Page 50 of Forbidden Game

“Actually, I saw that package the other week and,” Stevie purses her lips and raises her brows, “not bad.”

Deer squeals and Lee lets out a groan that turns into a laugh.

“Stop, stop, stop. He’s my client, I’m not doing,” I wave my hands around, “any of that stuff.”

Lies.

“Me thinks she doth protest too much,” Stevie sings.

Panic rears inside me, and I see Lee’s eyes narrow mid-laugh, assessing me.

“How do you even know this?” I ask Stevie, desperately attempting to divert the conversation away.

“Aleks offered me the same deal after the whole blackmail thing since the security there is lightyears ahead of the stuff at my place,” she tosses out. “But it seemed like a waste of money to rent a whole second apartment for a few months when I’d just end up with Aleks most of the time anyway.”

“The next thing you’re going to tell us is that you have a company car when it’s really just a car English gave you,” Lee jokes.

I, however, blanch.

“No.” Lee’s eyes round as she clutches my forearm. “Sydney, seriously?” She lets go and clutches her stomach in a fit of laughter. Stevie joins her, cackling.

“Wait, hang on, it’s not like that,” I protest. “I don’t even use the car.”

Deer reaches over and pats me on the knee, “Quit while you’re ahead, babes.”

I bury my face in my hands as my skin turns to ice.

The stupid car sits in the parking garage. It’s sat there for five years. I’ve driven it exactly three times. I haven’t touched it since the guys gave me full access to Francis and to their joint rideshare account my second week working for them. I think Parker still takes it out every once in a while to make sure it’s running smoothly, but that’s it.

The car is one thing…it makes sense in the grand scheme of things. Lots of people had company cars. But the apartment? What is that about? Why not tell me?

God. This is a mess.

“I mean, it is Parker,” I say. “He does tend to drop money without a second thought. He literally decided two days ago to fly to Japan this week for the F1 race.”

“Boys and their cars. Aleks is raging he didn’t get an invite,” Stevie adds.

The F1 race was the last thing he talked to me about before we split ways after landing back in California on Sunday. Parker flies out tomorrow night, so I just have to avoid him for one more day.

I’ve been successful so far.

He has been grinding hours online since he will be gone all weekend again. When I’d stopped by the apartment today to go over some things with Jackson, I didn’t have to worry about seeing him, since he was holed up in his streaming room.

Realistically, I can’t avoid him forever. I quite literally have to fly with him to Seattle next week, but the more distance I can put between us while I screw my head back on straight, the better. These feelings I have are nothing more than a momentary lapse in judgment.

They have to be.

I’d gotten over them once before. I can do it again.

“I don’t know, it still smells fishy,” Lee comments as she crunches the last of her lollipop.

“I mean, maybe he just likes you,” Deer throws out, picking an invisible piece of lint off her skirt. “I haven’t seen you guys interact much, but it seems like the sort of thing he would do. It’s a rich-person response.”

“Stop. You guys would be so cute.” Lee smiles. “I don’t think I’ve seen you go on a date in years.”

“That’s a little sad.” Deer side-eyes.

My stomach bottoms out.

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