Page 18 of Bolted

Oh my god. Her transparency kills me. I look around hoping no one heard her.

“Well. That’s a lot for me to imagine…Too much!” I laugh.

“Hey, I call it like I see it,” she says. “But seriously, life is too short to fuck around with the wrong person too long and call it love. If it’s not love Riley, I don’t think it’s worth it. No man in love would treat you how Nate does. I don’t know everything and I have a feeling you’re not telling the whole story but I’ve seen how he acts when people are around. I can only imagine what he’s like behind closed doors.”

I visibly cringe but she doesn’t press me for more information.

“Corrine,” I confess. “I’m not in love with Nate anymore. But I don’t know what to do about it. I know he’s probably cheating on me and I dont think it's the first time if he is. Part of me thinks it’s fine, because it means I don’t have to pretend to have that love for him, especially when I'm unsure if he ever really loved me the same. But another part of me wonders if I should just find my own excitement.”

Guilt consumes me for a moment. “Ugh, I don’t know what I’m saying. This is so bad. Maybe I need to quit and find a new job.”

I look up to see my sister smiling wide.

“Sounds like you’ve already found your own excitement,” she laughs. “And he sounds fun as fuck.”

Chapter 21

Nate

WHACK!

I enter Lockhart's office to see him hovering over her while she's sprawled on the ground holding her cheek.

“I'll just go wait outside,” I say as I begin retreating back towards the door but I'm cut off by his gruff voice.

“Stay.”

I oblige of course because I know by now that he is not a man to argue with. I’ve learned quickly that if I work hard enough, I bring in money. Money makes Lockhart forget. Or maybe not forget, but be complacent.

I need his mind on money, not on me…or anything else for that matter. Besides, he pays well and if I’m making enough money, I can continue on with my perfect white picket fence life while still having my fun on the side.

“I told you to keep a fucking low profile,” he growls at her before yanking her up by her arm. She winces and looks at me like I’m going to do something to help her. I can’t help her…no one can.

“What are you looking at him for?” He asks her as he surveys my face. “You've been doing quite well Nate. Bringing in lots of money for me. I think you deserve a taste of what it's like to be closer to the top.” He pushes her upper body down over the desk and flips her skirt up showcasing her round ass. She whimpers but doesn't move a muscle. “I’m in the mood for a show, make it good,” he says before walking back to his chair and sitting back down.

He’s testing me I’m sure of it. ‘Fuck it’ I think in my head before approaching her. I close my eyes and give him exactly what he wants.

Chapter 22

Sebastian

A month later and I’m sitting inside my favorite coffee shop on third across from Xavier when he pulls out a bunch of photos and splays them across the table. “So you remember how we’ve been watching Sasha‘s uncle because of that case we think he’s tied to?” he asks me.

We have been watching Ethan Lockhart for about a year now. He doesn’t know we know, but he has been embezzling money through his business for years. Last year one of our long-term clients came to us with a shit load of documents dating back at least 3 years and a chip on his shoulder. Apparently Ethan had screwed him out of about $750,000. Chump-change to him really, but that’s not the point. If he did it once he will do it again, if he hasn’t already.

I’m certain this isn’t the first time and that no one else has caught on yet. The documents were enough to let us know what he’s been doing, but not quite the proof we need to open a case against him, so we decided to keep an eye on him in hopes we can catch him in any other scandalous activities. Scandalous is this guy's middle name. I already have an inkling he deals in a lot more than just petty fraud.

I’m sitting staring at these photos,and they’re clearly not what I expected them to be.

“Tell me Xavier, what the fuck am I looking at here?”

“Well Sebastian,” he smirks at me and points to the first picture. “That is Sasha, and that is Nate.”

He points to the second picture “That is Sasha leaning into Nate.”

He slides the second picture out of the way to reveal the third picture “That looks to be Sasha and Nate walking into her apartment building.”

“I know what I’m looking at,” I growl, “But what exactly do you expect me to do with these?”

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