Page 56 of Stolen Sun

When I walk into the office, I see she’s doing her best to win Zander over. He’s standing as still as a statue while she circles around him, touching him everywhere. She stops when she hears the door but only to look at me with a pout.

“I want to renegotiate,” she says.

“Don’t fucking care,” I clip.

“Keep the money,” she continues before turning to face Zander again, “I want you.”

He winks at her and walks away.

“You gonna save me some money?” I ask him to fuck with her.

He scoffs and looks at her. “Whores aren’t for me. I don’t share well.”

“Keep me in a cage, baby,” she suggests.

“Now, that is tempting,” he says as if he’s consideringit.

“Leah, where the fuck is Veronica?” I ask—too pissed to listen to them dance around whatever this is between them.

“She got knocked up and decided to keep the baby. She hasn’t come to work in about six months,” she says as understanding dawns on her. “Oh, fuck. I didn’t think you’d care since you only asked me to keep tabs on Conner and get information about Noel.”

“You didn’t think Veronica having Nate’s baby might pertain to Noel?” I ask, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“If he didn’t get his wife pregnant, he probably didn’t get Veronica pregnant either,” she snaps back.

“Ever seen this man?” I ask, holding up my phone with a picture of Grant Williams and ignoring her attitude.

“Nope,” she says, as she smacks the “p” at the end of the word.

Well, fuck.I was hoping he was involved, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the pregnant chick directly.

“Do you keep in touch with Veronica?” I ask.

“Of course. She will be back after the baby is born,” she answers as though I’m an idiot for not knowing how it works.

“Give me the address,” Zander says, stepping into her.

She nods, all sarcasm—even words—gone.

Neither of them back away from the other as she reaches into his pocket to take out his cell phone. She holds it up to his face to unlock it with facial recognition then types something in. When she’s finished, she presses the phone against his chest and stares up at him.

“Good girl,” Zander says as he tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

He takes the phone and gives her his back a few feet away.

“Run along,pet,” he says without looking at her.

She leaves without another word.

“All bark and no bite,” he says as he locks up the office.

Grabbing my phone as soon as we get into the truck, I scroll through my messages to find out that Noel did already slip Chance. She ran straight to her father-in-law.Interesting.

“Are we really about to rough up a pregnant girl?” Zander asks.

“Didn’t I just witness you agree to lock an actual whore in a cage?” I ask, utterly confused by him implying he lives on the right side of wrong.

“She’s already going to hell, Dec. The unborn is different,” he tries to reason with me.

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