Page 32 of Unveiled

“Oh.” When Tatum looked away, Rush mouthed his thanks. Instead of nodding or smiling, Charlie pointed to her eyes then to his. Not awful, but then she flashed her gaze toward Tatum, while lifting one strand of her own red hair. When she turned back, she made a throat slashing motion followed by a stern look.

He didn’t need words to understand she’d just threatened him if he hurt one hair on her head. Never, he mouthed back before promising himself the same thing.

“Oh, let me get some napkins.” Tatum rushed to the kitchen and back. “I just ate an entire steak earlier, but I need all the pizza. I handle bad news better on a full stomach.” She tried to make light, but Rush saw her tells. Those little things that let him know she was not going to take it well, no matter the status of her belly.

Everyone sat around the living room and reached for the pizza on the coffee table. Rush was a little salty when Charlie sat right next to Tatum, effectively banishing him to an armchair. Before long, Mark finished a slice and washed it down with a beer then spoke. “Julia. . .Do you mind if I still call you that?”

Tatum shook her head.

“There’s no easy way to drop all this on you, so I’m just going to say it.” Rush watched Tatum as Mark spoke. Fuck it. She would need him, and Charlie be damned. Rush got up and squeezed in on the other side of Tatum. Half his ass was up on the arm of the sofa, but he’d deal with the discomfort.

Charlie shot him a look, but the longer she stared, the more her face seemed to soften.

“Babe?” Mark called and patted his knee. Charlie ended their staring contest and joined Mark in his seat. Tatum shifted and so did he until she was snuggled into his side and both ass cheeks were on the cushion.

“We pulled all the public and not so public information we could about the Blankenships, and I get why you were running. They are very well connected, and they have some questionable activities. What it looks like is Dale is just one big mess of trouble looking for a place to happen. And Cyrus is right there all the time to bail him out. At first it was greasing the right palms to make shit go away. Over time, his troubles got bigger and bigger, moving into felony territory.”

Rush felt the shudder that coursed through her body. She was terrified. “I. . .I had no idea they were such monsters. I would never—”

“Babes, no one is accusing you. I know your heart. I know you’d never be okay with the shit they did.”

“He’s right, sweetie.” Charlie stood and knelt in front of them. “We don’t for one minute think you had anything to do with their dealings.”

Charlie returned to Mark.

“That’s why I ran. I heard them talking about my parents and cleaning up messes. I panicked and didn’t finish listening. I locked myself in my room the rest of the night and went through the motions of getting ready the next day. I ran the second I could.”

“Cyrus paid through the nose a few years ago to make a pretty significant issue go away. From what we can tell, that exhausted most of his favors and he was supposedly done with bailing Dale out. Sent him to rehab but from what we found, it didn’t take too well.”

“Wait, Dale didn’t go to rehab, he went. . .” Tatum’s voice trailed off, and she got lost in thought. “That bastard. He lied to me. Said it was a spa retreat for fat loss. He was obsessed with his weight being perfect, so I had no reason to question it.”

“About that.” Rush snapped his focus to Mark and Charlie, who both looked like they were disgusted. “Are you sure you want to hear this, Julia?”

“Honestly, not really. Something about hearing all the sordid details about the man I was going to marry just doesn’t settle well. Can you give me the cliff notes version?”

Mark’s smile was one Rush recognized as relief. It must be pretty bad.

“I can do that. So, his dad sent him away to clean up a mess. When he came back, he reverted to his same group of drug friends. But this time not just as a customer.”

It was Rush who piped up that time. “You mean that fucker was dealing?” Mark and Charlie both nodded.

“Cyrus had all but cut him off until, well. . .”

“Until my parents?” Tatum’s voice was stronger than he expected.

“Yeah, Babes. Seems Dale had something on him, and it was enough for Cyrus to cave into his son. We’re still trying to find exactly what.”

Charlie piped in. “If we can figure that out, maybe we can use the same leverage to get him to choose his secret over Dale.”

“Cyrus is not innocent,” Tatum spoke with passion. “I heard him. He has done some horrible things, including the will.”

“We know that, but he doesn’t know we do. We gather as much as we can, go to Cyrus, but leave out all the shit we know about him, things you know, and see if we can get him to sell Dale out. Once we do that, then we take Cyrus down after. Word on the street—” Charlie interrupted Mark with venom in her voice.

“Because the arrogant prick can’t keep his mouth closed.” She sat perched on the arm of Mark’s chair in a huff. Mark patted her thigh and Rush watched her whole attitude change from such a small gesture. It hit him, that was why he was always dragging Tatum into his lap. He needed that contact and hoped she did, too. As a matter of fact, he needed it right now. More than having her curled at his side.

Rush squeezed her tighter and patted his thigh ever so slightly. His theory was, if she needed it, she would notice and accept. If she didn’t, he would make do with her at his side. He knew what was coming was bad, and he wanted to have her back.

A sigh of relief shot from his lungs as she scooted closer until she was seated in his lap. More dignified than if he’d slid her over like a child. He was grateful she accepted the invitation and took what she needed from him.

Mark and Charlie exchanged a look, one he tried not to read too much in to. Tatum sat in his lap, her fingers softly caressing the back of his neck. A ghost of a smile crossed Charlie’s lips.

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