Page 176 of Accidental Theirs
“We need to call Dominic and tell her together,” I say firmly, completely convinced this is the right move.
“But we found this. We did, not Dominic.”
I snort. “Please, Damien. This isn’t a competition. I don’t think it ever was. We just need to be there for Olivia, okay?”
Damien softens. “You know what? You’re right. She would want Dom there with us.”
I nod, pulling out my phone to call her.
“Hey, Bash.”
My heart warms at her sweet greeting, but I ignore it.
“Hey, little girl. Listen, we found the leak.”
“The leak? Who is it? What’s going on?”
“Calm down. Just meet us at Carter Holdings.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
Damien hangs up his phone, having called Dominic, and he pulls up before Olivia.
We fill him in while he listens with a furrowed brow.
“It can't be Marie,” he says flatly when we tell him.
Damien looks defeated but hanging in there. “I’m sorry to say it is. Sebastian found her red-handed. She admitted to it, Dom.”
“And she said there’s another leak. A more dangerous one,” I point out. “We have to find them.”
“Another one? Fuck!” Damien kicks a rock across the pavement.
“Shit. This is going to hurt Olivia so badly.” Dominic shakes his head. “We have to find the second leak without her, while she’s processing this. We can’t tell her.”
“I know.” I wish we had more time to debrief before Olivia gets there, but she comes screaming up, parking the car wildly.
She rushes up to us. “Where are they? Did you call the cops already?”
Dominic walks up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“Liv, come over and sit down.”
She bounces in place. “I’m not sitting down.Who is it?”
“Marie,” I say, and Dominic and Damien turn to glare at me.
But they were beating around the bush, and she isn’t going to stop until she knows.
I know her too well. We all should know this.
They just don’t want to hurt her, but I’ve lived long enough to know bad news must be delivered quickly.
She instantly deflates, her shoulders slumping. “No... not Marie. It can’t be my Marie.”
“I’m sorry, Liv,” Damien says softly, and she stumbles.
I catch her around the waist, tugging her to the curb.
