Page 35 of Clear Blue Sky

“I don’t know what is true and what is fiction. And that’s frustrating as hell,” she mumbled.

“Here’s the thing,” Reese said. “Once Brandi sends me that contract back, she can forward me the manuscript. I’ll know what it says and that will give us leverage, but we don’t have to do anything with that information. We can let Marcus believe he’s going to fuck Nelson seven ways to Sunday.”

“I don’t understand something.” Brandi read the novel. The implication that Nelson had an affair wasn’t necessarily a big deal. People did that every day. Considering it was with his ex-girlfriend didn’t make it forgivable, but it made it relatable. “And maybe you can’t clarify, but outside of a breach in classified material, all this does—”

“It goes to my discharge,” Nelson said. “Not that the Army is going to strip me of my honorable discharge now, but it’s possible they could have given me a less than honorable discharge at the time I left.”

“I don’t believe so,” Maverick said. “I can see how we all might think it could apply, but Dad’s lawyers all told us that it wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, but I know the story they were going to spin.” Nelson reached for the bottle and poured himself another glass. “If she could have made that stick, there was a chance I could have gone to prison.”

“Jesus,” Brandi muttered. Her mind spun a few different scenarios, but landed flatly on one.

The accusation of rape.

She swallowed. She was a firm believer that no one should shame the victim. That women didn’t cry rape. No one would want to put themselves through that kind of scrutiny because half the time people didn’t believe the victim.

However, she found herself in a difficult position and she needed answers to some tough questions. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend that I didn’t read that book and that I don’t know what we’re talking about.”

“Can you all give me a few minutes with Brandi, alone?” Nelson asked.

Reese stood. “I need to get home to my wife and kids. Call me in the morning.”

“We’re going to head out too,” Maverick said.

“Text us with how you want to handle the workload tomorrow. We can be flexible.” Phoenix squeezed Nelson’s shoulder.

“I’ll check in with you later,” Nelson said.

Brandi pulled the fleece tighter around her body. The fire crackled. Sparks danced in the night sky. A few boats hummed along the shoreline. The red wine warmed her belly and dulled her senses.

She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Would it be better if we printed out another copy of that contract and signed it?” Nelson asked. “I don’t want to put your company in a compromising situation.”

“I don’t want to know about the mission. I want to know about your relationship with Roxy and I want to know everything.”

“That’s the problem, they are intertwined.”

“Did we agree to be exclusive?”

He nodded.

“Doesn’t that make us a couple?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “But there are still things I can’t tell you. That wouldn’t even change if you were my wife.”

“I can’t ask you questions based on what I read. I need you to tell me.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Please. I’m begging you to give me what you can.”

“You want to know if I slept with Roxy while she was married to Seth?”

“Did you?”

“Yes,” he whispered. “I’m not proud of what happened. I don’t regret many things in life, but that is one decision I wish I could reverse.”

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