Page 116 of Playing the Game
I raise my brows. “Yeah. I thought you said he told you everything.”
“I thought he did, but all he said was he dug up dirt on you.” She laughs like she can’t believe she didn’t realize something. “Come to think of it, all I thought he had over you was Lauren and your son.”
“Yeah, no. He had a laundry list of things.”
“Like what?” Her tone suggests I better not surprise her with something else I’ve kept from her.
I take the warning seriously and square my shoulders.
Time to man up.
“He had Lauren and Aricin, and he knew I had gone on a couple of dates?—”
“A couple? I thought there was only Julie.”
Shit.
“There was another woman. I don’t even remember her name.” My stomach flips. “Maybe we should step back and take this one issue at a time.”
Dori’s eyes stay hooked with mine. “I’m not upset that you went out with anyone. Jealous as fuck, but not mad. I know why you did it, but I’m furious he knew and didn’t tell me.
“Instead, he threatened you so you’d stay away from me. Then you went after him. I feel like a pawn. It hits a little too close to home.”
“I understand, but that’s not what I was doing when Iwent after him. When I started playing his game, all I did was tell him to back off and let you make your own decision.
“The exact rule was not to pursue you, but if you came to one of us, that was fine. I didn’t want to manipulate you, and I didn’t want him to either.”
“Okay, that’s good information to have.” Her stance relaxes. “What else did he have on you?”
“He helped fuel the rumors about me and Melanie being an item.”
“No. He wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Um, yeah, he would. He did.”
She looks off to the side. “Why would he want to hurt me like that?”
“He wanted you to believe I was moving on with your best friend.”
Her eyes fill with disbelief. “Wow. I feel like I barely know that side of him.”
I shrug. “You didn’t because he didn’t want you to see it.”
“Is there anything else he had on you?”
“He was threatening to let Aiden know about us.”
She shakes her head. “Just how did Hunter know that would bother Aiden? Did you tell him?”
“No. I don’t know how Hunter figured that out, but he’s resourceful, so I’m not surprised.”
“This is hard to believe. I had no idea he was being so ruthless.”
I raise my brows. “You told me he could be ruthless. Why would you think he wouldn’t be that way with me?”
“I just thought he was different when it came to me. He never showed that side of himself when I was around. Sure, he got upset, and we would fight, but...”
“No. If anything, he was worse.” I consider telling her about his threat to Chuck.
