Page 80 of Enticing the Fixer

One hour later, I’ve climbed all the way to the bottom of the rabbit hole to find the sex video with his ex-girlfriend.

Bile rises in my throat as I swipe my hand over my pants. Two minutes. From the beginning to the end, it's two minutes. No frills. In and out with video recording the event.

The woman smiles at the camera and makes no indication she’s enjoying the act. He grunts, rolls over, and falls asleep. She rolls her eyes and switches off the camera.

Well, that’s disappointing. My ex put on a better performance than that.

When Leo took her to court, he accused her of using him for financial gain via her social media following. He accused her of orchestrating their relationship for the sole benefit of herself and asked that her accounts be deleted, and all references to the videos and photographic images be wiped from the internet.

The judge ruled her social media accounts were to be deleted due to his lack of consent, and she was required to pay damages.

But no matter how hard you scour the internet, you can’t completely eradicate anything.

I scroll back to the top of the rabbit hole and climb out. Yeah, he was dealt a crap hand, but I can’t find it in me to feel sorry for him. She used him. He used me. Just because there isn’t video doesn’t mean he should get off scot-free.

Are there videos of us? Who knows what he’s capable of doing.

As the clouds part, a flash of sunlight breaks through and shines down on my father’s grave. I climb out of the car and trudge to stand beside his grave marker. The forest is thick beside my dad’s plot as the heavy scent of earth and pine fills my nostrils.

“Dad, I screwed up. I let some guy trick me into giving him information, and now they’re using it to steal the company. I wish I was as strong as you. You fought them off with everything you had.”

A twig cracks and I jump at the sound. The eerie quiet of the cemetery overwhelms me. If a bear hops out and eats me, I’ll feel like an idiot. Dummy. There aren’t any bears in Kansas City. And if there were…. Yeah, if there were, I’d be eaten. My luck is shit.

A bird swoops through the air. Its broad wings tip one way and then the other until it lands gracefully on the tree branch.

“How did I fall for his crap?”

When no one answers, I climb back into my car. I fell in love with him. I trusted him. I thought he was my future. A tear slips from between my lashes and trails down my cheek. He promised to solve all my problems, but I never realized he was the problem. Was any of it true?

Fear rolls through me. What if he’s the buyer? My hands ball into fists. Did he kill my father? Does he know who did? Son of a bitch.

Chapter Forty-Two

Leo

“Motherfucker.” I rake my hand through my hair. Could this day get any worse? There’s no evidence of who’s trying to set her up. The crazy lady I share an office with is hellbent on destroying my life because I won’t play bury the disco stick in her. And Kinsley hates my guts.

Droplets of rain drip off my nose as I stand in front of the building. After I searched the building for her, I stepped outside to find her car gone. She won’t answer my calls, and I don’t know where she’d go to get away from me. I jog to get under the awning. Being stuck with nowhere to go leaves my skin feeling tight and itchy.

I should have told her everything from the beginning. But things did keep coming up.

Right.I roll my eyes. She’s not going to buy that, either. Hell, she already turned her nose up at that sale. My only option is to figure everything out and pray she gives me a second chance. I yank my cell phone out of my pocket and tap on Truman’s name.

I walk a few feet away from the building and to the side of the main entrance so I can keep a clear view of all angles.

“Yes?”

“Who’s your client?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Yes, you can, and you will. Things are pointing toward Kinsley’s father being killed because he was blocking the sale of his business. And if that’s the case, then her life is in danger. Unless she’s changed her mind in the last couple of hours, she’s not selling. I’ve discovered when the virus was planted, but no one goes in and out of her office. Except her.”

“Then she’s responsible.”

My teeth gnash together. “No, she’s not. And before you say I’m blinded by her, I’m not. The video shows her going into her office twice but never leaving. Someone’s covered their tracks and spliced the video together. Her life is in danger until I find out who is responsible.” A shudder rips along my spine. She might hate me, but I’m not letting anything happen to her. “Either tell me, or I’ll hack into your system to find the answer.”

“Valeria Winters.”

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