Page 14 of Texas-Sized Scandal

It made her wonder if he was hiding something.

Something dark and dangerous.

Something...Bartelli family–related.

Though Slade had always assured her he had no part in his father’s business, there was an edge to the man who was her baby’s father that she’d never allowed herself to dwell on. Perhaps it was time she did.

Slade was ready for the press conference to discuss his latest project. Conti Enterprises was a multinational business, the bulk of which was made up of shopping malls and a global shipping company. Their malls were the best and the most popular destinations around the world.

His assistant had texted him the talking points in the note function of his phone and Slade was ready to do this. He smiled and then jumped up and down a few times. Jumping helped quell his nervous energy. He had learned early on that when he was nervous, he looked like he was hiding something and the media always assumed it was something illegal.

He shook his head, put his shoulders back and reminded himself he was the biggest badass in Houston before going into the press conference. In the audience, he saw many familiar faces but also a few reporters he’d never seen before and one or two photographers he was sure were paparazzi.

He gave his prepared remarks, talking about an innovative new shipping design platform they’d be using going forward that would reduce their carbon footprint and create more jobs in areas that needed them. The project had been close to his heart for a while, so he was glad to see it finally fully operational.

“I’ll be happy to take any questions now,” he said.

“Are you and Melinda Perry a couple now?”

“I’d rather talk about the new shipping platform,” he said.

“I have your press release and my society editor asked me to find out what’s the deal with Melinda Perry. She’s usually not in the news, and we know that her family has been at the center of some...let’s say, interesting issues lately.”

“Melinda and I serve together on a committee for the arts and we have been dating, but you know I don’t really like to talk too much about my personal life.”

“So I can confirm you are a couple?”

“Sure,” he said, starting to feel a little hot under the collar as he wasn’t 100 percent sure what Melinda wanted him to say. But he decided to just give them enough to hopefully make the story die down.

“Do you think you are more acceptable to her now that her father is out of jail but still under suspicion for murder?” another reporter asked.

“I’m willing to answer questions that are legit, but I won’t trade in gossip. I’ve never been one to credit alleged accusations or anonymous tips. Melinda Perry is the most upright and honest woman I know,” he said. “Melinda and I aren’t our parents and neither of us should be in any way associated with any allegations against our fathers.”

“Well, that’s a nice thought but let’s face it, she has a lot of money at her disposal to do all of her charitable work and it had to come from somewhere. There’s bound to be questions about—”

“Enough. If you ever met Melinda, you would know that she’s not the type of person who would engage in any criminal activity. For years, I’ve lived under the cloud of being a Bartelli, so I know what it’s like to be unfairly tainted by association. Melinda doesn’t deserve this. And I’m done taking questions for today.”

He turned and left the room, knowing he could have handled that last part better but really he’d almost lost his temper. He didn’t mind getting the side-eye himself; he’d grown up being treated that way. He’d been the kid that most parents didn’t want as a friend for their own child. He’d been denied several things before he made his own name for himself.

It hadn’t been easy.

But Melinda shouldn’t have to be the one to deal with that. He was tempted to go and see Sterling Perry and tell the man to step up and be the father that Melinda needed him to be, but Slade knew that men like Sterling put themselves first. There was a cloud of suspicion around him and he should be taking steps to make sure his children weren’t painted with the same brush, but instead he was busy trying to blame his rival Ryder Currin in the media.

His assistant was waiting for him in the hallway.

“I’m sorry about that. I gave them the talking points and did reiterate that you’d only be taking questions about the new shipping information.”

He nodded. “It’s not your fault. You know how they can be. I need you to reach out to Melinda’s assistant and get her schedule. I think there is a good chance that she’s going to have more paparazzi on her tail than she expected,” he said.

His assistant nodded and left, and Slade went into his office and fought the urge to put his fist through the wall. The timing of that kiss last night showing up in the paper couldn’t have been worse for the two of them. Her family name was tarnished, and she had enough to deal with without having to answer questions about the two of them.

And the baby.

He couldn’t forget the child that she was carrying. The one that he wasn’t sure he wanted to raise but knew he had to protect. And it seemed as if it wasn’t just the Bartelli side that threatened Melinda and their baby, but also the Perrys. He needed information and one of his old friends Will Brady had just settled down in Royal, so he might have some intel that could help Slade understand what was going on.

Will was a computer genius and occasionally Slade hired him to dig around on the internet and find information before he did business with someone he didn’t know.

He texted Will and asked him to look into the Sterling Perry thing. Then resisted the urge to text Melinda. She said she’d get back to him if and when she’d made her decision and she’d always been a woman of her word.

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