Page 84 of Exposed

“Nothing has changed, Dex. I still want nothing to do with The Pink, so I’m not sure why it interests you.”

“It’s interesting to me because I’ve spent the last twelve hours doing everything I can to look up your fiancé. Daniel Armstrong is a pretty generic name. I can’t find one that matches your babydaddy, let alone one who has the funding to back up what he proposed last night.”

She closes her eyes while she speaks. The woman who insists she hates lying and never breaks the rules is more than convincing. “Daniel is private. You won’t find him on social media or anywhere else on the internet for that matter. He has no trouble doing business without that kind of attention.”

“I don’t like it,” Dex says. “If I’m going to do business with someone, I need to know my investment is safe.”

Goldie’s expression looks like this is painful even though her tone is as even and smooth as her bare skin was in the shower last night.

“There’s nothing to question. He’s with me. Isn’t that enough? I mean, I’m still in Miami after what you put me through. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dex ignores that. “His only connections are a guy who’s disappeared from the face of the planet … and you.”

“Look, Dex. I don’t care what you do. I don’t have anything to do with Daniel’s business. He’s good at what he does, but my life will go on with or without your and Daniel’s partnership.”

There’s a pause over the line. One so long we all glance at each other, and I’m afraid we lost him.

Goldie gives her head a little shake and calls, “Dex, are you there?”

He immediately answers. “We had a last-minute cancellation a week from Saturday. The bride caught her fiancé with her maid of honor or some shit like that. Mark your calendar.”

“Mark my calendar?” Goldie asks. “For what?”

“Your wedding day. Congratulations. You’re getting married.”

Goldie’s big brown eyes go bigger as she stares at me.

“But—” she stutters. “I’m not ready.”

“Get ready,” Dex demands. “Get a dress and show up. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Goldie shakes her head, as if Dex can see her through the phone. “It’s too soon. Let me start planning, and we’ll take the next cancellation. Really, I just need a few weeks. Or months.”

“You’ve got twelve days—deal with it. If Daniel Armstrong wants to do business with me, and if you want to ever plan another event in this city, you’ll make it work.”

Goldie sucks in a breath. “I knew it. You are sabotaging my business, aren’t you?”

“You’re a competitor. What did you expect me to do?”

“I’m hardly a competitor?—”

I reach over and put a hand on her forearm since Goldie is about to lay into her brother.

I give her a nod.

“If you want me to give your fiancé a shot, I need you to prove you’re not planning on asking for your share of The Pink back.”

“I signed it over to you so you’d leave me alone, Dex. What more do you want from me?”

“Proof we’ve moved on. For some reason our father insisted on giving you half of everything when you weren’t loyal to him whatsoever. I have no fucking clue what he was thinking. If you say no to me, then consider the deal with your fiancé dead. Do you get me, Goldie? Dead.”

It doesn’t take an investigator to read between those lines.

And Goldie knows exactly what he’s saying too.

“I get it,” she whispers into the phone. “A week from Saturday. We’ll be there.”

“Fucking perfect,” Dex bites. “The ceremony will be at sunset. A small reception will follow. I can’t wait.”

---