Page 77 of Beautiful Sins

Frustration fills me and I grab for the phone, meaning to switch it to silent, but when I see the name I suck in a breath.

“I have to get this.”

“Don’t.”

There’s an edge to his quick response that’s more than irritation, but I push on Harrison’s bare chest until he lets me up.

“It’s my brother.”

* * *

“What happened to the honeymoon?” I ask Kian when he shows me to a private office at the end of the long hallway of his medical practice.

I haven’t been here since he opened it more than five years ago. The standalone building is shiny and new looking, with a cheery yellow waiting room and a perky receptionist.

“I had to wrap up some things here before we left, so I planned a week in between.” He reaches into the bar fridge and pulls out a water, holding it up. I shake my head, and he opens it, taking a long drink.

“My wife told me you gave us a very generous gift,” he goes on, though the small talk feels awkward. “You’re my little sister. You didn’t need to do that.”

“It was my pleasure.” I recall the check I dashed out and stuck in a card. “So, do you want to tell me what you didn’t want to talk about over the phone?”

His brows knit together as he shifts a hip against the large desk holding a monitor, notebook computer, and reams of files. “I got a call from Zach. He’s been arrested. Technically, it was a call from his lawyer, who wanted to talk to a few of his friends. Sounds like there are multiple charges. Sexual assault. Possession of pornography of underaged women. Girls,” he amends.

The blood drains from my head.

The floor tilts under my feet, and I press a hand to my stomach as if it’ll stop the sudden lightheadedness.

“I just finished meeting with his lawyer, and your name came up.”

He swallows once, again, as if forming words takes an unusual amount of energy. “Did something happen with Zach?”

“I’ll take that water.”

He listens while I explain what happened ten years ago. I expected it to be impossible, but I’ve told Harrison and Annie, and the practice seems to have made it easier.

“Raegan, I don’t know what to say.” He rubs both hands over his face.

“Mom and Dad didn’t want to deal with it. I heard them arguing about it. Mom was pissed, but Dad said no one would take it seriously.”

“I didn’t know what the problem was, but I saw the guilt eat at them whenever I visited,” he admits.

“How close are you and Zach?”

Kian straightens, his face a mask of agony and disbelief. “He stood up for me, but now… I don’t know how I’ll look him in the eye again.”

“Dr. Madani?” The receptionist is at the door, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry, but you wanted me to keep you on schedule.”

“I’ll be right there.” He nods, and she looks between us before walking back down the hall. “What do you need from me, Rae?”

“You didn’t have my back then. Have it now.”

The emotions swirling in me as I leave are less about what happened then and more about processing the news that Zach’s been arrested.

There’s no way Zachary Whelan went from a career to a future in a jail cell, or that he did something that got him caught in the last few days after a decade. I don’t believe in coincidence when Harrison King is concerned.

It was Harrison. It must have been. He’s the only thing that’s changed in this equation.

Was he waiting for updates while we were fucking in his office? What about in New York, the night before my show? Had he already put this in motion?

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