Page 1 of Bullied by the Boss
Destiny caught what Clare was getting at. And it wasn’t simply to stroke Sabine’s ego. “Did he approach you and offer you anything to coerce your husband to follow orders, Sabine?”
She stiffened, then a split second later, downed the rest of her drink. “I’m dry. I need a refill.”
One of the Famous Ones set a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down into her seat. “Talk.”
Brent asked, “What did you do?”
“I’ll tell youwhat I did.” Sabine straightened in her seat, squaring her shoulders like she was about to throw her empty glass at her husband’s face. “I took care of my own business like you seem to be incapable of doing. That’swhat Idid.”
Destiny’s brows rose.
Clare said, “They came at you first?”
Sabine glanced around.
Brent puffed a breath out between his lips. “And you had your father, or your brothers, take care of it.”
“I’m capable of cleaning up a mess. Unlike some people.”
“I’d ask for the details, but legally, I’d likely be informing the police.”
Sabine glanced over at Clare. “Because you married a cop.” Given her expression, that wasn’t a good thing. “I don’t need the police to fix my problems either.” She got up and went to a sideboard where she opened a drawer, pulled out a manila envelope and tossed it on the table. “Neither am I going to fix yours. Sign those. I want a divorce.”
Destiny flinched. Not what she’d been expecting to happen when they came here today.
Clare slid her chair back and stood.
Brent said, “You think it’s that simple.”
Sabine jerked a finger at the envelope. “It will be, or you’ll get a visit from my brothers and my father.”
Brent snatched the envelope from the table as he stood. “I need to speak with you ladies.” He led them to the living room while the soon-to-be ex-wife poured the rest of the bottle into her glass. “I got a call.” He hesitated. “I thought it was the blackmailer, but he made reference to the shootings that have been happening.”
Clare asked, “What did he want?”
“It’s not over.” Brent ran a hand through his hair, looking far older in that moment.
Destiny’s stomach clenched. Now wasnotthe time to get sick.
Brent said, “There’s a file in the Vanguard system?” Neither of them confirmed that statement. “He wants it copied to a drive, deleted from your system, and returned to him. He said to tell you to do it, or next time, he won’t miss.”
TWENTY-THREE
“Here.” Jasper slid a photo across the table.
Gage picked it up between the ketchup and his empty coffee cup. Blake sat to his right. River was across the table, which was a bit awkward but not as bad as he’d thought it would be, considering the guy was married to Jasper’s ex-fiancée.
“Wow. You guys looked alike.” Gage passed the photo along.
One of the few pictures Jasper had of his brother. If only he had happy memories to talk about, but he couldn’t think of any. “All I remember is the hospital. I don’t have funny stories or jokes he told or much of any memories of him that don’t center around him being sick.” There should be some, but there weren’t. Just that moment in the treehouse, a moment he probably couldn’t recapture.
Caleb had been Jasper’s best friend. And if he’d lived, they’d have had each other through all the years of his mom being better for a while. Then, she would fall off that proverbial wagon, and the truth of her condition would emerge.
He couldn’t begrudge her the way she was or get bitter about it. What would that solve? All it would do is rob him of the ability to show her compassion when she needed it most. They would both end up suffering.
“I never told you because it hurt too much to talk about.” Jasper tilted his coffee cup and stared at the drip in the bottom. The eggs Benedict he’d eaten were the best in Benson, but now they sat in his stomach like a lead ball. “Caleb was mine, like a secret I needed to keep. Mostly because it was too painful that he isn’t here.”
Blake clapped him on the shoulder. “We all found a brotherhood in SWAT and with the PD. Whether we knew we needed it or not.”
