Page 26 of Dangerous Secret

Harlow Pressley had buried her sexuality because of a man who had mentally and physically abused her. She might deny he physically abused her, but those bruises on her arms said otherwise, and he didn’t doubt Pressley had left bruises on her skin throughout their marriage. Now she was emerging from the safety of her cocoon, and he had the honor of witnessing the first tentative steps of what promised to be a rare and beautiful butterfly.

He inwardly rolled his eyes.Getting a bit fancy there, dude.Yeah, but it was true.

“What if Anthony’s there when we arrive?” she said.

They were only a few minutes from her apartment complex. “He won’t be. Liam’s there, and he would’ve called if Pressley was hanging around.” Before he’d walked down to the beach to join her, he’d called Liam and told him to go to her place and make sure Pressley or his spy wasn’t around. Liam would stay until he saw that Harlow was safely in her apartment, locked up for the night.

“If he does show up, what should I say when he asks where I was, because he will.”

He glanced at her. “You say it’s none of his business.”

“That will just make him angry.”

Although she was taking those tentative steps in finding herself again, she was still cowered by the man, and that made Grayson mad. Not at her, but at Pressley. “You left your regular phone at home, right?” When she nodded, he said, “Then if you feel you have to give him an answer, tell him you were home and didn’t feel like talking to him tonight.”

“Since my car is still parked there, that should work.”

“Have you thought of getting a restraining order against him?”

“If I did that, he’d never let me see Tyler.”

He wasn’t letting her see her son now, so what difference did it make? But Grayson got her reluctance to stir the pot. “I think you should demand to see your boy, even if Pressley insists on being there when you do.” The Phoenix Three team could set up surveillance for the meet to make sure she stayed safe. Pressley would never know they were there.

“I’ve begged him to let me spend time with Tyler, but he says I can only see him if I go back.”

He wanted to wrap her in his arms and give her everything she wished for. “Instead of begging, demand to see him. Threaten to cause trouble if he doesn’t agree.”

“What kind of trouble could I cause? Everything is to his benefit, and everyone is on his side.”

Grayson pulled to a stop behind her car. “Is there anything about him you know that would embarrass him? You said he has a mistress. Use that. Threaten to tell anyone who’ll listen if he doesn’t agree to give you time with your son.”

She gazed out the window. “I know worse than that.”

He tilted his head, her voice so soft—almost a whisper—that he strained to hear her. “Such as?”

“It’s…” A shudder traveled through her. “It’s bad.”

“Harlow, look at me.” He waited for her to face to him. “If I’m going to help you, you need to tell me everything you know about him.”

“I was waiting until I was sure I could trust you.”

“But you still don’t?” That hurt. Yet, she hadn’t known him long, and if this secret was the reason for the fear in her eyes, he couldn’t make it personal.

“I think I do. I want to.”

They needed to have a serious talk, and she needed to spill Pressley’s secrets. All of them. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Go inside. I’ll come to you shortly, and we’ll talk.”

She stared down at the hand he had over hers, then she nodded as she opened her door and slid out without looking at him. Why was that disappointing? He watched until the door closed behind her, then he moved the car to an empty space.

Liam jogged out of the shadows and joined him. “Nicecar. You should let me borrow it, impress my new golfing buddies.”

“Sure. Come pick it up tomorrow. No one was hanging around when you got here?”

“All clear. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Harlow, but Pressley has a longtime mistress. Heard that one over lunch at the club.”

“She knows. She thinks along with his regular mistress that he’s had numerous affairs. See if you can get some names.”

“I’m on it.”

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