Page 101 of A Secret to Die For

“You were the one who wanted lunch.”

“I know. I guess I just wanted to talk. We’ve never really spoken before, not properly.”

“Two ships, passing in the night. Who are the guys in the SUV? Cops?”

“Garrett sent them.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So he is still on the scene?”

“No, he isn’t.”

“I see. Is that something to do with the handcuffs?”

My cheeks burned. “You know about those?”

“Somebody had to clean up the pool house.”

Why had I thought having lunch with Parker would be a good idea?

“I wish you’d just burned the place to the ground. But no, the handcuffs weren’t the issue—it was something else.”

“Then the twins still stand a chance? They’ll be thrilled to hear that.”

“Sorry to burst their bubble, but Garrett detests them. He only goes to parties to stop his brother from doing anything dumb.”

“I can identify with that. I lost count of the number of times I stopped Easton from trashing the family’s reputation, but he still managed it in the end. His one success in life.”

“Then Marianna said, ‘Hold my beer.’”

We stared at each other for a beat, and for perhaps the first time ever, I heard Parker laugh. Not a sarcastic chuckle, but a proper belly laugh, eyes crinkled. And I realised that although I’d lost so much in the past week—my boyfriend, my heart, my nerve—I’d gained a new co-conspirator.

“You can run from karma, but you can’t hide,” he said.

“Speaking of karma, I heard a rumour the twins might get sued over a peanut allergy?”

“Only a matter of time. The complaint letter arrived yesterday, and it was glorious. Almost as glorious as Easton investing ninety-five percent of his money in crypto right before the market crashed.”

Amazing what schadenfreude could do for a girl’s appetite. I scooped up a blob of guac and chewed slowly. If Parker was telling the truth about the brokerage account—and Parker was all about subtlety, I didn’t think he’d tell such an outrageous lie—then I might inherit a third of Grandpa’s estate. Four million dollars. I could run far, far away from the monster, away from Garrett, and never worry about money again. Was it feasible to live in a beach shack? I could sit on the sand and paint sunsets for the rest of my life.

“Were you serious?” I whispered. “About the brokerage account?”

Wordlessly, he pulled out his phone and opened an app. A moment later, he slid it across the table. The screen showed some sort of investment account, and my name was at the top. And there was the money. $280,413.57. I began shaking.

“Promise me you’ll keep this quiet,” he said. “I need those two years.”

“I promise.”

“If you want control of the funds, I’ll turn it over, but you can’t spend the money. Do you have enough cash to live on until Judgment Day?”

Even if I had to pay rent, I could manage. “Yes.”

“Then just keep your head down and hold on.”

And survive. A part of me wanted to tell Parker about the monster, about Harless and Mandell, but I wasn’t ready to have that conversation, not yet. I’d jumped in so fast with Garrett, and it had backfired. With Parker, I’d be more cautious.

“I will. Can I ask you a question?”

“I reserve the right not to answer.”

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