Page 417 of Dark Love

“Temperance?” Payne lifts his head up as he tries to piece together what I just said.

“Temperance Vincenti. She brought the clinic to Willow Street. But her other one focuses on abuse victims.” That place still does good things for the kids back on Willow Street.

“Do you know her? I avoided that place when we were kids.”

Didn’t we all? Even though they did their best to make the clinic feel comfortable, it was always scary to walk inside. You had to be half dead to walk through those doors. “No. But her son, Max, was in my office a few days ago. I’ll see if he can help.”

“Thanks. I wouldn’t ask if it was…” His eyes move to the closed doors. “I still see her down there in that pit.”

Those pits will haunt both of us forever.

It Was You!

Vex

Asking for a favor isn’t something I do ever.

But for Payne and those women, I’ll do anything. It isn’t as hard since Max just tried asking me for one. Not that I was able to help him. That footage ‘disappeared’ permanently. No one except people I trust will ever know anyone attacked Dahlia.

She won’t have to have hard conversations.

That was all the comfort I could give her.

Max should be here in a few minutes, which in itself is shocking. I expected a phone call from somewhere in the world when I called his secretary, not for him to show up at my office.

Tac pokes his head into my office. “That Vincenti guy is back.”

“Showhim in.”

Tac nods, and just a few seconds later returns with Max.

I stand up and walk over. “Thank you for responding so quickly.” I hold out a hand to him.

Max shakes it. “Do you have that video for me?”

“No. I told you it doesn’t exist.”

“And I told you that you’re lying, and I want that tape.” Max’s smile is friendly with an edge of irritation. “But our little encounter yesterday makes me question why you’re lying.”

This isn’t going to be a simple request. “Have a seat. Can I get you a drink?”

He sits down on the leather couch that faces the window into the club. “No thanks. As I was saying, I think I know why you’re lying now, but I’m not sure why you didn’t want my help.”

Only a fool would admit something like that to Vincenti. “I’m not lying.” I sit down on the armchair next to him. “What happened yesterday is none of your business.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Prue is my business.”

What does he mean by that?

“So now I’m going to ask again, what happened to the video recording that day?”

He knows. “Dahlia told you?” She just doesn’t seem like the type to talk about something so private. Getting her to admit she had her period was like pulling teeth.

Pulling teeth is actually easier.

“We guessed, and she filled in the details reluctantly.”

Someone needs to fill in the details for me. “We?” What did they do? Sit her down for an interrogation. Why didn’t she tell me?

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