Page 3 of Queen of Ruin

A senator? The man with a nice smile and a slight southern accent was Senator Kerry Walker.

What does Emerson have to do with politics?

Everything.

There is so much potential in the word everything.

1

EVEN I’M NOT THAT GOOD

EVANGELINE

“Jesus Christ, Evangeline!” Darren raises his voice, holding one of the photos in his hand. “Did you fuck him?” he asks harshly. “Did you fuck my father?” he demands, and I blink as if his words are arrows that have hit their target.

“No!”

“Trips out of town, speaking events – now I know why he didn’t want my mother to go with him,” Darren accuses absently as if he didn’t hear me.

“I never saw him again!” I yell to stop him from talking, but that’s not the whole truth. “Not after that night.” That gets Darren’s attention.

“We were talking about Emerson, and Langley…”

“Langley?” Darren’s eyes go wide.

“Yes, he was with your father. He wanted to know about my demographic and your father. He was so gracious, and invited me to dinner with his staff. I didn’t know the pictures were taken, but nothing happened,” I’m out of breath, trying to get it all out at once.

“Bullshit!” Darren roars, scattering the photos so they fly off the desk as if a gust of wind tore through the office.

“He was a senator! They don’t invite voters to fucking dinner, Evangeline.”

“Your father was interested in what I had to say – about Emerson, about me,” I rattle off excuses, but I can feel my chest cave, wondering if my memory of that evening is as reliable as I think. Was I so desperate for someone to pay attention to what I had to say that I didn’t see?—?

“I’m sure he wanted you there to talk about your demographic.” He looks across the desk at me and shakes his head. It makes me feel small and naïve. Maybe I was back then, but now…

“Is it so hard for you to believe that someone would be interested in what I had to say? That someone would be interested in my intellect instead of my body?” I ask, offended, but even I’m beginning to wonder now.

Darren rubs the back of his neck, saying nothing.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I’m an asshole? You manipulated your way into my life…”

I approach the desk and place my fingers on the dark wood. “You blew up my life so I’d have no choice but to marry you!” I argue, pointing a finger at him as he sits behind the desk, dark eyes staring at me. “You know what’s really fucked up, Darren?” He furrows his brows at me. “If you would have just asked me to marry you instead of getting me fired, I probably would have said yes.”

He stands, and the chair bangs into the wall, jarring me. There’s a flicker of regret before he swipes a hand over his face as if to gain composure.

“I’m an asshole, I admit that.” He almost sounds remorseful. “I fucked you over so I could get what I wanted, but I never once lied to you.” He smacks a pen from the desk and turns away from me.

I stand there like a child who’s just been scolded, my cheeks hot, and my heart beating hard against my ribs. Darren may have been underhanded about our union, but I went into it with secrets that I somehow thought would stay buried. How stupid a notion that was.

“And Langley?” His eyes are wide. “You could have told me. You could have warned me you knew him before,” Darren fumes.

“Do you want a list of all my clients?” I challenge.

“He’s different and you know it!” His voice fills the room. “Did you fuck him, too?” he demands, and my belly drops.

“He didn’t get the chance,” I admit, and think back to that night as Darren waits for me to continue. “Our date was cut short because of the news…”

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