don’t need bodyguards for no reason these days.”

All of a sudden, I’ve had enough of the lies. Trippy loves her son. I want to tell her everything. “He’s investigating my half-brother, who is not a good person. That’s how we met.”

“Goldie.” Rocco’s tone is one that reminds me of how my mom talked to me in middle school. “King said to keep it under wraps.”

“If she wants to talk, let her talk.” Trippy glares at Rocco before looking back at me. “Go ahead, honey. Get it off your chest. I can take it.”

I tell her about our first meeting. About King tricking me into planning a fake wedding for him. I tell her about my inheritance that I gave up, sneaking into The Pink, and King shocking me by making up a fake story about how we’re engaged.

What I do not tell her is how King lied about Trippy being on her deathbed.

White lies are always okay if used to spare one’s feelings. And in this case, it’s just an omission.

For the first time since this fiasco started, I feel a weight lifted from my chest, no matter how stressful the situation is. “Dex andthe men who work for him are not good people. It’s why I left. And it’s why Rocco gave up his day off to watch over me since they knew I’d be by myself while King was meeting with them. We’re supposed to get married next Saturday at The Pink. If he doesn’t come up with the charges he needs on them before that, I’m not sure what will happen. Oh, and King told Dex I was pregnant.”

---