Page 25 of Duress
I nod, my jaw clenched tight. “Dominick beat Serena. I will never do anything that would help him. Getting him locked up is the proudest moment of my career.”
Everly nods, and I can see the wheels turning in her mind.
“That conversation he and Shane were having… Trying to cut a deal outside of the courtroom… That’s not legal right? Especially how he was…” She trails off, her face scrunching up in disgust. “Flaunting me in front of Shane. Like he could use me as a bargaining chip to get the deal he wants for his client?”
“Not even a little bit. He also asked me to give false testimony on Dominick’s behalf. He could lose his license and potentially be tried for conspiracy to commit perjury or witness tampering. The tricky part is proving it. Men like Bryce are good at covering their tracks and getting what they want.”
“What if we could prove it?” Everly turns and looks at me with an inscrutable expression. I don’t know if I like where this conversation is going.
“What do you mean? Prove what?”
“What if there is evidence for Bryce’s backroom deals? What if I record him or something? Find something in his office? Proof of his evidence or witness tampering? Wecould put a stop to him, and if he’s behind bars, it’ll be a lot harder for him to fight the divorce.”
My first instinct is to sayfuck noto her suggestion. I absolutely do not want her back in that house with Bryce, and I don’t trust his temper if he does catch her snooping around. I have no doubt he would make her life hell if he thought for half a second she was working against him.
I open my mouth to protest, but she shushes me with a finger to the lips. “I want a divorce. Bryce won’t grant me one. I know he won’t. We have too much history. But maybe if I can help you prove he’s dirty and get him disbarred and maybe even locked away, he won’t be able to hold me hostage in this sham of a marriage. I’m so tired, Dane. So tired of pretending to be happy with whoever this power-hungry asshole is. I haven’t been happy in a long time, and I don’t want to be the woman who stands behind a monster while he hurts people to get what he wants. I can’t do it. Not anymore. I want to do the right thing. I need to do this.” Everly stands and walks toward the staircase that leads to my bedroom loft.
“Where are you going?” I stand to follow her.
“I’m getting my clothes, then calling an Uber. I’m going to do this. It’ll be easier if you help me, but I’m going to do it regardless. I have to do this, Dane.” She’s frantic now. Like this is the most important thing in the world. I don’t know what’s come over her. I catch up to her and grab her by the shoulders, stopping her.
“Hey. Ever. Stop. Think this through.”
She shakes out of my grip, fury transforming her face into a determined mask. “I have thought about it. I’m tiredof not doing the right thing. Are you going to help me do this or not?”
The fire in her eyes as she speaks about taking down my brother is officially the second hottest thing I’ve ever seen, and I know there is no way I can ever deny this woman anything.
“Alright, Ever. Let’s do the right thing.”
CHAPTER 22
EVERLY
When Dane finally relented to letting me go back home, an idea he was reluctant to go along with, I had him drop me off at Brewed Awakening before I ordered an Uber to go home. I had turned my phone off when I left the party and didn’t want Bryce to connect my whereabouts to Dane. While waiting for my Uber and drinking the coffee I ordered, I scroll through the messages Bryce left overnight.
Bryce
Everly, where are you?
You embarrassed me in front of Shane with your tantrum.
Answer my call.
Where are you???
This isn’t funny. Call me. Now.
Why is your phoneoff?
Everly, come home.
I swear to god, if you don’t call me back right now, you’re going to regret it.
A queasy feeling rolls through my stomach at his last message. It’s a threat. Not even a thinly veiled one at that. There are also at least a dozen missed calls and voicemails from Bryce. There is even a message from Ana, my friend and roommate from college. She doesn’t live in Birch Falls, but she’s only an hour away. Bryce must have assumed I called her for a place to stay or someone to talk to when I stormed off. I ignore the messages left by my husband but listen to Ana’s.
“Hey, is everything okay? Bryce just called me at damn near midnight asking if you were here. He sounded frantic. Did you guys have a fight? Do you need me to come pick you up? I told him I hadn’t heard from you, and I won’t say a word if he calls me back. Just let me know you’re okay. Love you.”
A feeling of relief settles over me as I listen to her message. Ana has been my closest friend since our freshman year of college, and she knows I’ve been unhappy lately with Bryce. We don’t get to see each other much with her job keeping her busy with travel, but we keep up with sporadic texts and phone conversations. Every time we talk, it’s like no time has passed, and I know if I needed her she would drop everything to help.
