Page 112 of Nothing to Deny

Still frowning, the glare left her to land on every other guy there. Then with a huff, Baer stalked on out. Security went after him, they wouldn’t hurt him, they’d just make sure he really went.

“You okay?” Tripp asked after her next exhale.

“Truman’s screwing up my life.”

“He wouldn’t know himself if he wasn’t sticking his nose in.”

“I have to confront him,” she said, sinking back onto the bed again. “He screwed everything up.”

“It’s three in the morning, so I’d suggest doing it tomorrow.”

She lay down and closed her eyes. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

THIRTY-SIX

HER GRANDFATHER. He was her agenda. She wasn’t nervous.

After waking at Crimson, the previous night’s events took a minute to come back. Boy, when they had, they’d hit her with purpose. On some things, she maybe hadn’t learned her lesson.

There was no rush, she wanted to be reasonable about this. Emotion wasn’t the best driver when it came to calling someone out. She wouldn’t be emotional, she’d be calm, clear, and maybe he’d get the message to butt out.

Would Truman understand? She had to find out why. In the past, when investigating her romantic interests, she’d never heard of her grandfather going so far as to force the guy into the black. What odd comeuppance.

Did it matter?

Baer gave up on her. More than that he judged and ousted her without a fair trial. What did that mean? That he wasn’t the stalwart she wanted him to be, that’s what it meant. He’d given up on them too easy. Almost like he wanted the excuse to get rid of her.

Descending in the Crimson elevator, the truth was sinking in. Baer didn’t want her, probably never had. She’d lost him. Was it even worth going to the house and demanding answers from Truman? What did she hope to achieve?

As expected, her car waited at the curb. What was unexpected? The man leaning against it talking to her driver. When they noticed her, both straightened and the driver went to open the back door.

She traversed a few steps toward Baer. “What are you doing here? How did you…? Why are you here?”

And why was he talking to her driver? How would he even know she was still there or when she’d be walking out?

“Truman,” he said, approaching to meet her midway on the sidewalk. “You’re going to talk to him.”

And that mattered to him… “Yes. How long have you been waiting out here?”

“You’re not the only one with connections.”

Whatever that meant.

“Okay.”

Weird kind of coincidence he’d be there at the same moment as her.

She got in the car, purse hooked around her forearm. It was ironic that Roxie was known for forgetting to charge her phone, yet there were charging docks on every nightstand. An addition Zairn introduced after getting with Roxie.

The car door didn’t close, which wasn’t a big deal until Baer got in to join her.

Only then was the door closed.

“Uh… what are you doing?”

“Coming with you.”

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