Page 24 of The Billionaire's Temptation

Harry snickered. “We’re taking someone down tonight!” He glanced over at Chad, elbowing him in the ribs. “Someone who never should have tried to get in the way, right?”

Chad lifted his glass and drained the last few ounces of the bourbon. “Absolutely! The little girl thought she could kick us out?” He nearly tossed the empty glass onto Ann’s tray. “We’re putting her in her place and kicking her out.”

“Turning the tables,” Harry said, lifting his empty glass in the air before laughing at his joke.

“I’ll be right back with your drinks,” Ann announced and turned, heading back to the bar. She nodded at Margaret, another club waitress, who was standing nearby.

Margaret immediately moved closer to the table, but kept herself in the background. She didn’t make a sound. Instead, she simply stood to the right of the table, pretending to survey the other diners and drinkers.

“You have the police ready to go?” Harry asked.

Chad snickers. “Yep. They had the bitch in handcuffs the other day. It was beautiful!”

Harry groaned. “I know that you love the image of your women in shackles, but focus, old boy. I have the coke and Billy can get the heroin.”

“Excellent!”

“The Pennsylvania civil forfeiture laws will do the rest for us!” Harry tapped his finger on the table. “We’ll bring enough drugs so that the police will count the value as ‘intent to distribute’ and she’ll be locked away, her home forfeited to the authorities.”

Chad chuckled. “Perfect. Then I’ll get my step-daddy’s lawyer to come in and let Blaire and I live there as caretakers while we lobby the state to overturn the will.”

Harry looked around for their drink. “While you’re waiting for that to happen, petition the court to give you a stipend for being caretakers of the house.”

Chad laughed, delighted with the idea. “Of course! That’s perfect! We’ll have the bitch’s house as well as her money!”

Margaret kept her features bland as she waited for Ann to bring the drinks. As soon as Ann set the drinks down, Margaret drifted away.

Margaret hurried to Emily’s office and explained everything to the club manager and Levi, including Hendrix who had followed her into Emily’s office.

Levi listened, then muttered several curses as he hurried out of the office. “Clarissa! They’re going to try and frame Clarissa!”

Matteo was stepping out of his office, but saw Levi’s furious expression and quickly backed out of the way.

“Hendrix will fill you in,” Levi snapped as he continued down the hallway.

“I’m right behind you and I’ll bring Betty,” Hendrix announced. “We need to stop this before it happens.”

Levi agreed, but didn’t slow down.

Chapter 7

Clarissa smothered a yawn as the rest of the “guests” laughed and danced around the room. Every person that had come to the “party” was completely hammered, several of them sneaking off to do…whatever…in other rooms. Clarissa would beg Martha to wash the sheets in all of the bedrooms once this was over.

Turning away from the scene, Clarissa slipped out of the great room. In the kitchen, she found Martha beaming as she pulled a baking sheet of delicious appetizers out of the oven.

“What are you doing in here?” Martha asked tapping the top of one of the pastries before nodding approval. “Blaire threw this shindig to introduce you to Philadelphia’s wealthy set.”

Clarissa slid onto one of the counter stools. “I’m not needed in there,” she replied and lifted one of Martha’s creations to her lips, closing her eyes at the savory flavors. “I think that Blaire organized an afternoon party just so she could invade my father’s liquor cabinets.” She took another appetizer, her mouthwatering but she paused to say, “Apparently, more people will arrive later tonight.”

Martha groaned, shaking her head. “That woman is just going to get even more drunk, the longer she stays here.”

Clarissa shrugged. “I figure if she’s drinking here, then she’s not out on the roads, possibly hurting someone. I don’t get the sense that the five other ladies in there are going to slow down anytime soon.”

Martha nodded. “Whenever Arthur went out of town, Blaire and Chad would throw a party. Sometimes, the partying would be round the clock, until everyone was too exhausted and the drugs were consumed.”

“Drugs?” Clarissa replied, suddenly alert. “I didn’t see any drugs out there. They were too busy guzzling the scotch.”

Martha carefully placed the beautifully crafted appetizers onto a platter, then hefted it carefully. “Never fear, the drugs will come out eventually. Chad and Blaire’s friends are here for only one reason, and that’s to get high.”

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