Page 57 of Knight

I take a long breath. Internally I’m freaking out too, but I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t help. The proof is sitting in front of me.

“Jackson, you’ve only seen Darian the lover, Darian the mother, and Darian the fun girlfriend. You’re about to see Darian the lawyer. Buckle up, buttercup.” If nothing else, it gets me a smile from him.

I pull out my phone and text the number of the one person that I know can help.

Me: I need you. Code Red. I’m at Jackson’s.

Crazy Cassandra: See you in 20 minutes.

Cassandra arrives eighteen minutes later. I fill her in on all of the details, leaving nothing out.

“So let me get this straight, Dare. This guy recorded you without your permission, which is illegal. He’s blackmailing you, which is illegal. He’s extorting you, which is also illegal. And he has a financial interest in a club that illegally recorded you, that you could sue for breach of contract and invasion of privacy. I don’t see a fucking problem here. You have all the leverage, not him.”

She’s right. Jackson looks confused. I see where Cass is headed, but Jackson doesn’t. “What do you mean he doesn’t have leverage? He has a video and Darian and me doing some pretty dirty shit.”

“I think I’ll need to see this video to continue further discussing the situation.”

I hit the table with my hand. “Cass! Focus! You don’t need to see the video!”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She winks. She shrugs. “Who cares if he releases the video?”

“I won’t have Darian disrespected in that manner.”

“No offense you two, I think you’re both hot as hell, but you’re not exactly Pamala Anderson in the ‘90’s or a Kardashian. It’s not like there’s a huge market for videos of non-celebrity fifty-year-olds bumping uglies. Obviously, I would watch it, but I might be the only one. It’s not like any of your kids are going to want to watch it, and those are probably the only people you actually really care about seeing it. Newsflash, your kids know you have sex.”

I look at Jackson. “She’s not wrong.” Looking back at Cassandra I smile. “But it’s not even going to get that far, right Cass?” It’s my turn to wink at her.

“Now you see it.” She has a big, devious smile.

“Cass, you’re an evil genius.” She continues smiling. “Jackson, invite this Mr. Clarrett to your office tomorrow morning. We’re going to have a chat with him.”

Cassandra high-fives me. “It’s so hot when you go all badass bitch, Dare. Maybe I should hold onto the flash drive for safekeeping.” Even Jackson rolls his eyes this time, as he purposefully bangs his head down on the table.

* * *

JACKSON

On Monday morning, Donna buzzes my office at 10:00 AM on the nose. “Mr. Knight, a Joseph Stalin is here to see you.” I hear commotion and yelling in the background. “Oh, I mean, a Mr. Bryan Clarrett is here to see you. My mistake.”

“Send him in. Thank you, Donna.”

Bryan walks in with a smug expression. I motion to a chair. “Please sit, Bryan.”

He sits down. “You redirect those properties, Knight?”

“No, I would never jeopardize the potential homes of thousands of under-privileged families. It’s a shame that you would.”

“I’m going to release that video.”

“If you must. Go ahead. I think it shows my good side.”

Just then Darian walks in, looking like the sexy lawyer she is, in a form-fitting skirt suit. “Honeybuns, you don’t have a bad side.”

“Aww. Neither do you,sweetpea.” I take her hand in mine and kiss it.

“I see you told her, Knight. That was stupid.”

“I don’t keep secrets from the people I care about, and I carea lotabout Darian here.”

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