Page 162 of The Sinner's Bargain

“Charlotte isn’t feeling up to it, okay?” he said.

“Is it the baby?”

“No ... yes ... maybe.” He broke off with a groan. “Look, Charlotte is really stressed, okay? After Mr. Lacroix’s lawyer called and said that stuff about us losing the house and the clinic because of what you did—”

“I didn’t do anything!” Jeannette cried. “I told the truth, and I was attacked—”

“Mom, Mr. Lacroix owns this entire village. You know that. Why would you be talking badly about him out in public where anyone could be listening? You put everything in jeopardy. Dad lost his place on the council for Christ sakes!”

Normally, she would tell him to watch his tongue, but it slipped her mind.

“I did nothing wrong.”

TJ scoffed a laugh. “You never think so, but you fucked us all. Even grandpa who has been the Lacroix’s doctor since before Thoran Lacroix was born and now he’s been let go.”

“Your grandfather should have retired years ago.”

“That wasn’t your call to make, Mom!” TJ snarled. “He’s eighty years old and has no practice to return to. He has nothing. I have a baby on the way, Mom. What the hell am I supposed to do, huh? No one, not me, not dad, not Grandpa are going to get hired here and we’re going to need to move. That’s basically the road Mr. Lacroix is taking. For us to leave because of you.”

Heart pounding, Jeannette tried to shake her head, but TJ had already hung up.

He was wrong.

How could this be Jeannette’s fault? She was the one who got attacked. She had a knife put to her throat and her life threatened. She hadn’t done anything. That beast had no right to rip her family apart because of some crazy whore too stupid to realize he was going to kill her.

A deserved fate, in Jeannette’s opinion.

She had almost felt bad when she’d heard Thoran Lacroix was prowling the village with some girl. Jeannette had known her time was coming.

Well, she would see in the end, so would Lacroix when the authorities finally—

A dark figure rushed straight into Jeannette’s path, blocking her into the cramped alley as he focused on his phone.

Jeannette recognized Lacroix’s goon. The lawyer or whatever he was. The tall, dark man with the spongy white hair and harsh features. Jeannette never liked him, but liked him more than that walking muscle that followed Lacroix like a faithful dog. None of Lacroix’s men were likeable, but they were fiercely loyal.

“Burkard, it’s me. I want you to look into someone for me. It needs to be done quietly and discreetly. No. Report only to me. Yes, Mr. Lacroix is aware and has given the go ahead. The name? Naya Blackwell. Everything. No stone unturned. Yes, Mr. Lacroix’s new wife. I’m aware. By end of week? Perfect.”

Lacroix’s wife? That creature got married? To whom? When?

It must be that deranged girl. Ivelle was telling Julia Kawasaki about. The one who owned Elysium Plains.

A wedding gift?

But the bigger question was, why was Thoran Lacroix looking up his new bride unless he suspects she’s hiding something, and if anyone knew how to sniff out news, it was Jeannette.

It was like Christmas morning.

Heaven had opened up and smiled down on her. God really did give to those who believed.

Lips cut into the first smile she’d been blessed with since the whole unpleasant incident. Her eyes lifted to the sliver of overcast peeking down from between the buildings.

“Thank you, Lord.”

Wasting no time, she swiped her phone on and pulled up her browser to type in Naya Blackwell.

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