Page 91 of Never Gonna Lie
“Were a fabrication on her part,” he explains. “She came into my office and faked the whole thing. She knew what she was doing. Ipushed her away as soon as her lips touched mine, but she’d somehow managed to get evidence anyway.
“So who was she then?”
James goes to speak, but the whirlwind that is my best friend hurtles through the door at breakneck speed.
“Oh, thank fuck,” she cries, flinging herself at me.
“Oof.”
“Careful,” James admonishes, holding out an arm to protect me. “She’s delicate.”
Mia’s head pops up from where it’s buried in my neck. “Hi, Daddy James, looking good as ever.”
“Mia,” I laugh. “Down, girl.”
James looks horrified. “Please don’t ever say that to me again.”
“Can’t promise anything.” She smirks before turning to me with a worried expression. “Are you okay?” She slaps her palm to her forehead. “Of course you’re not, you just got fucking kidnapped.”
James slips out from underneath me, our three-way hug obviously getting to be a bit too much for him and sits back in the seat next to me. I immediately reach for his hand, needing his quiet strength.
“I’m fine, Mia,” I promise.
She looks dubious, her eyes darting between mine and then down to my wrists, her brown eyes widening. Mia doesn’t look herself, she has no makeup on—not that she wears tons anyway—sweats and a vest top on, and her long hair tied up in a messy bun. I don’t often get to see her like this, but this just shows she was genuinely worried.
James interrupts my thoughts. “Raven’s a bit dehydrated, but the doctors say she can go home in a couple of days.”
Mia nods her head. “I’m still struggling to understand how my sweet, gentle, would never hurt a freaking fly, Raven, got kidnapped.” She looks perplexed, and I’m not surprised; I’m still unsure myself.
James answers for me, a serious expression on his face. “It’s complicated. We know who it was and why, I just need Raven at full capacity before I explain what I know.”
“What you know,” I repeat. “What does that mean?”
He sighs, his eyes so full of sadness. “It was someone we never thought it could be. Someone who’s betrayed all of us in the worst possible way.” He clenches his jaw as he mumbles, “And there was me thinking it was the other possibility. I wish it fucking was.”
“The other possibility?” I repeat, feeling like a broken record.
“The woman who showed you pictures of me?—”
“Yes, thank you very much, no need to remind me,” I interrupt, bristling at something I’d sooner forget.
He nods his head but continues, “Theo’s team has been looking into the woman and her dad. A business deal went south between us when I refused to marry his daughter?—”
“Beg pardon?” I choke out, my eyes narrowing on him as I shift on the bed. “Marry his daughter?” I rub my forehead, my headache worsening.
“Yeah, apparently arranged marriages still exist in 2025. He thought he could merge his company with mine and get his daughter off his hands at the same time.” He shrugs. “I told him to get fucked.”
“So let me guess, the woman who’s been harassing me is the daughter he wanted you to marry?”
“One and the same,” he agrees.
Mia, who’s been quiet during all of this, pipes up, “So we have a crazy stalker bitch and a casino mob boss that could be targeting Raven? Am I getting this right?”
I nod, but James shakes his head.
“You can’t make this shit up,” she laughs before schooling her features. “Sorry, bad form.”
“Raven does have a crazy stalker bitch, yes,” James explains. “But the casino mob boss, no.”
