Page 129 of The Secrets She Keeps

Damned criminals.

He liked to consider himself more of a businessman than a criminal. Wasn’t it the same difference, though?

Trey got the damned door open. They didn’t have much there—they had been in the process of relocating product to this side of the division when they’d stumbled right into Fucking Heather and Powell Barratt. Things had gotten unavoidably delayed.

Well, they were making up for it now, but they had to get their shit out of Hughes Heights. Fast.

Before everything got screwed up everywhere. Before those piece of shit cops in Major Crimes figured out the security guards in this place were on Trey’s payroll too. One of those morons would talk. It was just a matter of time.

“Get it out of here. We have maybe one hour. I don’t want to stay here too long.” He’d seen the damned armored limo pull in right there across the damned yard.

Powell Barratt and that damned boyfriend of hers.

Gunnar Erickson.

Damn, he hated that shithead. Guy ruined everything.

It was like he was one step ahead of Trey every fucking time.

“You hear that?” Tuell asked. Tuell was probably the only one of the guys with him tonight who wasn’t a fucking idiot.

“Let’s go check it out. The rest of you—get this done. There are cops driving around in here tonight. Nobody do anything stupid. Just don’t get seen. We have to get everything we can out of heretonight.Or we’re leaving it behind.”

Trey followed Tuell up the stairs.

88

Brianna got in her car.Bethany lived at the far north end of Hughes Avenue. Brianna was going to go see her big sister. Find out what Bethany was hiding from her. And maybe they could do something sister-y together. They weresisters.And that mattered.

Brianna realized that now.

It took her fifteen minutes to get to her sister's home. It wasn't as big, as nice as Brianna's. Definitely not decorated in Brianna’s elegant traditional style. Bethany preferred light, breezy coastal. It was still really nice, though. It had been a while since Brianna had been there. She and Bethany didn't exactlyhang outtogether or anything.

When they'd been teenagers, Bethany had been so busy or with her head stuck in a journal or something. And Brianna had been busy with cheerleading and people at FC Academy. But they were adults now. Sisters.

That mattered.

Brianna understood that now.

"What are you doing here?" Bethany asked. She looked a little like Brianna, but she was kind of plain. She looked likea girl version of Banks, really. Of Brianna's stepfather, with just enough of Brianna's mother thrown in for her to look like Brianna too. But secretly, Brianna thoughtshelooked more like Timothy than she did her own mother.

"I am your sister. I wanted to see you tonight. Isn't that answer enough?" Bethany was wearing jeans and an FCU sweatshirt. Her sister actually owned jeans and a sweatshirt? Brianna had missed some things lately, apparently. “Why are you wearing that?"

"Because I signed up to take a few business classes back in January. Get a degree. So that I know what I am doing more than I do. Dad tried to teach me a few things, but I, well, I didn't like to be with him and Banks. What's going on?"

There was a nice dinner on her sister's stove. Bethany was actuallycooking? Crazy. Didn’t she have a staff for that? Brianna never cooked. The housekeeper always made sure she had perfect meals ready before she left for the day. "Do you have company?"

"Nels is coming over soon. We are celebrating. I got an A on my business mid-term."

Brianna didn't think celebrating a grade was all that interesting, but Bethany had an odd, almost uncertain look on her face. One that said she cared what Brianna thought and everything. "That's wonderful, Bethie."

Brianna wouldn't exactly want to celebrate withNelsonHarveyeither, but, well, what if Nelson treated her sister the way Powell's father treated Powell's mother? Or the way Gunnar treated Powell?

Did the amount of money he hadtrulymatter? Her stepfather had had lots of money, and he was a really mean asshole most of his life.

Bethany had more than enough money, and Nelson knew how to help her manage it. Who cared if he didn't have as much as Bethany?

She didn't want some guy marrying Bethanyjustfor her money either.

---