Page 31 of Lush

“No matter what, our families can’t pay for what we did.”

“They’re the reason we’re in this mess!” He walked over, inhaling his cigarette. “And you want to tiptoe around our parents? Fuck that. Whoever’s doing this, we need to find them and end it.”

I looked at the photo over his mantel, counting back from ten.

“We don’t know if it’s one person or more. What else do they know? If we make a move without thinking, we could make things worse. Because whoever this is, they’ve already got the upper hand.”

“Let’s sit here andthinkwhile they burn our lives to the ground. Maybe we can send them a thank-you card while we’re at it.”

I watched him get the bottle of whiskey from the cabinet andset it down on the coffee table. I crossed the room, sitting across from him, and when he poured his drink, I snatched it from him, downing it.

“Let’s think… We pool our resources together, find everyone who was on the boat. Cover up. Buy people out. Share any clues we find. Keep this only between us, and keep our parents happy. Figure out who’s sending these notes.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Do you really want to watch Ashbourne Distilleries fall into someone else’s hands? After everything you’ve built? All the money you’ve earned? You’re not the kind of man who just gives up.”

That made him pause, and he raised an eyebrow. “What else?”

“Mutual protection,” I said. “If we’re going through with this arranged marriage, we need to present a united front. We do this together, always. We keep each other safe and alive.”

Reese’s posture shifted from defensive to focused. “Fine.”

I stood, setting the glass down, and this time, I picked up the bottle and drank from it.

“First, we need to figure out who might have seen us that night. We start with everyone on that boat and at the engagement party. Your family, my family, Blair, Hollie, Tobias—everyone who was there is a suspect.”

“And what’s stopping you from turning on me when it suits you?” Reese said quietly.

“Nothing. But there’s nothing stopping you from doing the same either.”

Without a word, he reached for the bottle. He tipped the rim to his lips, his gaze still on mine, and drank deeply, finishing the last of the whiskey.

“Talk to your mom, I’ll talk to mine.” I was ready to go.

Be strong, Laurene.

He set the bottle down on the table with a deliberate clink,then slowly licked his lips, wiping the back of his mouth with his hand.

“It’s a truce, then?” I asked, taking a step back from him.

“I’m still going to ruin you and your family. Just give me time in between saving my ass.”

The finality in his voice sent a chill through me. “Reese?—”

“Shut the door behind you when you leave.”

CHAPTER 8

Reese

I hissedas the hot water hit my body, the heat biting into my sore muscles.

All night I tossed and turned after Laurene left. Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think straight, couldn’t shut it off. I hadn’t felt like this in years—restless, raw, like every wound I’d convinced myself had healed was splitting open all over again.

I’d gotten up at four in the morning and run.

Lush had stretched before me—the tall cypress trees on the cliffs were swaying in the breeze, their dark branches standing out against the light sky as the sun came up and covered everything in a silver mist.

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