Page 124 of Brazen Mistakes

Me and my shitty talents.

When I’m beside Maurice, I lay my hand on the sleeve of his suit coat. Courtesy of Summer, I know it’s polyester. Useless knowledge rushing through my mind, everything on edge.Focus, Clara.“Excuse me, sir. I’m Clara, and I saw that bad turn in luck you just had. Would you be interested in learning about options to buy back in?”

He looks down at me, and this close, it’s easy to see that he and RJ are related, even with the plain black costume-store mask he’s wearing. “Unfortunately, I’m out of liquid assets.”

“We have other means of funding a buy-in.”Don’t say yes,I chant in my mind, even though I know this is the best way to get him downstairs.

Because even with the sparse knowledge I’ve got, I know he’s lost before. Lost enough that Jansen knows about it, that Trips knows about it, that it endangered his home, his family.

I want him to say no for RJ.

Instead, he smiles. “You know, young lady, you were exactly who I was hoping I would find when the break was called.”

Damn it.

“Then come with me, sir.”

Chapter 44

Trips

RJ’s dad doesn’t recognize me when he comes into the living room. Not until I take off my mask.

If he’d helped RJ move in more than just freshman year, he would have recognized us long before now, and he would have hightailed it out of here before he got caught.

How he still thinks he’s getting away with this when RJ has tabs on his every bad habit is beyond me, but shame makes people stupid.

Been there. Fucked that up.

Clara gestures him onto the couch, then perches on RJ’s chair. Her back straight, her face lacking its usual teasing grin, she reminds me of my third-grade teacher, Ms. Olson, and damn. I want to cower. For the first time, I see the woman that impressed Jasmine Cadieux.

Maurice looks between the two of us, but it’s Clara who speaks first, her voice clear and curt. Cutting. “Mr. Moore, as I’m sure you can see, you joined the wrong game this evening.”

He chuckles nervously. “I’m seeing that. Royal, my boy, you here? You can come out.”

I can’t take this shit right now. “He’s in fucking jail. He was out looking for you,” I spit out, and he freezes.

Clara too, but she recovers so fast that only someone who’s spent way too many damn hours watching her would catch it. “As you see, Mr. Moore, we can’t just snap and bring him out. You’ve created quite a mess for us. Your only son is in jail. Your wife is home alone for New Year’s Eve, and you’ve lost, how much money? We both know you’ll expect RJ to magically make that money reappear. Add to that, now you know your son is involved in something illegal. Quite a mess. Extra work for all of us.”

The urge to grin gets stuffed down, along with the ill-timed surge of arousal.

Fuck. Who is this girl?

RJ’s dad shifts in his seat. “Is he okay?”

I want to drag my hands through my hair, but if Clara can play her part, so can I. “Luckily, he’s squeaky clean and didn’t move too fast.” He flinches, and a wash of shame comes over me. He might be a bastard, but he obviously cares about RJ. I shouldn’t be such an asshole.

Only, he’s the reason RJ was out. And he sounded terrified on the phone, worrying about Jansen’s car, Trish, his dad, his work, all while dropping that he’d been at the end of not one but two cops with weapons drawn. It’s bullshit.

I can’t fix that. None of us can.

So instead, I point that fear and anger at what started this mess. Because there’s no way RJ would be in jail right now if his dad were at home toasting the new year with his family like he’s supposed to be.

Instead, he’s out here losing ten grand he doesn’t have, expecting RJ to come back and save him from himself the next time the mortgage payment bounces.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when Clara’s eyes close, just for a second, and I realize I’ve scared her, too. Damn it. But then she’s back in character, calm and disapproving.

“So, Mr. Moore, what do you think we should do? We’re down a member of our team, down the buy-in you borrowed from Donna, and when you inevitably come crying to RJ to cover it, we’re down that money too. And you know all about our business. This is not good, Mr. Moore. Not good at all.”

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