Page 33 of Dirty Little Sins

She grimaced and I caught the flash of pity on her face. Anger simmered and I feared if I didn't get the subject changed now, things were going to go so far south there'd be no recovery.

"I'm sorry," she started. "I can't—"

"Don't be," I interrupted. "What's important is that the investigator I used was able to easily locate someone who should not have been easy to find. I knew next to thing about him. It's the same guy who is going to find our blackmailer. But first we need to gather all the intel we can so he can do his job."

Zia laughed. "Intel? You make us sound like spies or something."

I frowned, not at all sure she was taking this as seriously as I thought she would. "Evidence then. I assume you have some correspondence. Information on where you sent the money, etc."

"Yes, I have an email from my ex with one of the pictures from your villa attached." She pulled out her phone and started scrolling across the screen.

"Jesus, Zia. I hope you haven't been using the hotel WiFi to access your email. Do you know how easily it can be hacked?"

She smirked and glared. "I'm not an idiot. I use my private cellular service that is supposedly less hackable. But is anything secure anywhere? Someone took pictures of us in a private residence without our knowledge. So I pretty much assume that anything can happen. It's kind of why I've been living on pins and needles since Italy."

She turned her phone around and aimed it in my direction. There, that's the first email I got from him. It came two days after I got home."

Dear Sinner (I mean my dearest ex-wife),

Did you have a nice trip to Italy? I know it's customary for the traveler to bring back souvenirs and gifts, but I decided to get you something instead. Enclosed is a special memento that I think will help you remember all of your transgressions from this fated trip. If you don't care for this one, don't worry, I have plenty more where that came from.

It seems you were far more adventurous with Mr. Cabrini than you ever were with your own husband. Kind of explains why things didn't work out, wouldn't you say?

Now what should we do? Your sins could be quite explosive in the right hands. In fact, I'll bet someone like TMZ would be willing to pay me for these pictures. Of course, no one would be surprised to see their Man Whore Thug likes to tie down women before he fucks them, but last I checked your network has a decidedly different reputation.

What will they think when they, along with the rest of the world, see their newest family star spread her legs wide on the very day she announced her divorce?

While it came as no surprise to me that my darling wife is an actual deviant slut, those network execs may have a different perspective.

However, I have decided that I don't have to be completely heartless despite my pain and suffering, so I've decided to allow a bidding war.

If you'd like to retain your secrets I suggest you bid high and fast. I am feeling impatient.

Hugs and kisses,

Your no longer forgiving husband

If I thought my blood pressure was high before I read this email, then I was learning how very wrong I could be. My head pulsed so hard I thought it might explode from my body.

"Please tell me this link at the end of this email isn't real." I seethed as I waited for her answer. Although I knew exactly what her response would be.

"It was. He'd put up a listing on an auction site for pictures of a female celebrity caught on camera with her man whore thug. His words not mine. And by the time I got the nerve to finally click on it, it was already receiving bids."

"What the fuck?"

She frowned, her lip quivering. "My sentiment exactly."

"How did you get him to take it down?"

She remained quiet and I had a bad feeling what she was about to say was going to piss me off even more.

"I didn't," she said as she turned away. "He posted a buy now option as well as took bids. I had no idea what to do. The clock was ticking, but with that buy option it could have ended at any second if someone was willing to pay it."

The rage growing in the pit of my stomach turned murderous. I didn't need to hear the rest to know what she'd done or what I was going to do when I found this fucker. But I wanted to hear it anyway. "Tell me," I bit out, barely able to control myself.

She shook her head, saying nothing more.

"Goddamnit, Zia!" I grabbed her arm and turned her around to face me. "You’re not only going to tell me exactly what you did, but you’re going to do it looking me in the eye. Don't be a coward now."