Page 132 of The Liar's Reckoning

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I manage to choke out.

“You’re making me nervous,” he says.

“I love you, Silas. I love you so much.”

“Graham—"

I hang up and hope to fucking God I fall asleep and don’t wake up.

40

SILAS

Imake my way to the door to answer the endless knocking.

When I open it to find an older man in a gray, pin-striped suit with a cranberry red tie, my hand goes immediately to cover the front of my boxer briefs. “Can I help you?”

“Silas?”

My spine straightens. “Do I know you?”

“I’m Paul Lawther. Graham’s father. May I come in?”

Jesus.What the fuck happened yesterday?

“Uh…sure. Let me go put some clothes on. I apologize, I thought you were…”Shut the fuck up, Silas.

“Take your time.”

I call Graham once I’m in the bedroom. When he doesn’t answer, I text him. I pull on some jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. For good measure, I put on socks and shoes while I wait for a response. Eventually, I can’t put it off any longer, and I return to the living room. Mr. Lawther has taken a seat at the head of the dining table. I offer him something to drink, but he politely declines.

I go into the kitchen to make coffee for myself. We have a Keurig, so it’s not an elaborate routine.

He waits in silence, checking out the windows, the view. His eyes seem to roam every inch of the apartment before they settle on me. He does the barest assessment of my body and then focuses on my face.

I bring my coffee to the table and sit, asking the question that’s been screaming inside me as the coffee dripped. “Is Graham okay?”

“He’s fine. He spent the night with us. He was still asleep when I left to come here.”

Knowing he’s physically all right makes me relax slightly. I take a sip of coffee. I don’t know much about Graham’s dad because Graham doesn’t seem to either. He’s a businessman—a millionaire or billionaire—he’s got his hands in politics, media, and the Catholic church. I’ve never gathered he was abusive—stern, maybe. A true patriarch. Conservative.

He knows about me, though, and that’s unnerving. Did Graham come out? Is that why he was such a mess on the phone last night? Not knowing is making me even more nervous. Why in the world he would feel compelled to do it is beyond me. Something’s wrong.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“There’s been an unpleasant development in Graham’s divorce. I gathered he told you about his meeting with Gibson Hayes?”

Gibson Hayes? Christian’s boss?I shake my head, not knowing what the fuck is happening and pissed off that I’m in the dark. I do not like this feeling. My abs tighten like they’re trying to brace my insides for a rough impact.

“No? Hm.” Mr. Lawther scrutinizes me again. “Your name came up, that’s why I mentioned it.”

I school my features into remaining blank. I don’t speak, waiting for him to go on.

“Somehow or another, Avery and The Hayes’s have obtained information about your affair with my son. They’re using it to blackmail him for a better divorce settlement.”

The bottom drops out of my stomach. I set the coffee down and rest a hand on the table, trying not to dig my nails in. “What kind of information?”

“I’d rather not say, but it’s a problem. Or it could be if we don’t handle this wisely.”

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