Page 85 of Brutal Kingdom

Spying. Yup. Of course she is. “Because I spend time with Graham? He’s a private person. Don’t bother digging into my affiliation with him. As for my claim. It’s valid. The only reason it hasn’t moved forward is because the judge is dragging his feet getting me on the docket.”

“That’s because he’s in Johnathan Lance’s pocket. You need a new judge.”

“Great. I’ll just go to the store and buy a new one.”

“Or you can borrow one from somebody else.”

I consider what she’s saying. It would be easier to swap out the judge for one more sympathetic to me, but it would also be illegal. I’ve already crossed so many lines in my personal life. This I need above board. “Tabby, I appreciate the offer, but I can’t have anything potentially taint my case. I’ll stick with the judge I have and keep digging for evidence to prove my claim.”

“In that case, you're gonna need some help. Let me run interference with Bella.”

First Logan. Now her. They must think I’m stupid. “Why would you do that, after what I did last semester?”

“Because we both know the file you sent isn’t the worst thing you found on me.” She holds my gaze and asks, “Why didn’t you use the rest?”

“I think what you did was a knee jerk reaction to something going on in your life, and I know what it’s like to act on emotion. I didn’t want that to be the thing I held over your head.”

She touches my arm. “And that’s why I’m here offering my support. Anyone else would’ve used that information to their advantage. As mad as you were at us, you still showed compassion towards me. We’ve all been blackmailed before, but you said nobody would ever find out if we left you alone, and you’re holding up your end of the deal.”

“Frankie and Hal threatened my sister. You call that leaving me alone?”

“It was on Bella’s order.”

“I know. But they chose to go through with it, and as much as all of you think you’re untouchable, that’s just not true. There are always consequences to our actions.”

“You haven’t done anything yet.”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t.”

She casts her eyes down. Is she scared for them or ashamed at what they did? When she looks at me again, she says, “I owe you, Jordanna, so I’ll give you some advice. If you’re going after Bella, trusting her to fight fair is a sucker move.”

“I know that.”

“Whatever you have planned needs to be public and permanent or she’ll just come back after you again.”

It’s solid advice, but I can’t trust any of them, and the timing is very suspicious. “Is this some type of setup? Did Bella send you to try to get me to lower my defenses by having you pretend to be helping me, so that while I’m distracted, she can walk up behind me and bury her Jimmy Choos in my back?”

She looks sad that I’m not more accepting of her motives. How can I be? My phone rings on the drafting table beside me. I scoop it up before she can see who’s calling. Connecting the call, I tell her, “I need to take this, but um, thanks for stopping by and offering to help.”

My call ends on a low note. There’s a charity event happening. It’s invite only and Pepper wants me to attend. I have a week to find a dress. Before I can worry about what I’m wearing, I need to talk to Logan about Tabitha’s visit. Why is Bella suddenly telling people about this case?

I leave my studio without lifting a brush. I hurry to the dorm, bouncing impatiently as the elevator carries me to our floor. He’s either sculpting or having a party. I bang on his door so he can hear me over the music. With my head down, I knock again, looking up when I touch skin instead of wood. I never even heard the door open. I look down again. Oh, shit. My throat feels thick and I force my eyes back up.

“Are you here to tell me I’m playing my music too loud?”

“Tabitha came to see me.”

He steps back. “Come in.”

I do, but only because it’s weird that he’s standing in the doorway, completely naked. He sits on his couch instead of walking to the bedroom to put on pants. “What did Tabby want?” He asks, as if it’s perfectly normal to be talking to me with his dick hanging out.

“She said she knows what I’m doing.”

“You think I told her?”

“I thought you did, but she said Bella filled her in.”

His eyes snap to mine.You’re fucking with me, is written all over his face. “What else did she say?”

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