Page 98 of Fraud
I knew everything was supposedly bigger in Texas, but I was sure Oregon wasn’t that far off.
After roaming around the warehouse, looking for someone to help me as I paused between the endless aisles of reds and whites, I caught a glimpse of a familiar blond head of hair.
“What the hell?” I said under my breath, ducking behind a display.
There, in the pinot grigio section, was Brian, the asshole who’d left Kate in tears yesterday, making out with another woman.
I took a closer look, trying to figure out exactly what my eyes were seeing.
Around the same height as Kate, the leggy redhead was pretty, no doubt, but nothing compared to Kate.
She wore a simple pair of shorts and a T-shirt.
And that was when I saw it.
Wedding rings.
Matching wedding rings.
His thick gold band gleamed under the megawatt bulbs above as he laughed with his wife over wine labels.
Fucking asshole.
I was moving before I even had a chance to register it.
“What the—” Brian said mere seconds before I shoved him up against the cold cinder-block wall. The redhead gasped in surprise.
“I think I should be asking the same question. Or maybe I should ask your wife,” I said, making his eyes go wide. “Does she know?” I asked.
He remained quiet. I pushed my hand against his throat.
A curt nod was all I got.
My confusion rose. Turning toward his wife, I asked, “You knew your husband was dating another woman?”
She bit her lip, remaining silent, as their gazes locked.
“Shit,” I said out loud, letting him go.
He nearly fell to the floor, breathing heavily.
“This was a scam,” I said, looking from Brian to his wife and back again. “You know, don’t you?”
I could see it in his eyes, smell it like a fucking bad odor rising from the sewer. I’d hated this guy from the moment I met him, but now, I knew why.
“Of course I do,” he said. “I taught her everything she knows. The moment I read that book, I instantly recognized her voice. You can’t hide talent like that, no matter how hard you try.”
“So, you tried to seduce her to, what? Steal her money?”
His gaze shifted. “I just wanted my fair share.”
“Your fair share?” I laughed. “Fair share of what? Did you write the fucking book?”
“If I hadn’t taught her, she would still be nothing. Nothing!” His voice rose, causing me to step forward. He retreated almost immediately.
“She’s never been nothing. Never,” I argued.
“You’re in love with her.” He chuckled. “Does she know you’ve discovered her little secret?”
