Did I miss something?
Blow off an appearance?
Screw up a PR commitment?
No one’s offering any answers, and a low buzz of unease starts working its way through me.
I give him a curt nod and follow him out. By the time I reach Hugh Landry’s office, the smile I came in with is long gone. I can barely remember what it felt like. Once at his door, I rap my knuckles on the thick wood.
“It’s open,” he calls out.
As soon as I step inside, I realize he’s not the only one in the room. Evelyn is seated near the window, her expression solemn, and Rina is standing next to her. The spark that usually fills her eyes along with her fiery disposition is nowhere to be found.
Fuck.
Whatever is going on is even worse than I imagined.
Hugh is seated behind his desk with his hands clasped like he’s prepping for battle.
My stomach knots. “What’s up?” I ask, lowering myself into the chair across from him.
No one says a word at first.
Rina avoids my gaze, just like some of the guys in the locker room.
Hugh shifts slightly, the movement enough to draw my attention back to him. “Just know that this situation is uncomfortable for everyone.”
“What situation? Someone needs to tell me what’s going on,” I demand.
Rina pulls out her phone, hesitating for a second before finally handing it over.
I take it.
The screen lights up with the Railers Rumors site.
There’s a photo.
Grainy but clear enough.
It’s of me.
I’m standing behind Lilah at Gold Coast Table.
And my hand is wrapped around her throat.
It looks wrong.
Really fucking wrong.
Rage and disbelief crash into me all at once.
“What the fuck,” I mutter. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
I look up, meeting Hugh’s eyes before glancing at Evelyn and Rina. “Both of you know that Lilah is my best friend.”
Evelyn arches a brow. “From the looks of it, she’s way more than that.”
My face heats. “She is,” I admit. “But I wasn’t hurting her. It was a private moment. Something intimate that’s been twisted.”