Page 72 of Kiss Me Now
“Shut up. I didn’t go to novel-writing school. So Bad Guy has a history of doing bad things to nice women.”
“How bad?”
“Not exactly sure, but bad enough that he’s had to pay several of them a lot of money to stay quiet. And let’s say that Bad Guy has fooled the world into thinking he’s reformed, but I know he hasn’t. And let’s say that Bad Guy has a lot of influence that he doesn’t deserve, and worse, constant access to new victims. So Bad Guy needs to go down.”
Landon thumped his bat in his open palm, like a goon in a mafia movie threatening a small-time crook. “Yeah, he does.”
“Yeah. He really does. So, we need one of his victims to come forward. And if one comes forward, more will come forward. But none of them want to cross him because they think he’ll retaliate. Or that the system won’t believe them.”
“You can’t find any of his victims?”
I frowned. “Worse. I can find plenty. But all of them are afraid to take the first step.” I’d spent more than two weeks tracking down leads. I’d talked to six young women, and Sherrie had spoken with another four. Even the ones who didn’t have non-disclosure agreements didn’t want to come forward. Rink’s influence was that great.
“Can you blame them?” he asked. “It doesn’t always go well for women who speak up.”
I sighed. “I know. But the reality is that he’s going to keep preying on new women because he knows he can. It kills me.”
He nodded and stepped into the strike zone, squaring up. “So you keep looking until you find someone who will.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I know you’re the older, wiser brother, but it’s exactly that simple. It’s also very hard. But you have to do it.” He swung and connected with the next pitch, the crack of the bat underlining his point.
“I know.”
“That everything?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Liar. Gran says there’s a girl.”
I rolled my eyes. “There’s no girl. She tried to trick me into dating her neighbor.”
“Something wrong with the neighbor?”
“No, she’s great. Just not looking to date.”
“She isn’t or you aren’t?”
“She isn’t—” But I lost my train of thought as my watch vibrated with a text from Brooke. I hadn’t heard from her since last week when I’d sent the porch swing.
Heading to McClean to see my parents tmrw. Thought I’d check out the spy museum you made up. You free to prove it’s real?
I smiled.
“Whoa, what’s that smile?” Landon asked. “It can only mean a woman.”
“The neighbor, actually.”
“The one who doesn’t want to date?”
“The very one.”
“What’s the text say? Did she change her mind?”
I re-read the message. “I can’t tell. She friend-zoned me, but now she’s asking if I want to go to a museum Saturday.”
“Like a date?”
