Page 151 of Secrets (The Sins Trilogy 2)
“This have something to do with what Marty Peacher said?” she asks after a few minutes.
“Yes.” Unlike Anthony, Marty told me the truth. Only when it suited him, of course, but he did.
“And the number I got for you?”
“A woman who used to teach me at Curtis. She confirmed what Marty told me.”
Bobbi sighs. “At least you double-checked instead of believing shit out of that weasel.”
“I’m a fast learner.” Just not fast enough to catch Anthony’s lies before I let him into my heart.
“In case you think I’m doing this for Tony, I’m not. You’re my client, not him.” Bobbi scowls, her hand flexing and unflexing on the steering wheel. “I’ve known him for a while, and he never struck me as unfair or dishonest. If he were, I would’ve never agreed to take this job, even as a favor.”
Crossing my arms, I look away. Guess he has Bobbi fooled too. That doesn’t make me feel any better, though. It only adds to the list of reasons he’s a monster.
The streets of Los Angeles always bustle with cars and noise. Since today’s as dry as can be, people are speeding, yelling and being generally over-cocky. But not even the zany cacophony of the city can bring me out of my funk.
Bobbi clears her throat. “I heard you fight.”
Great. Just perfect. How loud were we?
“Maybe he didn’t have a choice.”
“How?” She better not be trying to paint him as the good guy, or I’m going to jump out of the car.
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “Blackmail?”
I laugh. “Yeah, right. He’d never let himself be blackmailed.”
“For you, he would.”
Sure. He’d just find some way to lie his way around it. “I know you mean well, but it’s not something I can just accept.” I start to bite my lower lip, then wince when my teeth touch the cut. “I’m really tired. Let me know when we’re at Julie’s.” I close my eyes, faking sleep. I don’t want to talk or think. I need to make my head as empty as possible so I can pull myself together. I’m not letting Anthony make me fall apart. No man’s ever going to have that much power over me.
Bobbi doesn’t say anything else.
When we reach Julie’s place, Bobbi helps me with my suitcase. She takes me all the way to Julie’s unit on the tenth floor. When Julie opens the door, I turn to Bobbi. “You can go home now.” When she opens her mouth, I add, “Please.”
Her jaw works, but then she turns and walks away.
I slip inside Julie’s apartment. It’s spacious, but cluttered and messy. Still, not as bad as Byron made it sound. Not a pigsty.
Julie’s in a pink shirt that says, “I left my heart in Paris,” and yoga pants, her hair pulled up in a messy topknot. “What happened?” she asks. “Did you and Tony fight?”
I press the back of my hand over my mouth, blinking away the tears that come. I wish it were as simple as a fight. A fight would mean we could bicker for a bit, then settle our differences and work things out.
But what happened… It’s more than any fight or kept secret. It’s a betrayal.
“Iris—”
I hold her hand to stop her. “Why don’t you pour me some wine, and I’ll tell you everything.”
