Page 66 of Sugar Coated

Tessa openly glared my way. “And why on earth would I do that, hmm? Even if you come out and tell your side of the story, this city has fallen in love with your father—and me as his wife. Who are they going to believe: the woman who stood beside their leader or the girl who’s clearly so traumatized she’s separated herself from reality?”

“I’m giving you a choice, Tessa. This is your one chance to make the right choice on your own.”

It was clear she didn’t believe me. “Listen here. I’m not afraid of you or anything you think you can do to me. Just because you have friends in high places now does not make you one of the big-hitters yourself. You’re just a girl, and nobody’s going to believe the lies you try to spread. It would be all too easy to have you committed somewhere—”

Well, that was it. She lost her chance to make the decision on her own. Blackmail it was.

I reached beneath the table and pulled off my phone, which had been taped to the underside using some fancy two-sided tape. I set it on the table between us, closer to me, of course, butTessa could plainly see the phone was on—and when I hit the replay button on the screen, the look on her face said it all.

It replayed from the beginning. I’d secretly started it when I’d heard her enter the club. The first few seconds were quiet, but soon enough Tessa’s voice filled the recording.

I gave her a smile and said, “This is a boring part. Let’s fast-forward.” As I said it, I sped up the recording, and as luck would have it, I chose to slow it down at the best part: right when she talked about how I wasn’t supposed to come back. Book deals, yada yada yada. All that good stuff, right there, caught on my phone, were her own words.

She was caught off-guard for only a moment before she said, “Please. A recording like that? Could easily be faked.”

That’s when I lifted a hand and said louder, “Come on out.”

Fang popped up from behind the bar and grabbed his phone from amongst the expensive alcohol along the mirrored wall; with so many bottles of all different shapes and sizes, it was easy for someone new to the place to overlook the propped-up device. We’d made sure it was facing my table long before Tessa came.

He checked the video, having to speed through some of it as he approached our table. “Yep. Got it,” he said, flashing his silver fangs my way and causing Tessa to pale. “Got it all.”

“That—” She was seconds from trying to say it could be faked, too, when another person appeared, rising from one of the booths off to the side.

Kieran stood, phone in hand, but before he approached us, he made a big show about cracking his back and saying, “Zero out of zero, do not recommend hiding like that unless you’re under ten years old.” He came over to us and flashed us his phone screen, showing he’d sneakily recorded from his location. The shadows of the dim lights had helped hide it.

She was speechless staring at his face, but he only grinned and said, “Hey, sis. How are you? Been better, I bet.”

After it all sank in, she turned her eyes to me. Though she didn’t say a word, she knew I had her. Hey, I thought I’d have to convince her to admit everything she’d done. As it turned out, she’d been a very talkative woman, who needed next to no pushing to admit all of her wrongdoings.

She dug her own grave here.

“Two videos and one voice recording,” I laid the reality out for her. “One could be faked, but all of them? Come on. They’ll sync up perfectly. So, I’m going to lay out your two choices again: you can leave my dad—divorce him quietly and leave this city—or you can stay and I can send all of this to the local and national news. I’m sure you’d make national headlines just like I did.”

The way she glared at me told me she’d gladly have me killed if she could. Getting her out of the city would not protect me from any revenge plots, but it’d be a step in the right direction.

It took her a long while to say, “Fine. You win this time. I’ll go.”

“Yeah, you will,” Kieran chimed in loudly. “And if you ever show your face again, these videos will always be ready.”

To him, Tessa whispered as she stood, “I hope you’re happy with your choice. A girl over your own flesh and blood. If our father knew—”

“He doesn’t, and if you know what’s good for you, he never will. Now get the fuck out of here, before Laina changes her mind and lets me give you what you really deserve.” Based on how he said it, it was more than obvious he meant he’d kill her.

A comment that, on a normal day, might’ve shocked most, but here and now, all she could do was glower at her brother and his gall, and then turn that scowl to me and say, “Enjoy your time with him, while you can. Sooner or later he’ll abandon you just like he did to me.”

Kieran boldly proclaimed, “I won’t.”

I ignored her comment about him as I said, “You have until four this afternoon to pack what you can and leave. I want you out of the house before my dad gets home. Is that understood?” I almost called hermommy dearest, but that would’ve been overkill.

All she did was nod, nod and leave.

At the door, Mike and Maddox looked to me, and I said loudly, “Let her go.” They stepped aside and let her leave the club. Shortly after that, Lola and Viper came out of the backroom behind the bar.

Lola must’ve been feeling better, because she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. She had her manicured hands on her hips, staring at the doors to the club like she could still see Tessa. “Men like her are a dime a dozen. They all want power. I could respect a woman who goes after what she wants, but not when she puts other girls in danger. This world has it out for girls already. We don’t need any more joining the fight against us.”

To Kieran, she added, “And you. You’re lucky this girl likes you, because if I had my way, I’d string you up by your balls and gut you like a fish.”

All Kieran did was cough awkwardly and step a little closer to me, as if using me as a shield.

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