Page 56 of Spooked

“What if someone traces it?”

“I could wire it through one of those transfer places.”

“Let me talk to a few people first. Pedro’s brother rents rooms.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

A pause, and then a sniffle. “No?”

“I’m so sorry Alfie did that to you.”

“I thought he was The One, you know? He said he loved me.”

Well, he sure didn’t show it. “At least you saw his true colours before you married him. Can you sell your engagement ring?”

“No, I threw it at him. There were bushes. I don’t even know where it went.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Vale hang up the phone and look around for me. Shit. He wasn’t happy either.

“Call me later, okay. Let me know how things go.”

“I will. At least I don’t have to feel guilty about spending so much time on the project now.”

“Put yourself first. Make yourself happy. I have to catch a plane, but I’ll be back in LA this afternoon.”

“Love you, twinny.”

“Love you too.”

Mr. Vale was checking in boutique windows by the time I caught up with him, searching for me among the shoes and purses. As if I needed another purse. The one he’d made me buy was perfect.

“Sorry, I had to use the bathroom. Is everything okay? You look stressed.”

“My mom had a fall. I need to go to Virginia.”

“Is she okay? Was she injured? I’ll book you a flight right away.” Should I go to the desk? Or try calling the airline? We’d already passed through security screening, and the ticket counters were outside. “Can I have my laptop?”

He hung onto it for a long moment, then finally held out the bag.

“Change your flight as well.”

Huh? “You want me to visit your mom with you?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

He was the boss.

The sexy, demanding, sweet, unpredictable, mysterious boss.

I swallowed hard. “No, there’s no problem.”

CHAPTER22

BRAX

“Do you spend a lot of time in the gardens, Leonora?”

“Call me Leon, darling. And yes, I love the outdoors. There’s such beauty in nature.” Brax’s mom glanced at her swollen ankle. “At least, there is when you look where you’re going.”

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