Page 93 of The Tangle of Awful

“Remember our little talk, Ben. This includes phones, emails, text, social media, what-the-fuck-ever. Zero contact.”

“Yeah, psycho. I got the memo.”

I stalk away without another word. If he truly loved her, he’d have fought harder against me. All he cared about was getting his dick wet with someone half his age. At least with Dad, he loves her too—like really loves her. Dad wouldn’t have let me throw down that threat and push him away from her.

When I reach Sloane’s office, she’s picking up papers off the floor. I toss the key and it skitters over to her. She scowls at me but doesn’t say anything to me.

Dempsey is waiting by my car, smoking a cigarette when I get outside.

“You and Officer Boob Job have a fight?” I ask, smirking at him.

He exhales a plume of smoke and then flicks his cigarette into the back of a truck that’s parked beside us. “Don’t call her that.”

“Didn’t she and your mom get their tits done at the same time five or six years ago?”

“Don’t talk about my mom’s tits.”

“You’re in a pissy mood.”

“Fuck off, Spence. Where’re we headed next?”

“The lodge.”

“Drop me off at home on your way. I’m not in the mood to deal with all your bullshit today.”

Well, fuck you too, asshole.

Hugo

“He left again,” Jude says, holding up his iPad. “Looks like he dropped Dempsey off.”

We’ve moved from the living room to my home office. I’d gone to check on Aubrey earlier, after Spencer left, and she’d hopped in the shower. Since she hasn’t come back out, I’m imagining she needs her space from the both of us. Me and Spencer, that is.

How could she not?

We both used her this morning like she was our own personal whore.

First, together. Then, individually.

Fuck.

I’m not sure what to do about this whole thing. Stupidly, earlier, when we were alone, I’d thought maybe it could just be the two of us. But, while completely oblivious to Jude, I knew they were alone together in Spencer’s room. I’m not an idiot. They were being intimate.

Goddamn, this is maddening.

“Hugo.” Jude’s deep, muffled voice draws me from my inner thoughts. “He’s headed to the lodge now.”

I give my head a slight shake and take the iPad from him. Sure enough, Spencer is traveling up to my uncle Theo’s lodge on Park Mountain. It’s not uncommon for Spencer to hang out there. I’ve had to ground him a few times for parties he threw there that got out of hand enough that I was called to come intervene.

It’s the afternoon, though.

Usually, when he goes off to party, it’s at night.

“I was able to access the records of his traveling and he goes to the lodge every day without fail.”

I stew on that statement for several minutes. I should call Theo to see what’s going on.

“He’s on the payroll,” Jude reveals, already two steps ahead of me.

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