Page 94 of Extra Dirty

I laugh at the pretty boy comment. Hesois. “He’d also kill you if you called him that.”

Frank shrugs. “Pretty sure I could take him.”

I laugh but tap my foot under my desk nervously. “So…what are we looking at? Is this a real threat?”

Frank leans forward and drops his elbows to his knees. “Yes. My brother was looking for information to hold over Jay. He still wants to know who stole from the Mob. He knows it wasn’t Hanson. But I think his plan will work.”

My breath catches. I’d always had my suspicions that Frank’s family was involved with the Mob, but I didn’t expect him to be so forthcoming about it. Nor did I understand just how involved his family was. “You’re sure?”

He nods and leans back. “Yeah. They’ll believe that Grace introduced you and Jay if that’s what you sell to the press. Just fucking sell it. And since he owns a media company and you run the biggest magazine in the country—”

I stop him there. “I don’t. I’m just an editor.”

With a tip of his chin, he smirks. “You and I both know that Cynthia and Jay will make you editor in chief.”

Anxiety swirls in my stomach at the thought. The announcement should be coming soon. What the hell are they waiting for?

“Maybe,” I admit. “So you think I’ll be safe? That Chloe will be?”

Frank studies me. “One day you’ll tell me that story, right?”

I lick my lips and nod. Yes, one day soon they’ll all know the truth.

“Yeah, I think you’re both safe. And for extra protection, I let it slip that you and I were sleeping together until recently. Doubt my brother will suspect you’ve been involved with Jay.”

“My brother won’t take it nearly as well as yours if he ever finds out about you and me.”

Frank coughs out a laugh. “No. He won’t. Let’s leave that as our little secret. It’s over anyway, right?”

“Yeah, I think I’m really going to give it a shot with Jay.”

His green eyes light up, and he claps his hand to his knee. “Fuck, that makes me happy.”

“It does?” I ask. I can’t hold back my surprise at his excitement.

“It really does. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s you, Cat.”

“Not Princess?” I tease.

“Doesn’t feel right anymore.” He shrugs. “You’re his now.”

His.

Despite how angry I still am at Jay, the words don’t feel wrong. I’ve always been his. I’m just not sure he’s ever been mine.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “Maybe.”

“Now if only your brother would get out of his own damn way, he could be happy too.”

My chest squeezes at the thought. I tried to talk to Cash after I met with Grace. I told him I made a mistake, that I jumped to the wrong conclusions, but he won’t hear it.

He loves her, and the guilt I harbor over the role I played in their demise eats at me a little more every day. Now that I’m removed from it, now that I know Jay was never interested in her…now that I know the truth…I can see how happy she made my brother. I realize now that she isn’t the horrible person I made her out to be.

And unfortunately, it may just be too late.

* * *

The next night,comforted by the information Frank provided, I sit across from my daughter. The bewildered expression as she silently works through all the information I’ve spewed at her is one I’ve seen on Jay’s face so many times. Cynthia met us at my apartment after I picked up Chloe from Sophie’s, and once dinner was over, I forced myself to open up about Jay.

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