Page 59 of Desolation

I clench my fists and feel my chest turning red, no thanks to the alcohol. “¿Me estás jodiendo?,” I mutter in Spanish. “You standing me up to hang out with Dax? Are you even straight? And how do you know him? Ay dios mío! What is wrong with me?”

I lean over and struggle to get my shoes off. The buckle on the ankle strap of my heels is not cooperating with my fingers. I drop my clutch on the ground as I use two hands to try and rip my shoes off but end up stumbling forward. I almost face-plant but a strong set of arms catches my shoulders.

“Get off me!” I yell as I find my balance, deciding to leave the shoes on.

“Mari?” It’s half question and half statement.

“What the hell?” I hear Dax mumble.

I stand straight, placing my hand on a hip as I point at Landon with the other one. “What the hell is he doing here, Dax?”

“Who’s Dax?” Landon asks at the same time Dax asks, “How do you two even know each other?”

I stare at Landon and try not to be affected by him. But it’s so damn hard. He’s wearing khaki shorts and a tight black t-shirt. If it were any tighter, I would be able to see the ridges of his abs through it. His biceps are bulging from the sleeves and I watch his Adam’s apple bob as I take him in. His short dark hair is slightly askew and his dark, fathomless eyes are burning a hole into my chest.

Nope, not affected by him at all.

My eyes flick to Dax and his are going back and forth between the two of us. “Fuck,” he mutters. “Is this the woman that had you tied up in knots at Muff’s house the other day?”

Tied up in knots? My drunken head cannot handle this right now.

I walk over to the glass bar cart in the corner as Dax says. “This is bad news.”

I pour a glass of red and turn to head toward the open glass doors to make my escape but Dax stops me.

“Who is Dax?” Landon asks.

“I am. I went by that name in college. David Xavier, shortened to Dax. It sounded cool back then.”

Landon leans against the island, folding his arms over his chest. “College, huh?” The stare he is giving me has me ready to run for the hills. “I thought you didn’t go to college Marianne.”

Dax looks between the two of us and I give him a slight shake of my head. “I met Mariel—Marianne when I was in college. She wasn’t.”

“Didn’t you go to Harvard?”

Dax nods.

“But you live in Chicago?”

I nod but don’t miss the weird look I get from Dax. “I went out east for a bit before I went back home.” The lies rolling off my tongue too easily.

“How did you two meet?” Dax asks. And I am grateful he changed the subject off of my past.

“The VA hospital,” I whisper.

Dax raises a brow at Landon. “You volunteer there? You don’t seem like the type.”

Landon smirks. “Only to find the hot single ladies that volunteer there.”

I roll my eyes and try to make another escape.

“Whoa there, Mari, not so fast.” Landon barks. “What are you doing here?”

I look back and forth quickly between the two men, no idea what to say to get out of the lie or make up more. I swallow the wine in my glass and set it down, taking a deep breath. “Dax is helping me as a friend when I needed to get away from my husband. He’s a liar and a cheat like I told you.”

Dax nods. “I’ve been letting her stay with me. Giving her the break she needs.”

I don’t think Landon believes a word either of us are saying but I don’t have the courage to let him in on the truth. Besides what am I supposed to tell him? That I am a senator’s wife and dealing with what could be the biggest political scandal in years.

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